Kyle Larson posts apology video after using N-word during virtual race

Kyle Larson has found himself in hot water after he used a racial slur during Sunday night’s virtual NASCAR race, and the driver issued an apology on social media Monday.

In a video he posted on Twitter, Larson admitted he used the N-word during the livestream of the iRacing Pro Series event and said there is “no excuse” for it.

“I made a mistake and said a word that should never, never be said, and there’s no excuse for that. I wasn’t raised that way,” Larson said. “It’s just an awful thing to say. I feel very sorry for my family, my friends, my partners, the NASCAR community, and especially the African-American community. I understand the damage is probably not repairable, and I own up to that.”

Larson has been suspended indefinitely by both NASCAR and his racing team. The 27-year-old appeared to lose communication with his spotter during the virtual race just before he dropped the N-word. He was heard on the livestream saying, ‘You can’t hear me? Hey, n—-r.” Other drivers uncomfortably informed Larson that what he had said was heard by all.

Larson is half Japanese and a graduate of NASCAR’s “Drive for Diversity” program. He is the only driver of Japanese descent to ever win a major NASCAR race.