Kyle Larson was fired Tuesday by Chip Ganassi racing after uttering a racial slur during a live-streamed virtual race. Larson, 27, was in his seventh Cup season with Ganassi and considered a top free agent in NASCAR prior to his firing.
Larson issued an apology Monday saying there was “no excuse” for his comment, and he apologized in a video on all his social media accounts.
“I made a mistake, said the word that should never, ever be said, “Larson said. “There is no excuse for that. I wasn’t raised that way. It is just an awful thing to say. I feel very sorry for the family, my friends, my partners, the NASCAR community and especially the African American community.
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 everyone is staying safe during these crazy times.”
Larson was suspended without pay by Ganassi early Monday, then suspended indefinitely by NASCAR. Larson was originally ordered to complete a sensitivity training. He has six-career Cup wins and finished a career-best sixth in the standing last season, according to ESPN.
The NASCAR season itself was suspended after four races because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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