Following a racial slur that was used by NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson during a virtual race Sunday night, Chip Ganassi Racing and Chevrolet have cut ties with Larson for the foreseeable future.
Below is an official statement from Chip Ganassi Racing about the incident.
“After much consideration, Chip Ganassi Racing has determined that it will end its relationship with driver Kyle Larson. 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.“
Shortly after the announcement, Chevrolet also withdrew manufacturer support.
“As previously stated, Chevrolet does not tolerate the inappropriate behavior exhibited by Kyle Larson. As a result, Chevrolet is immediately terminating its relationship with Mr. Larson.”
Chevrolet had previously supported Larson’s Sprint Car program, as well.
This comes 24-hours after sponsors McDonalds, Credit One Bank and CLOVER, who were all primary sponsors last year on the No. 42, terminated their relationship with Larson. NASCAR also came out with a statement yesterday that they have indefinitely suspended Larson and that he must complete a sensitivity training program before he could be reinstated. Originally, CGR had suspended Larson without pay following the incident Sunday night until the team made the announcement Tuesday morning that they will be cutting ties.
Chip Ganassi Racing has yet to announce who will replace Larson in the No. 42 when the season gets back underway, as the Coronavirus shutdown is ongoing.
