BREAKING NEWS: NASCAR Suspends Kyle Larson Indefinitely Following Racial Slur Incident
CHARLOTTE, NC — April 13, 2020 — NASCAR has announced the indefinite suspension of driver Kyle Larson after he used a racial slur during a live-streamed iRacing event. The incident occurred on Sunday night during the “Monza Madness” exhibition race, where Larson, unaware that his microphone was live, used the N-word while speaking to his spotter. The comment was broadcast to all participants and viewers, leading to immediate backlash across the racing community.
In response, NASCAR issued a statement emphasizing its commitment to diversity and inclusion, stating, “NASCAR has made diversity and inclusion a priority and will not tolerate the type of language used by Kyle Larson during Sunday’s iRacing event.” The sanctioning body cited violations of Sections 12.1 and 12.8 of the NASCAR Rule Book, which pertain to general procedures and member conduct guidelines, respectively. As part of the penalty, Larson is required to attend sensitivity training as directed by NASCAR .
Chip Ganassi Racing, Larson’s team at the time, also suspended him without pay, stating, “We are extremely disappointed by what Kyle said last night during an iRacing Event. The words that he chose to use are offensive and unacceptable.”
