NASCAR driver Kyle Larson used a racial slur during the livestream broadcast of an exhibition virtual race on Sunday night.
Messages sent by USA TODAY Sports to NASCAR, Chip Ganassi Racing and iRacing on Monday morning were not immediately returned. It was not immediately clear what the fallout for Larson would be from NASCAR and sponsors.
Larson, 27, is half Japanese and is the only driver of Japanese descent to win a major NASCAR race. He and climbed from short track racing into NASCAR through its “Drive for Diversity” program. In his seventh season, Larson is considered one of the top sprint car racers in the country and in January finally won the prestigious Chili Bowl after 13 attempts.
Larson is in the final year of his contract with Chip Ganassi Racing. His sponsors at Ganassi are McDonald's and Credit One Bank. NASCAR's iRacing has become a mainstay for sports fans with the coronavirus pandemic shutting down sports, drawing record esports television views. Drivers typically can link into another live stream to banter and make jokes. Fans can eavesdrop on that platform through Twitch. Sunday's exhibition event was tabbed,"Monza Madness." The event simulated at Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy.
It's the second week in a row that a NASCAR driver has drawn scrutiny while racers use the online platform to entertain fans. Last week, Bubba WallaceContributing: The Associated Press.
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