Kyle Larson wins first race since NASCAR suspension, firing
By Asher Fair
Kyle Larson has won his first World of Outlaws race since being fired by the Chip Ganassi Racing NASCAR Cup Series team for using a racial slur.
Kyle Larson was abruptly fired from his role as the driver of the #42 Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series back in mid-April after using the N-word during a virtual race on iRacing which was being live streamed on multiple Twitch channels.
The team originally only suspended the 27-year-old Elk Grove, California native, but after multiple sponsors cut ties with him, Chip Ganassi’s hands were practically tied.
Matt Kenseth ended up replacing him and has competed in two races behind the wheel of the #42 Chevrolet thus far.
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Larson was also suspended indefinitely by NASCAR, and they required him to complete sensitivity training before they would consider reinstating him.
He completed that training but has not officially been reinstated by NASCAR, not that it would make much of a difference in 2020 since he likely won’t be back this year anyway. But he was reinstated by the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, and he got back behind the wheel amid the coronavirus pandemic even before the Cup Series returned to action.
Now, for the first time since he lost his job in the Cup Series, he is a World of Outlaws race winner.
For the first time in his career, he took the checkered flag at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, a 1/3-mile dirt track in Pevely, Missouri, driving for his own Kyle Larson Racing team on Saturday night.
. @dirtvision REPLAY: For the first time in his career at @I55Raceway, and the first time this season, @KyleLarsonRacin heads to victory lane and up on top of the wing! #LiveNOS pic.twitter.com/VsD0nB8ZCZ
— World of Outlaws (@WorldofOutlaws) May 24, 2020
“Can’t thank all you fans enough for the support over the last few handful of weeks here,” Larson said after winning the race.
“It really means a lot. Everybody who’s on this car, my family, my friends. This win means so much personally,” he continued. “It’s, uh, I can’t even describe it. I can’t thank each and every one of you enough. Everybody watching on DirtVision at home. All my supporters. It means a lot, and I can’t wait to get my journey started and kind of see where my future goes from here.”
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This race was the third NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series race since the series returned to action amid the pandemic, and it was Larson’s third since being fired as well. He finished in 10th and second place in the first two.