Larson’s atonement for slur can’t end now
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Kyle Larson was almost certainly going to get his second chance in NASCAR after uttering a racial slur in April during a livestreamed iRacing event.
Going into the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, Larson was considered to be the best upcoming free agent. It appears that didn’t change all that much after he used the racist slur.
Yes, in the immediate aftermath, his sponsors bailed. Chip Ganassi Racing fired him. NASCAR suspended him. And while he didn’t return to the Cup Series last year, he frequently competed in other racing disciplines throughout 2020.
Now Larson is getting his second chance at NASCAR’s highest level. But just because he has his job back doesn’t mean his efforts to atone for the harm he caused should end.
The 28-year-old driver signed a multiyear contract with Hendrick Motorsports to drive the No. 5 Chevrolet, the team announced in October, and Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500 was his first Cup Series race since March.
“I do have a lot to prove off the racetrack, showing people who I really am and showing people the good person that I know I am,” Larson said last week.
To be clear, there is zero excuse for Larson using the slur, just as there’s no justification for how a then-27-year-old could have possibly been unaware of how deeply offensive that word is.
It’s racist, derogatory, insensitive and totally unacceptable. And all the consequences of his actions – which, let’s be honest, were basically the equivalent of a timeout – are no one’s fault but his own.
In August, Larson – an alumnus of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program who is half-Japanese and whose grandparents spent time in internment camps during World War II – told The Associated Press he was “ignorant” and “immature” for not appreciating the history behind the racist word and not understanding the pain it produces and perpetuates. In a personal essay he published in October to his website, he said he was “rightly” suspended and fired.
“The first lesson: The N-word is not mine to use,” Larson wrote in the essay. “It cannot be part of my vocabulary. The history of the word is connected to slavery, injustice and trauma that is deep and has gone on for far too long.
“I truly didn’t say the word with the intention of degrading or demeaning another person, but my ignorance ended up insulting an entire community of people who, in the year 2020, still have to fight for justice and equality.”
In the months since he was fired, he volunteered with foundations that provide educational opportunities for children of color and underserved communities.
To push for diversity in NASCAR, a mostly white, male sport, Larson continued working with the Urban Youth Racing School in Philadelphia, founder Anthony Martin said. The nonprofit targets children of color and offers a chance to learn about different facets of racing, along with STEM education and career opportunities.
Larson has been working with the Urban Youth Racing School for four years, said Martin, who is Black. He added that the driver donated two racing simulators to the school and is contributing to college scholarships for high school seniors.
Despite the work he’s done, there’s no real way to quantify its results, just like there’s no specific way to quantify the damage he did using the racist slur.
But if he wants us to believe his repentance is genuine, he needs to not only continue educating himself but also work diligently to make NASCAR a more inclusive and tolerant sport.
“I plan on continuing to do that this year,” Larson said. “Right now, I’m working on starting a foundation and trying to work out the specifics and details of that. There’s a lot of things I’m excited about that I’m going to continue to do.”
If he wants us to believe he’s sincere and believe he deserves the second chance he’s getting, he needs to keep his word and then some.