The use of a racial slur has seen a NASCAR driver suspended from professional racing. Driver Kyle Larson used the n-word during a virtual race on Twitch, ultimately causing him to be suspended without pay.
Professional sports have largely been canceled around the world in light of the ongoing pandemic and several of these organizations have turned to gaming tournaments. NASCAR is no different, and a recent tournament on Twitch resulted in this unfortunate incident.
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If you’re wondering why was this NASCAR driver suspended, well — the conversation was caught on video and shared on social media. You can see it for yourself below, but be warned that the following video contains the use of a racial slur:
https://twitter.com/BurnoutAvenue/status/1249533214617669633
Several other professional NASCAR drivers were understandably shocked at what Kyle Larson had said. Kotaku reports that Kyle Larson was indefinitely suspended by NASCAR and Chip Ganassi Racing as a result of the incident.
“We are extremely disappointed by what Kyle said last night during an iRacing Event,” Chip Ganassi Racing stated on Twitter. “The words that he chose to use are offensive and unacceptable. As of this moment we are suspending Kyle without pay while we work through this situation with all appropriate parties.”
Kyle Larson, for his part, has apologized for his use of a racial slur and released a statement via video on Twitter.
“I understand the damage is probably un-repairable, and I own up to that. ”
— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) April 13, 2020