VIDEO: NASCAR Driver Kyle Larson Suspended for Using Racial Slur During iRacing Event for Charity
By Thomas Carannante
We're not sure this can even be explained or elaborated upon. Given the circumstances, it's unbelievable that it even happened. During NASCAR's iRacing live stream for charity, driver Kyle Larson, out of nowhere, dropped a racial slur, and some fellow drivers who were playing with him were downright shocked. WARNING: the video below contains NSFW language.
yeah uh pic.twitter.com/BBH7bRcIu8
— Davin (@DriveThrough_) April 13, 2020
You're going to risk saying something like that in a race with 60 other people on a Twitch stream? To assume you're on a private chat, which the language was believed to have been meant for, is beyond mental.
As a result, Larson, the 27-year-old Japanese-American, was suspended without pay by Chip Ganassi Racing, which released a statement shorty after making the decision.
Kyle Larson has now been suspended without pay by Chip Ganassi Racing due to his use of the N word during last night’s iRacing event. pic.twitter.com/Kq70LUtCf4
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) April 13, 2020
The sad irony in all of this is that Larson became the first driver from NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity initiative to win a Cup Series race back in 2016 at the Pure Michigan 400.
Hours after his transgression went viral, Larson finally attempted to absolve himself with a personal apology.
"Last night I made a mistake and said the word that should never, ever be said, and there's no excuse for that."
— Sporting News (@sportingnews) April 13, 2020
NASCAR driver Kyle Larson has filmed an apology after using a racial slur on a livestream during a virtual race.
?: https://t.co/houYiSj7Pm pic.twitter.com/6aSEaSaE33
It didn't move the needle much -- his private side was revealed in what he (for whatever reason) deemed to be an unseen moment. That's the be all, end all.