After previously announcing that it would suspend Kyle Larson indefinitely without pay, Chip Ganassi Racing has opted to “end its relationship” with Larson altogether. Larson had come under serious fire in recent days following his actions during an iRacing event on Sunday afternoon — while testing the audio on his stream, Larson used a racist slur. The video of the incident is accessible here, but of course, viewer discretion is advised.
The fallout was swift, as multiple sponsors — such as Credit One Bank and McDonald’s — dropped the former Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year. NASCAR, citing its commitment to “diversity and inclusion,” suspended Larson indefinitely, as did his team, which called his actions “offensive and indefensible.”
Now, Chip Ganassi Racing has taken things a step further, releasing a statement on Tuesday morning that announced it is severing ties with the 27-year-old California native.
“After much consideration, Chip Ganassi Racing has determined that it will end its relationship with driver Kyle Larson,” Ganassi said in a statement. “As we said before, the comments that Kyle made were both offensive and unacceptable especially given the values of our organization. As we continued to evaluate the situation with all the relevant parties, it became obvious that this was the only appropriate course of action to take.”
Larson had been a member of the team since 2013. NASCAR, on its official website, indicated that for Larson to potentially get reinstated, he would need to go through sensitivity training. In addition to losing his team on Tuesday, Chevrolet announced that it was also terminating its partnership with Larson.