NASCAR Cup Series: Kyle Larson fired by Chip Ganassi Racing
By Asher Fair
Kyle Larson has been fired by NASCAR Cup Series team Chip Ganassi Racing following his use of a racial slur on Sunday night.
What started as a fun night of virtual racing turned into a night that would derail the career of NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson for something that had nothing to do with racing.
Following his use of the N-word in an iRacing event at virtual Autodromo Nazionale Monza on Sunday evening, Larson has been fired by Chip Ganassi Racing.
The team confirmed this news in a statement released today.
Statement regarding Kyle Larson: pic.twitter.com/5Q06Dhst8V
— Chip Ganassi Racing (@CGRTeams) April 14, 2020
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This news comes after a disastrous slew of news hit the 27-year-old Elk Grove, California native on Monday. Chip Ganassi Racing were first to suspend him, doing so without pay, before NASCAR stepped in and suspended him indefinitely, mandating that he complete sensitivity training before a return would even be considered.
iRacing proceeded to suspend him, and Chevrolet also suspended their relationship with him. Primary sponsors Credit One Bank and McDonald’s both cut ties with him as well, so the writing was essentially on the wall.
Larson had driven the #42 Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing since he began competing full-time in the Cup Series back in 2014. He won six races, including a career-high four in the 2017 season, in 219 starts for the team and finished in a career-high sixth place in the championship standings following his first career round of 8 appearance in the 2019 season.
Through the first four races of the 2020 season, which is currently suspended indefinitely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, he sat in a seventh place tie in the championship standings with a top finish of fourth at Phoenix Raceway.
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Chip Ganassi Racing have not yet confirmed a replacement for Kyle Larson behind the wheel of the #42 Chevrolet for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season or beyond, but Ross Chastain is seen as the frontrunner given his ties to the team.