- Larson was competing in a virtual race on a simulator called iRacing, and has also been suspended indefinitely from NASCAR and suspended without pay by his race team.
- After Larson used the slur, appearing not to know his communication was public, a fellow driver responded: "Hey Kyle, you're talking to everyone, bud."
- Larson apologized on Monday, saying he "wasn't raised that way."
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories .
ADVERTISEMENT
NASCAR driver Kyle Larson loses majority of main partners after using the N-word during Twitch stream
After NASCAR driver Kyle Larson used the N-word on a Twitch stream Sunday, more than half of the main partners on his website have either suspended or terminated their relationships with him.
Kyle Larson at Kansas Speedway
ADVERTISEMENT
After NASCAR driver Kyle Larson used the N-word during a Twitch stream on Sunday night, appearing not to know his communication was public, more than half of the main partners listed on Larson's website had either suspended or terminated their relationships with him as of Monday afternoon.
Larson has also been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR and suspended without pay from his Chip Ganassi Racing team.
Larson, a driver in the top-level Cup Series who went through NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program, has six main partners listed on his website: Chevrolet, Credit One Bank, McDonald's, Xfinity, First Data, and Clover, which is part of First Data . On Monday, Chevrolet, Credit One, and McDonald's had all either terminated or suspended their relationships with Larson.
ADVERTISEMENT
Larson used the slur during a virtual race called "Monza Madness" on the iRacing virtual simulator, which was recreational and participated in by big-name drivers voluntarily.
Larson appeared not to know the communication was public for drivers in the session, as well as those watching on Twitch.
"You can't hear me?" Larson said during the event. "Hey, n-----."
"Hey Kyle, you're talking to everyone, bud," fellow NASCAR driver Anthony Alfredo responded, amid the yells of "Yikes," "Oh my gosh," and "No way did that just happen" on IndyCar driver Conor Daly's Twitch stream.
iracing
Conor Daly on Twitch
ADVERTISEMENT
In a statement earlier on Monday, Credit One said it denounced Larson's actions and supported the suspensions by Chip Ganassi Racing and NASCAR. About three hours later, the company said it would terminate the partnership.
"As stated earlier, Credit One denounces the highly offensive language used by Kyle Larson during Sunday's iRacing event," the statement read. "In addition to the quick actions taken by NASCAR and Chip Ganassi Racing, Credit One Bank is terminating its sponsorship of Kyle Larson."
McDonald's terminated its relationship with Larson as well.
"We were extremely disappointed and appalled to hear about this incident," McDonald's said in a statement to Business Insider. "The comments made by Kyle Larson are insensitive, offensive, and not reflective of our inclusive values and will not be tolerated. McDonald's is taking immediate action to terminate the relationship with Larson."
McDonald's longtime sponsorship lies with Chip Ganassi Racing instead of individual drivers, and Business Insider asked the company if it will continue with the team. Business Insider did not immediately hear back.
ADVERTISEMENT
Chevrolet, whose race vehicles Larson drives, suspended its partnership with Larson indefinitely, saying the company does "not tolerate this behavior."
"We will continue to monitor the events surrounding Mr. Larson and are prepared to take additional action," Chevrolet said.
When asked what a suspension means given that in-person racing events are on hold due the coronavirus pandemic and Larson is suspended indefinitely from both his team and NASCAR such as whether vehicles provided by the company would be taken, payments would be withheld, what would happen with Larson's Chevrolet branding, and whether Chevrolet would refuse to be his vehicle if NASCAR and Chip Ganassi Racing clear Larson Chevrolet would not comment further.
"Thank you for the further inquiry, but Chevrolet does not disclose the particulars of its agreements," a spokesperson told Business Insider.
Business Insider reached out to First Data and Xfinity earlier on Monday to see whether their relationships with Larson had changed, but did not hear back by this publishing. Neither have posted about the incident on social media.
ADVERTISEMENT
Before the partnership terminations, Larson was indefinitely suspended from his team, NASCAR, and the iRacing platform. Each entity denounced Larson's slur, even if with dodgy language .
Larson apologized on Monday , saying that he "wasn't raised that way."
"Hey, I just wanted to stay I'm sorry," Larson said. "Last night, I made a mistake and said the word that should never, ever be said, and there's no excuse for that. It's just an awful thing to say, and I feel very sorry for my 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. Thank you."
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also:
- 'I wasn't raised that way': NASCAR driver Kyle Larson apologizes for using the N-word during Twitch livestream
- NASCAR suspends Kyle Larson indefinitely after use of the N-word during Twitch livestream
- Some American cities are finally banning cars from hundreds of streets to give people room to social distance while exercising
FOLLOW BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA
ADVERTISEMENT
Recommended articles
J&J cough syrup recall widens as Tanzania, Rwanda, Zimbabwe join efforts
The Nigerian Naira goes from the worst-performing currency in the world to the best
Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) faces arbitration hurdles as Shell tables claims against Venture Global LNG over unsuppplied cargoes
African cities with the best quality of life index in Q1 2024
African countries with the most honorees in the 2024 Forbes Africa’s 30 under 30 list
Nigeria’s inflation hits 33.20% in March 2024- NBS
7 out of 10 Ugandans are living above their means
Amnesty International leads push to halt Shell asset sale in Nigeria
