NASCAR suspends Kyle Larson indefinitely for racial slur

Chip Ganassi Racing driver Kyle Larson was suspended indefinitely without pay following his use of a racial slur on a live stream during an iRacing event Sunday, NASCAR announced Monday.

The incident happened when Larson apparently lost communication on his headset with his spotter and then said the N-word while checking his microphone, according to Jenna Fryer of The Associated Press.

"NASCAR has made diversity and inclusion a priority and will not tolerate the type of language used by Kyle Larson during Sunday's iRacing event," NASCAR said in a statement. "Our member conduct guidelines are clear in this regard, and we will enforce these guidelines to maintain an inclusive environment for our entire industry and fan base."

Chip Ganassi Racing officials added: "We are extremely disappointed by what Kyle said last night during an iRacing event. The words that he chose to use are offensive and unacceptable. As of this moment we are suspending Kyle without pay while we work through this situation with all appropriate parties."

Larson apologized shortly after the suspension was announced.

"I just want to say I'm sorry. Last night I made a mistake and said the word that should never, ever be said and there's no excuse for that," the 27-year-old said in a video on Twitter. "I wasn't raised that way. 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 unrepairable, and I own up to that."

Since the news of Larson's suspension, two sponsors - McDonald's and Credit One Bank - have terminated their agreements with the driver.

"As stated earlier, Credit One Bank denounces the highly offensive language used by Kyle Larson during Sunday’s iRacing event," Capital One Bank said in a statement obtained by NBC Sports. "In addition to the quick actions taken by NASCAR and Chip Ganassi Racing, Credit One Bank is terminating its sponsorship of Kyle Larson."

McDonald's added they "were extremely disappointed and appalled to hear about this incident. The comments made by Kyle Larson are insensitive, offensive and not reflective of our inclusive values and will not be tolerated. McDonald’s is taking immediate action to terminate the relationship with Larson."