NASCAR’s huge disadvantage on display in Kyle Larson incident

NASCAR’s huge disadvantage when compared to other sports was on full display in the fallout of Kyle Larson’s use of a racial slur.

Chip Ganassi Racing made it official this past week that 2003 NASCAR Cup Series champion Matt Kenseth is set to replace Kyle Larson behind the wheel of the #42 Chevrolet for the remainder of the 2020 season.

This news comes after Larson was fired by the organization. He used the N-word in a NASCAR race on iRacing that was being live streamed on multiple Twitch channels, which led to him being indefinitely suspended.

It also led to multiple big-name sponsors, including McDonald’s and Credit One Bank, cutting ties with him before Chip Ganassi was ultimately forced to pull the plug.

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With all things considered, Larson got what was coming to him.

But how this situation played out illustrated a key disadvantage that NASCAR and its drivers have when it comes to controversies such as this one when compared to those in other sports.

When Larson fired used the N-word, it was mentioned quite frequently that Xfinity Series driver Jeremy Clements was suspended for the same back in 2013. He used the word in an interview with ESPN. After completing sensitivity training, he was back behind the wheel.

He ultimately missed two races. No big deal, right?

Now look at Larson. Same sport, same word — and now he is without a job. That is because key here isn’t the fact that Larson used the N-word, or even how he used it (the fact that he’s not black, GA vs. hard R, etc.).

The key is this: as despicable as it was for him to say what he said, he was not fired for using the N-word.

Larson was fired due to the response caused by his use of the N-word and the ramifications that Chip Ganassi Racing not responding to those actions by firing him would have had on their status as a team. If this weren’t the case, Chip Ganassi Racing’s initial response wouldn’t have been just a suspension. There was a clear business aspect to this decision.

Those ramifications would have included the loss of multiple big-name sponsors and the subsequent loss of millions and millions of dollars for the entire team.

Given how Larson’s situation played out, it should come as no surprise that Clements was competing for Jeremy Clements Racing when he said the N-word and was forced to miss a whopping two races.

Now let’s compare NASCAR to another sport.

In July of 2013, then-Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper, who is also not black, was caught on tape saying the N-word at a Kenny Chesney concert, reportedly in a bigoted context (unlike Larson).

According to WHYY, after a dispute with an African-American security guard at the concert, Cooper said, “I will jump that fence and fight every n***** here.”

Did he get cut?

No.

Did he get suspended by the NFL?

No.

Did he get suspended by the Eagles?

No.

What did he lose?

Nothing.

He went on to play in the NFL, a sport dominated by black athletes, for three more seasons, all with Philadelphia, and he didn’t miss any of the 16 games on the schedule in 2013, 2014 or 2015.

What did the Eagles lose?

Nothing.

Cooper went on to have a career year in 2013 with 47 receptions, 835 yards and eight touchdowns. The team went to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons, where he posted six catches for 68 yards and a touchdown in their 26-24 Wild Card loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Now compare that to the jobless Kyle Larson.

But that’s just the nature of NASCAR and the heavy reliance on sponsorship it involves.

Sure, NFL players have separate endorsements and such that they can lose for doing stupid stuff off the field.

But sponsorship deals are the lifeblood of NASCAR drivers. You simply can’t afford a mistake, even if somebody else makes the same exact mistake and effectively gets off scot-free like Cooper did, if you want to keep your job.

Yes, Larson’s use of the N-word is what ultimately resulted in him being fired. Had he not said it, he wouldn’t have been fired. It’s that simple.

But that wasn’t the final straw. Without the losses in sponsorship that Chip Ganassi Racing would have suffered by keeping him, there is little doubt that he would still be the driver of the #42 Chevrolet, even if still suspended.

Kyle Larson, who did apologize for the incident after he was suspended, still hasn’t broken his silence since he was fired.