NASCAR’s Kyle Larson Apologizes For Using Racial Slur During Virtual Race

Kyle Larson messed up Sunday night, and he knows it.

NASCAR on Monday suspended the 27-year-old driver for using a racial slur during an iRacing event. Larson was streaming on his Twitch channel at the time, and a video clip containing audio of him using the N-word since has gone viral. Larson’s team, Chip Ganassi Racing, also suspended the driver indefinitely.

The California native issued an apology Monday afternoon.

“I just want to say I’m sorry,” Larson said in a video posted to Twitter. “Last night I made a mistake and said the word that should never, ever be said. There’s no excuse for that. I wasn’t raised that way. You know, it’s just an awful thing to say. I feel very sorry for my family, my friends, my partners, the NASCAR community and, especially, the African American community. I understand the damage is probably unreparable, and I own up to that. But I just want to let you all know how sorry I am. And I hope everybody is staying safe during these crazy times. Thank you.”

It’s unclear whether Larson’s suspension includes both iRacing Pro Invitational Series events and real-life Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races. Of course, the 2020 NASCAR season is on hold amid the COVID-19 pandemic, so details of Larson’s suspension probably won’t be known until there is some clarity on the status of the campaign.

Regardless, Larson likely lost much more than spots on NASCAR entry lists with his actions Sunday night.

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