CONCORD, N.C. — Chip Ganassi Racing has suspended NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson without pay after Larson used a racial slur during an iRacing event on Sunday evening.

Larson, driver of Ganassi’s No. 42 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series, uttered a racial slur during the Monza Madness event that featured more than 60 entries from NASCAR, NHRA, IndyCar and more.

The 27-year-old apparently thought he was talking privately on his microphone to another competitor, but instead his comments were broadcast to the entire field of racers and the audio was captured live by several competitors who were streaming the event.

Chip Ganassi Racing announced in a statement Monday that Larson has been suspended without pay until further notice.

“We are extremely disappointed by what Kyle said last night during an iRacing event,” the team said in its statement. “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.”

NASCAR officials have also issued a statement saying they are investigating the incident: “NASCAR is aware of insensitive language used by a driver during an iRacing event on Sunday, and is currently gathering more information.”

NASCAR has a history of addressing situations like this harshly. In 2013, NASCAR suspended Xfinity Series driver Jeremy Clements after he used a racial slur during an interview. He missed two races and had to complete diversity training before being reinstated.

Larson advanced to the NASCAR Cup Series after taking part in NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, where he claimed the ARCA Menards Series East (then NASCAR K&N Pro Series East) championship in 2012 driving for Rev Racing.

Larson later released a statement on Twitter apologizing for the incident.

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— Kyle Larson (@KyleLarsonRacin) April 13, 2020