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

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[safi hellie]

Guys....Guys.......Its all about money.

Well yeah, news flash.....

If this chap was a rapper he could use this word no problem.... look at Marshal Mathers for example or any number of white , Hispanic etc rappers...

but he isn't he is a professional 'sports' man..
'Artists' can be provocative, it gets them a fan base and they can make careers off of it... Apple may chose not to use your songs for their adverts but hey ho..

This guy was banned from iRacing as it was against their terms and conditions signed up to...like you did when you joined here...
Why aren't you firing off strongly worded emails to RD demanding your freedom of speech rights given back to you?

Why are so many people hard of thinking?

If this guy worked in walmart and he was overheard doing this to a work colleague by a customer he'd be sacked too....

FREE TO SAY IT, NOT FREE FROM CONSEQUENCES...

 

[safi hellie]

Easy to become super terrible extreme racist these days.

But he wasn't sacked or banned from iRacing for being a RACIST....He was banned / sacked for using a historically racist term...
And i am glad he was....because i doubt he'd like being called a nip, or slitty eyes..

 

[mantasisg]

Hey, why don't we just ban every word that ends with -er, problems solved, just erase them from existance, this way no one will ev-er be able to be bad, and there will be peace in this world, because thats where all the evil comes from, someone says a word that ends with -er, and suddenly its hell. No matt-er the context and anger, joking, acting stupid, or just quoting.

I mean it is just stupid that it is all about "the word". Not actions, being actually mean, bad or anything. But "the word". It is like religious silly witchcraft magic word now. Ban him for being racist, if he is realyl racist andcausing problems, do it, I mean I would really understand that. That would be correct. Prove that just saying a word makes person racist.

 

[zwiss]

This was my introduction to Kyle Larson, so he had a long way to climb up in my book. He was almost there...

I guess this is an indictment on oval racing in general

Did he keep that win?
That's not sports....

 

[mantasisg]

Did he keep that win?
That's not sports....

Well, now thats actually bad behaviour !

 

[zwiss]

Easy to become super terrible extreme racist these days.
It is stupid childish school level bandwagon sjw IMO. Of course it is not nice and people are expected to be upset and unhappy, it shouldn't be tolerated, but the way it gets exaggerated is just childish, and these situations pops over and over again. I bet any true appearance of racism would be missed by SJW if there wouldn't be N word mentioned, and super mild microscopic racism that is even hard to call racism is worst case if there is this word mentioned with shaky inconfident voice hoping that no one hears it and also not even meaning to offend anyone at all, not aiming it at anybody. It is just absurd IMO. In fact the word has become racism itself. But what about real racism ?

If you are a famous person, you are an example to many people, including children, and have a bigger responsability.
For all the money he makes and fame he gets, he should be able to put a little effort in performing that role better than he did.

 

[traind]

Well, where has the world gone when you loose your ride, job and career for saying just ONE word?
The same word black people say to each other every day(!)
Isn't that provoking?

The other way around, happens a lot too; you ever heard a thing about that? A black person calling names to a white person?

Public opinion......from people that are "professionally hurt" and no one dares to say something about it because of that same public opinion.

This isn't about political correctness. This is about a business that can only thrive if other major corporations pay them to advertise. Ganassi needs money from sponsors to race. McDonald's does not care who drives the car as long as it is driven well. However, they are not going to cough up millions a year to a team whose drivers use a painful word connoting discrimination and slavery, even in jest. Why would they? They can go to any other team and sponsor them without the chance for a public relations disaster. Ganassi had to get rid of this kid. It was a very good business decision. There are plenty of skilled drivers eager to drive for Ganassi that won't be as boneheaded as Larson.

The more interesting decision is for NASCAR. They are seen as a southern sport in the US and any tolerance for bigotry, real or imbedded in a poorly chosen joke, is the chance for them to be seen negatively too. Do they allow Larson to come back after due penance and "sensitivity training" or do they ban him permanently? Will another team hire him if allowed? Will other sponsors not care?

 

[Flip-Flop Driver]

The part about artists being allowed to use such words.
Phillip Roth answered that one on an open letter in the 1960s after being criticized by the jewish community for "Goodbye, Columbus". "Literature is free from social conventions" he said (can't find the exact quote online).
He was labeled a "self-hating jew".

