NASCAR | Kyle Larson Fired For iRacing Misdemeanour

[Paul Jeffrey]

Chip Ganassi Racing young hotshot Kyle Larson has found himself in deep water with his team and sport, following an ill advised racial slur during the recent iRacing NASCAR series broadcast.

One of the hottest young prospects within the NASCAR scene in recent years, Larson enjoyed his best season in the category to date in 2019, finish a very solid sixth in the title standings after just missing out on the chance to race for the championship in the final rounds of the series.

Despite having a car underneath him that never quite manages to challenge outright over the course of a full campaign, Larson has impressed many observers in recent years as he began to make a name for himself in the category - good work that looks like it has been severely compromised when the 27-year-old was heard using a racial slur during a recent iRacing NASCAR replacement series race.

Initially having been suspended from the real and virtual championships for an indefinite amount of time, Larson has since seen a number of key sponsors walk away from him in the last 24 hours, leaving his Chip Ganassi Racing outfit with the decision to fire the American driver with immediate effect - casing doubt on the viability of Larson's career in premier American Stock Car series.

Using the N word on a live broadcast has brought justified criticism of the driver from fans and insiders within the sport, forcing the six-time cup winner to post an apology for his actions on his social media channels - however, only time will tell if this is enough to reignite what has been a promising career for the Californian driver:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1249732388625752065

For more from the world of motorsport, drop a post in the RaceDepartment Motorsport sub forum and get interacting with our awesome community!

 

[PickABetterUsername01]

Briefly summarized soapbox:

Rap music: artistic freedom, provocation as an art form and the special meaning of the use of an insult to a group of people by that group itself

That guy: prick

This was hilarious, thanks.

 

[sjb266]

The word has too much power and is used without backlash in certain groups. It is used repeatedly in rap music but is used in a form that means a bro or a friend. In this context it seems to be acceptable.

Kids grow up listening to rap music and hear the N-word constantly. So when they talk to their friends, especially online, the term is part of their verbiage and becomes a habit. Those that have been in any online game such as COD will hear it all the time.

I think Kyle was part of this group and used the word with his friends while playing online games. I don't think he ever used it with racist connotations or bad intent. Unfortunately the online world has meshed with the real world so much that some have problems differentiating the two.

Due to the nature of the cancel culture NASCAR had no other options. Like I said, it's amazing how one word has so much power and which version is selected as offensive.

Very well said...

He obviously had his guard down... he didn't think anyone was listening... sure he's a public figure but man the punishment does not fit the crime in this case.. give him a slap on the wrist... suspend him for the few few races back... but cutting all ties and firing the guys for basically saying "what's up" is a bit too much IMO..

 

[howitzer155mm]

After hearing the livestream audio, it was definitely distasteful. But it was obvious that he never intended for anyone to hear it, he didn't even use the word pluraly, he was saying it to who I assume was a close friend/friends. Did he not use the proper vowls?

Granted, saying the N word is about as dumb as it gets when speaking in front of company, but the punishment doesn't appease anyone really. It only feeds the expectations those who expect more drastic actions in the future. And I highly doubt the dude is actually a racist.

 

[CDwyer]

Man gets fired for using offensive language, that any half decent human being, not from the victamised ethnicity that the word has been used against, are not going to be saying in jest, in private or in any other circumstance. I am just gobsmacked that there are people who are defending it, if you are against the punishment, you are defending it.

 

[safi hellie]

Would be interesting had he said something offensive about the Jews, or something mocking the Holocaust...
Doubt he'd be being defended so vocally on here or anywhere...

Christ you can't even slag off Donald Trump without some rednecks getting all upset online.....

 

[Kerbal18]

Such an odd thing to do. Was he not aware of the consequences? I admit that I am ignorant when it comes to NASCAR and it's drivers but I'd always presumed the negative image affiliated with the sport and it's fans was misleading.

Its quite a rare thing, its only happened twice in the last 20 years. He thought he was only talking to his friends but he was on the wrong radio and said it infront of everyone. it probably just slipped out. I promise you thing isnt what nascar is like

 

[Kerbal18]

Its a dumb f'cking thing to say but firing is equally stupid. Smells like corporate pressure from above to force the team to let him go (looking at you Chevy).

Pretty much, all of kyles sponsors refuses to put their names of his car. chip ganassi had no choice, he would have never made a dime of kyles sponsors

 

[safi hellie]

Its quite a rare thing, its only happened twice in the last 20 years. He thought he was only talking to his friends but he was on the wrong radio and said it infront of everyone. it probably just slipped out. I promise you thing isnt what nascar is like

 

[Kerbal18]

View attachment 363316

What?

 

[Kerbal18]

After hearing the livestream audio, it was definitely distasteful. But it was obvious that he never intended for anyone to hear it, he didn't even use the word pluraly, he was saying it to who I assume was a close friend/friends. Did he not use the proper vowls?

Granted, saying the N word is about as dumb as it gets when speaking in front of company, but the punishment doesn't appease anyone really. It only feeds the expectations those who expect more drastic actions in the future. And I highly doubt the dude is actually a racist.

Exactly, idk if you watch nascar or not but hes not like that at all. thats why everyone is so surprised i guess

 

[Brendan24]

Man gets fired for using offensive language, that any half decent human being, not from the victamised ethnicity that the word has been used against, are not going to be saying in jest, in private or in any other circumstance. I am just gobsmacked that there are people who are defending it, if you are against the punishment, you are defending it.

