NASCAR: Kyle Larson has officially been reinstated

Kyle Larson has officially been reinstated by NASCAR and will be eligible to compete in the 2021 Cup Series season should he be signed by a team.

We are one step closer to being able to say that “Kyle Larson is back”, as NASCAR has officially approved his request to be reinstated.

The 28-year-old Elk Grove, California has been suspended indefinitely by the sport since back in April after he used a racial slur during a virtual race on iRacing.

That slur led to multiple sponsors cutting ties with him, which ultimately led to him being fired by Chip Ganassi Racing.

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He had driven the #42 Chevrolet for the team since the 2014 season, and he had won six races during that time. He finished in a career-high sixth place in the 2019 championship standings, and he sat in a seventh place tie in the standings through the first four races of the season with a top finish of fourth at Phoenix Raceway before he was fired.

When Larson was suspended, the series was in the midst of a 10-week hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic. He uttered the racial slur on Easter Sunday, April 12, and had not competed in a race since Sunday, March 8 at the time.

Here is what NASCAR had to say about him being reinstated, effective Friday, January 1, 2021.

"“NASCAR continues to prioritize diversity and inclusion across our sport. Kyle Larson has fulfilled the requirements set by NASCAR, and has taken several voluntary measures, to better educate himself so that he can use his platform to help bridge the divide in our country. Larson’s indefinite suspension has been lifted. Under the terms of his reinstatement, he will be cleared to return to all NASCAR racing activities effective January 1, 2021.”"

Larson added the following.

"“I’m truly grateful to everyone at NASCAR and appreciative of their process. The work I’ve done over the last six months has had a major impact on me. I will make the most of this opportunity and look forward to the future.”"

According to NASCAR’s website, the terms for Larson’s reinstatement include “30 speaking engagements, each spaced out through 2023” regarding his experiences, as well as “further training and engagement classes through 2023” and continued “work with the Urban Youth Racing School (UYRS) and Rev Racing, providing coaching and mentorship for those initiatives.”

Larson has not been confirmed for a 2021 ride in the Cup Series, but it is believed that he would not have applied for reinstatement when he did unless he had something effectively already lined up. His indefinite suspension did not ban him from talking to teams.

Larson could have applied for reinstatement within weeks of being suspended indefinitely, given that he completed the required sensitivity training; Xfinity Series Jeremy Clements used the same word back in 2013 and missed two races.

But he took the last few months, notably outside of the public eye, to focus on his growth as a person and his education amid the times in which we are living, which he recently detailed in an essay published on his website.

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He has been rumored to sign with Hendrick Motorsports for the 2021 season in recent months, and there is nothing to suggest that this has changed. Chevrolet suspended him indefinitely back in April as well, but that is a hurdle that has likely been cleared given recent developments regarding this rumor.

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