 

[acanning42]

Its Crazy you cant do anything

 

[turbo86]

The problem with this is that you are treating every black person as one big homogeneous group....
Just because some black rappers use the N word doesn't mean Obama does..or that black lawyer, or that black policeman etc etc etc...

So the example of "well a rapper said it so it is ok..." is just silly...as a black rapper speaks for the whole of the black people as much as Trump speaks for every white person....

Some black rappers? I never said anything about any rappers wtf are you talking about. Anyway you better wake up because most black Americans use the N word on a daily basis like it's nothing. It's a fact. No black politicians don't use it, at least not publicly. Doctors wouldn't use the world in front of their patients so again....you don't know if they do. I bet they do. The N word is a part of the modern black culture. Sad but TRUE.

 

[PickABetterUsername01]

Lol this topic is hilarious. All these people trying to act as the heroes of the new world, protector of the minorities, just because they learned at school that blacks were slaves in the past, and so because of that these SJW people think blacks are a poor group that needs their valiant and heroic acts of sacrifice. They also think we are forever in debt to this specific group, so we need to massively punish ourselves for the most ridiculous things, because "oh sorry black community, this dude is bad but we aren't, we totally support you guys, look ,look!".

 

[turbo86]

First off....Not every black person uses that word. I do not...my friends do not...neither does any member of my family.
I would never tolerate that kind of behavior.
It is why I have friends from everywhere in the world...everywhere.
Second....It is never okay for anyone...black or white to use hurtful words.
If folks stop using this word.... or any other derogatory words to describe whites, blacks, Asians or anybody else, they'll be fine.
Maybe some folks ought to go review the news in the deep south of America from the 50s, 60s and 70s.
If you like representation of the past in movie form...go see "Best of enemies'.

I never said that EVERY SINGLE black person in America does it. There's a very small minority that actually knows what the word really means and it's significance. You belong to that minority and you should be proud.

Anyway, the sad truth is that most black people do use it, and they use it as a means of identification. It's some kind of badge of honor that separates them from the rest of the society. They wear this badge with pride, like it's something they earned. And if somebody else uses the word is the same casual fashion they do, you get crucified. Not by them, but from the advocates of political correctness. The same people who turned the modern black people into N$#^s. The Democrats (or socialists for the rest of the world).

Imagine Jewish people making the yellow badge with JUDE in the middle (the one Hitler made them wear) a trend and wore it with pride because they want to stand out, like wearing a badge of honor.

This is what black people do (not all). They use the N world indiscriminately, because they feel entitled to and because it makes them feel like they stand out. They are cutting themselves out of the rest of the society who's perfectly willing to accept them. It's like the world is trying to embrace them and they're barricading themselves behind the N word. It's like they're saying "get away from us we're N$#%s, you're not one of us."

Anyway, that'll be all from me. Wasted enough of my time on this nonsense.

 

[turbo86]

Did he keep that win?
That's not sports....

Well...that's NASCAR. Take it or leave it. I remember back in the day some drivers doing the same thing and winning championships....but of course they're being called LEGENDS nowadays. It's just NASCAR.

 

[Amanda]

When the N word is being used every 10 seconds by black people, it's not only OK but it's a COOL thing to do. A MUST if you like. ***** this ***** that, my *****, yo ***** , wassup ***** etc etc. They're saying the N word more than the entire population of this planet is saying the F word.
But when the N word is used even ONCE by anybody else...he's public enemy #1.

You mean it's OK for an oppressed group to, among themselves, in a friendly manner and not in the way the word was used in the past, say the N word - but it's not OK for the oppressing group to use the word in a way that was used to describe slaves during the hundreds of years of slavery period in the US despite them knowing how offensive the word is to black people? I'M SHOCKED!

This way of thinking basically describes 80% of this article's comments.

They way i see it,black people have been segregating themselves and they don't even realize it.Or maybe they do but that's how they want it anyway. I don't know.

Or maybe it was because of an actual real segregation generated by white people that, you know, happened in the real world. Not like blacks were prohibited to enter "white spaces" or use public "white water fountains", all this after being slaved for hundreds of years and not getting any compensation from the state whatsoever. I don't know.

@Paul Jeffrey, you did a good job with this article.

