Monday saw a stream of sponsors end or suspend their relationships with Kyle Larson after he said a racial slur during an iRacing stream on Sunday night.
On Tuesday morning, his NASCAR Cup Series team – Chip Ganassi Racing – officially fired the 27-year old up-and-comer.
Kyle Larson fired from Chip Ganassi Racing after saying racial slur in iRacing Stream
Chip Ganassi Racing released the following statement regarding their decision.
“After much consideration, Chip Ganassi Racing has determined that it will end its relationship with driver Kyle Larson. As we said before, the comments that Kyle made were both offensive and unacceptable especially given the values of our organization. As we continued to evaluate the situation with all the relevant parties, it became obvious that this was the only appropriate course of action to take.“
Larson began racing for Chip Ganassi in the NASCAR Cup Series during the 2014 season, where he racked up an impressive eight top five’s for the company in a car that hadn’t been near the front of the pack in recent years.
Two years later he earned his first victory for the team, winning at Michigan International Speedway.
In the ensuing 2017 season, Larson corralled a career-best four wins and made his presence felt in the sport.
Larson currently has six total Cup Series victories to go along with his win in last year’s NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte.
Many will say that Larson is not inherently racist and doesn’t use that language on a daily basis. However, when sponsors leave, so does any chance of a future for the company that helped him make the big time.
Call it a mistake, a slip up, or whatever… it got Kyle Larson fired.
For more breaking news and updates regarding the situation, please consider following our departments’ handle, @RacingVault, on both Twitter and Instagram.
