Kyle Larson, a professional NASCAR driver, has been fired after using a racial slur during a live streamed esportsiRacingeSports race. It seems he didn’t realize he was speaking to the entire chat, or forgot that his mic was on, when hedropped the N-wordin reference to the other drivers.
NASCAR’s response to the cancellation of all of its scheduled races is to hold an eSports tournament using theiRacingsimulator with all contestants being professional NASCAR drivers. Though there were some reservations at first due to the general public opinion of eSports, it seems that most drivers have taken a liking to it and NASCAR fans are equally as entertained.
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The odd thing about this particular instance is that Larson didn’t use the word to single out any one specific driver, instead saying it simply because he thought the others couldn’t hear him. Unfortunately for Larson, he picked one of the few words thatisn’t socially acceptable to say under any circumstance.
Clickhereto see the clip, but be warned that it contains offensive language.
For the most part, the race was carrying on as normal, but seemingly out of nowhere, Larson can be heard saying “you may’t hear me?” After a brief pause and receiving no response from any of his fellow drivers, he then says the N-word. It is at this point that the other driversrespond in a both shocked and uncomfortable manner. Some simply offer a nervous laugh, while others, like Anthony Alfredo, feel compelled to inform Larson of his mistake, saying “Kyle, you’re talking to everyone, bud.”
To make matters worse,Larson was a graduate of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, and owes his inclusion in the program to his Japanese descent. For him to use this racial slur during the live stream spits in the face of everything that the Drive for Diversity program stand for, and is a keen example of the worst kind of irony.
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