 

[M3ME]

Guys....Guys.......Its all about money.

this
No one cares about politics or morals. Not GM, not Clover, not McDonalds. Its all about what they think will maximize their profits.

 

[BrunoBæ]

Hey, why don't we just ban every word that ends with -er, problems solved, just erase them from existance, this way no one will ev-er be able to be bad, and there will be peace in this world, because thats where all the evil comes from, someone says a word that ends with -er, and suddenly its hell. No matt-er the context and anger, joking, acting stupid, or just quoting.

Great idea.
But dont ban the possibility of buying guns and rifles - mkey

 

[safi hellie]

I never said that EVERY SINGLE black person in America does it. There's a very small minority that actually knows what the word really means and it's significance. You belong to that minority and you should be proud.

Anyway, the sad truth is that most black people do use it, and they use it as a means of identification. It's some kind of badge of honor that separates them from the rest of the society. They wear this badge with pride, like it's something they earned. And if somebody else uses the word is the same casual fashion they do, you get crucified. Not by them, but from the advocates of political correctness. The same people who turned the modern black people into N$#^s. The Democrats (or socialists for the rest of the world).

Imagine Jewish people making the yellow badge with JUDE in the middle (the one Hitler made them wear) a trend and wore it with pride because they want to stand out, like wearing a badge of honor.

This is what black people do (not all). They use the N world indiscriminately, because they feel entitled to and because it makes them feel like they stand out. They are cutting themselves out of the rest of the society who's perfectly willing to accept them. It's like the world is trying to embrace them and they're barricading themselves behind the N word. It's like they're saying "get away from us we're N$#%s, you're not one of us."

Anyway, that'll be all from me. Wasted enough of my time on this nonsense.

For me even if black people do use it i can think of no reason why i would want to use it myself?
It's like you are looking for an excuse to use the word? Why?

Donald Trump said its ok to grab women by the pussy, i hope 100% of men don't do it just because the president does...

Some will of course....but they are idiots...

 

[SwaggerJacker]

He was banned from iRacing for breaking the rules, an iRacing "misdemeanor". He was sacked because his employers would have lost way too much to keep him. Those of you knocking them because he was sacked, well, I'm just going to assume you don't understand corporate anything. This individual was made aware of employer and sponsor expectations, rules, etc. He broke them. You people really feel his employer and sponsors should take a chance on losing millions because you "feel" he may not be racists. Or because he said it thinking only his buds could hear him? Or because a certain demographic uses the word like you breath air?

Look, I'm a black man, and I could give a rats azz that he used the word. I don't know if he's racist or not. Frankly, I don't care. People are fired every day in America for actions such as this, however, it is only polarizing when it's a celebrity or a high profile company involved. I actually feel bad for the guy, but then the phrase made so iconic by one Forrest Gump, "Stupid is as stupid does" comes to mind. He messed up. He broke the rules. He knew the possible consequences of such an action. He was careless. He now pays for his carelessness. What is the common denominator in that last sentence?

My point? My point is, all this bickering about his character, rappers, racism, moral abjectivity, ethnicity, oppression, unfairness, fairness and a host of other silly things folks think are relevant (they may or may not be), are beside the point. Point being, he broke the rules. One bad decision can and often does lead to severe repercussions. So, let's get over ourselves and worry more about "our" lives. Lest we also fall victim to ourselves.

 

[PickABetterUsername01]

You mean it's OK for an oppressed group to, among themselves, in a friendly manner and not in the way the word was used in the past, say the N word - but it's not OK for the oppressing group to use the word in a way that was used to describe slaves during the hundreds of years of slavery period in the US despite them knowing how offensive the word is to black people? I'M SHOCKED!

This way of thinking basically describes 80% of this article's comments.


Or maybe it was because of an actual real segregation generated by white people that, you know, happened in the real world. Not like blacks were prohibited to enter "white spaces" or use public "white water fountains", all this after being slaved for hundreds of years and not getting any compensation from the state whatsoever. I don't know.

@Paul Jeffrey, you did a good job with this article.

Oh booo hooo. Poor "opressed" group, only blacks were slaves in history.

 

[Redsco]

lol McDo

McDonald's China apologizes for banning black people from a store

McDonald's is in damage control mode after a restaurant in China displayed a sign banning black people from the premises.

www.cnnphilippines.com