NASCAR suspends Kyle Larson for hurling racial slur during virtual race

NASCAR has suspended US driver Kyle Larson for hurling a racial slur during a live-streamed virtual race.

 

Larson was taking part in the Monza Madness iRacing exhibition race and it was during then that Larson went on to hurl a racial slur.

"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," NASCAR said in an official statement.

"Our Member Conduct Guidelines are clear in this regard, and we will enforce these guidelines to maintain an inclusive environment for our entire industry and fan base," it added.

The US driver will now also be required to attend sensitivity training as directed by NASCAR.

Larson also went on to apologise for his mistake by releasing a video message on Twitter.

"Hey, I just want to say I'm sorry. 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. 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," Larson said in the video.

"I understand the damage is probably unrepairable, 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," he added.

Earlier on Monday, Chip Ganassi Racing officials said in a statement that Larson had been suspended without pay.

"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. As of this moment, we are suspending Kyle without pay while we work through this situation with all appropriate parties," a statement from Chip Ganassi Racing read.

iRacing also released a statement which read that Larson was suspended indefinitely from the iRacing service.

( With inputs from ANI )