Bubba Wallace: Kyle Larson Deserves Second Chance After Saying Racial Slur

Bubba Wallace, NASCAR's only African American driver who races in its national series, has weighed in on Kyle Larson's use of a racial slur during a virtual race. The incident occurred during an iRacing event Sunday night, in which Larson appeared to lose communication on his headset. “You can’t hear me?” Larson asked, followed by the n-word.

"What Larson said was wrong, whether in private or public," Wallace said in a statement. "There is no gray area."

Wallace went on to say that he and Larson had a conversation about the incident on Monday, and that Larson offered a sincere apology.

"I am not mad at him, and I believe that he, along with most people deserve second chances, and deserve space to improve," Wallace said. "I do wish him and his family nothing but the best. And I am more than willing to work with him to address diversity and inclusion in our sport."

Larson has been suspended by Chip Ganassi Racing as a result of the incident. CGR said it was "extremely disappointed" by Larson's choice of words, and that he is being suspended indefinitely without pay. NASCAR also issued a statement saying it suspended Larson indefinitely.

Larson tweeted out an apology video Monday, expressing his regret for his words.

"I just want to say I'm sorry. Last night I made a mistake and said the word that should never, ever be said. There's no excuse for that," he said. "I understand the damage is probably unrepairable, and I own up to that."