Kyle Larson’s big “what happened” moment was his 2020
NASCAR fallout: he was fired by Chip Ganassi Racing and suspended by NASCAR
after using a racial slur during a livestreamed virtual race. He later
returned to racing, joined Hendrick Motorsports, and rebuilt his career.
What happened
In April 2020, Larson was dropped by Chip Ganassi
Racing after the incident, and the reaction was immediate because the comment
was widely viewed as offensive and unacceptable. Sponsors also pulled away,
and NASCAR suspended him from competition.
What happened next
Larson later completed the required steps to
return, apologized publicly, and eventually found a new home with Hendrick
Motorsports. Reporting in 2024 described him as having found “new life” there,
and recent coverage in 2026 shows he is still actively racing.
Current picture
So if you’re asking because you saw his name
trending, the short version is: the major story was his 2020 suspension and
firing, but he has since returned and is still competing at a high level.
TL;DR
Larson’s headline controversy was the 2020 racial-slur
incident, which led to his firing and suspension, but he later apologized,
returned to NASCAR, and has been racing with Hendrick Motorsports since then.
Written by Shanmugavel
"Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body." — This philosophy guides my writing and exploration of ideas.