I'm not against the punishment as I feel it was necessary, and I agree he never should have used that word. However I don't believe Kyle Larson is a racist and didn't mean any ill intent in his usage of the word, which is where I disagree with the folks saying that the context and intent doesn't matter. I have personal experience from racing with a late model stock car team in Florida that Larson also happened to race for at one time and the team had nothing but good things to say about the guy. I think it's fair for someone to agree with the punishment and acknowledge that a stupid choice was made while still defending his character, when people are going around labeling him a racist and whatever other rude things I've seen.

 

[safi hellie]

Exactly, idk if you watch nascar or not but hes not like that at all. thats why everyone is so surprised i guess

He said it, he was free to do so, the state didn't go around to his house and shoot him for saying a word..
But what happened was people who pay him sacked him off.....
Which is also their right to do so....
End of debate.

It is no different to RD..their house their rules...hence why people can be banned for a lot less than saying racist words.

No point rallying against stuff like this on a forum where you aren't free to say

****
****
cock
bollocks

edit..oh you CAN say those...

 

[Kerbal18]

He said it, he was free to do so, the state didn't go around to his house and shoot him for saying a word..
But what happened was people who pay him sacked him off.....
Which is also their right to do so....
End of debate.

It is no different to RD..their house their rules...hence why people can be banned for a lot less than saying racist words.

No point rallying against stuff like this on a forum where you aren't free to say

****
****
cock
bollocks

edit..oh you CAN say those...

Do you watch NASCAR, have a feeling you dont

 

[safi hellie]

I'm not against the punishment as I feel it was necessary, and I agree he never should have used that word. However I don't believe Kyle Larson is a racist and didn't mean any ill intent in his usage of the word, which is where I disagree with the folks saying that the context and intent doesn't matter. I have personal experience from racing with a late model stock car team in Florida that Larson also happened to race for at one time and the team had nothing but good things to say about the guy. I think it's fair for someone to agree with the punishment and acknowledge that a stupid choice was made while still defending his character, when people are going around labeling him a racist and whatever other rude things I've seen.

Interesting how you think 'racist' is a rude word..but somehow the word he used was just a misunderstanding....

He isn't being labelled a racist, he has been sacked the same way someone using a company email calling their friend the N word would get them the sack...
It matters not the context, or that it was a friend or a joke even...there are rules that business's have...same as this place...

 

[howitzer155mm]

Would be interesting had he said something offensive about the Jews, or something mocking the Holocaust...
Doubt he'd be being defended so vocally on here or anywhere...

Christ you can't even slag off Donald Trump without some rednecks getting all upset online.....

Since when is a word comparable to mocking genocide?

 

[Nick Gregory]

First, Bubba Wallace loses his sponsor for rage quiting, then Larson loses everything for what he did. Who's next?

 

[Brendan24]

Interesting how you think 'racist' is a rude word..but somehow the word he used was just a misunderstanding....

He isn't being labelled a racist, he has been sacked the same way someone using a company email calling their friend the N word would get them the sack...
It matters not the context, or that it was a friend or a joke even...there are rules that business's have...same as this place...

I don't know how you took from that I think the word 'racist' is rude, that doesn't make any sense. I meant labelling a guy who is most likely not a racist, as a racist is rude, which many people are doing if you look at any social media. As I already said I'm defending his character not the usage of the word in public which I stated I didn't agree with

 

[safi hellie]

Do you watch NASCAR, have a feeling you dont

I have watched it, actually quite like it, i can';t watch whole 200 odd laps but can watch the highlights with pleasure...also loved that film with Tom Cruise in it, Cole Trickle....whats it called?

Anyway yeah, but i digress... i do watch it form time to time.

If someone referred to Lewis Hamilton as that....do you think RD should ban them?

 

[Isaac Chavira]

Pretty much, all of kyles sponsors refuses to put their names of his car. chip ganassi had no choice, he would have never made a dime of kyles sponsors

I guarantee you none of those sponsors nor Chip actually care. What they do care about is their image or they themselves losing their jobs due to the 'guilt by association' culture. And whoever said were defending the word, no were not. Please sit down and eat a Popsicle or a Kit-Kat or something. That kind of logic is just plain dumb. By the way @safi hellie "Redneck" is a derogatory term as well. Just like "C-word" that ends in "R" that relates to people who look like I do. Or better yet, the "H-word" that ends in "Y". What if he said those words?

Oh and the guys talking about context in Rap music, dude it is NEVER okay to call anyone that word even you look the same. I watched my friend Alyssa backhand her son.....hard....right in the driveway for saying "Whats up my ---------" to his friend. P.S. she is African-American, context..................what a laugh.

So, should he have been fired, no, backhanded....for sure. Suspended for the season, definitely, but fired never to drive anywhere again, no. If your first thought after hearing or seeing something you don't like is to find out where someone works because you know they will fire that person just to avoid backlash, your part of the problem. And to add to that, you really do not care. You just want to punish someone, just to do it. Much like serial killers have to kill, same mindset.

 

[BazzaLB]

First, Bubba Wallace loses his sponsor for rage quiting, then Larson loses everything for what he did. Who's next?

Max Verstappen for saying F1 2019 suxorz!