NASCAR: Denny Hamlin’s other ‘offensive’ Kyle Larson joke

After posting a Family Guy clip, Denny Hamlin needs to complete sensitivity training. But it’s not the first time he has posted something somebody has deemed “offensive” about fellow NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson.

Coming to the checkered flag in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson made a move to the outside that ended up causing a collision which collected several cars, including both of the 23XI Racing Toyotas of Kurt Busch and Bubba Wallace.

This left team co-owner Denny Hamlin displeased with Larson. But given his relationship with the driver of the #5 Chevrolet, he took a lighthearted approach in joking about the matter on Twitter.

He shared a Family Guy clip featuring a woman about to “cut across eight lanes”. However, because it was an Asian woman and Larson is of Asian descent, some fans took offense to it.

Hamlin initially made a separate tweet defending the post. However, as criticism mounted, he took both down and apologized, and NASCAR announced that he would be required to take sensitivity training.

He runs the risk of missing races if the process isn’t started by this coming Friday.

Many were left scratching their heads about NASCAR’s decision, considering the fact that they basically catered to a contingent of upset fans on Twitter and only reacted after Hamlin apologized.

Additionally, Family Guy airs on Fox, and Sunday’s race was literally broadcast live on Fox, so the idea that a driver sharing a so-called “offensive” clip from the show could result in this sort of punishment was seen by many as ironic.

Plus, had it been anybody other than Larson who threw the block, nobody would have batted an eye about the issue which many claimed to have. That is obvious by the fact that Hamlin clearly wasn’t intending the post to contain racial undertones.

Interestingly, this was not the first time that Hamlin has joked about his friend’s involvement in an incident with a video on Twitter.

And it’s not the first time that it has offended people, of course.

After the March 2020 race at Auto Club Speedway, which saw Hamlin run into the back of Larson’s #42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, Larson’s car was damaged enough to make him come in for unscheduled pit stop, dropped him off the lead lap. He never recovered and finished in 21st place, while Hamlin finished in sixth.

After the race, they were both able to laugh it off. While grocery shopping together, Hamlin ran into the back of Larson again, generating laughter. Hamlin posted the video on Twitter.

However, Chip Ganassi wasn’t happy.

Hamlin’s response said it all.

At the end of the day, both jokes poked fun at Larson’s involvement in an on-track incident, which is almost to be expected from someone who is as close to Larson as Hamlin is.

However, more people took offense to the recent one for no other reason than the fact that the woman in the clip is Asian and Larson happens to be of Asian descent. And now Hamlin must complete sensitivity training because of it.

Ironically, following the Auto Club Speedway incident, Larson would make just one more start for Chip Ganassi Racing, as he himself would be fired by the team over a racially sensitive issue. After using a racial slur during an iRacing event, NASCAR required that he take sensitivity training before having any chance to return to the sport. He ultimately did return in 2021 with Hendrick Motorsports, and he won the Cup Series championship.