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NASCAR driver sacked over 'offensive' act during live-stream

australian associated press
·3-min read
Kyle Larson in action for Chip Ganassi Racing in February. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Kyle Larson in action for Chip Ganassi Racing in February. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Kyle Larson has been dropped by Chip Ganassi Racing after the NASCAR driver used a racial slur during a live-stream broadcast of an iRacing esports event.

“After much consideration, Chip Ganassi Racing has determined that it will end its relationship with driver Kyle Larson,” the team said in a statement.

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“As we said before, the comments that Kyle made were both offensive and unacceptable especially given the values of our organisation.

“As we continued to evaluate the situation with all the relevant parties, it became obvious that this was the only appropriate course of action to take.”

His deal was reportedly worth $10 million per season.

Larson could be heard using the slur while he was apparently testing his microphone for the competition.

“You can’t hear me,” Larson asked on the live-stream before saying: “Hey, n*****”.

Chip Ganassi Racing had said on Monday it was immediately suspending Larson without pay over the incident, which occurred during Sunday's virtual race.

NASCAR also suspended the driver indefinitely and ordered him to attend sensitivity training.

Kyle Larson and wife Katelyn, pictured here at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards in 2019.
Kyle Larson and wife Katelyn at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards in 2019. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Larson, a six-time winner on the NASCAR Cup Series, issued an apology saying there was “no excuse” for his actions, but it was not enough to save his job.

“Last night I made a mistake and said the word that should never, ever be said,” Larson said on Twitter.

“There’s no excuse for that. I wasn’t raised that way. It’s just an awful thing to say and I feel very sorry for my family, my friends, my partners, the NASCAR community and especially the African American community.”

Sponsors abandon Chip Ganassi Racing

Pressure mounted on Chip Ganassi Racing to take further action as the team's main sponsors McDonald's and Credit One Bank on Monday terminated their relationships with the 27-year-old driver.

Additionally, AdventHealth, another partner of Chip Ganassi Racing, announced that it supports the actions taken against the driver.

Entering the event, Larson was considered one of NASCAR’s top drivers under the age of 30 and was set to become a coveted free agent once his contract with CGR was up at the end of the season.

The Japanese American driver was also considered one of the biggest success stories of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity initiative.

With agencies and Yahoo Sports Staff