Kyle Larson opens up about a 'really challenging' time in his life and how he rose above it

Kyle Larson shared his thoughts on one of the toughest times he experienced in life and revealed how he rose above it. Speaking about this in a recent interview, the Hendrick Motorsports driver termed the 2020 controversy as 'really challenging' and reflected on how he learnt from his mistake.

Larson recently sat with Jeff Gluck of The Athletic, where he participated in the customary tradition of answering 12 questions. In one of the questions, Gluck asked Larson about a challenging time in his life and how he reacted to it.

Replying to it, the #5 HMS driver pointed at the controversial 2020 incident when he used a racial slur and was sacked by his former team, Chip Ganassi Racing. Here's what Larson said about it, as per the New York Times,

"Probably the 2020 stuff. Obviously, a lot happened in a quick time — (a position) that I put myself in. But it was trusting the people I had around me and trusting in the path we were trying to put ourselves on to get either back to the Cup Series or just in a good spot in life and racing."

"It was staying committed to that and doing everything I felt like I wanted to do and needed to do and ultimately got back to the Cup Series," he added.

Notably, Larson was competing in an iRacing event during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this was when he uttered a racial slur. After Larson appeared to have lost communication with his spotter, the then CGR driver said, "You can't hear me?", and this was followed by an N-word.

After this ordeal went viral, Chip Ganassi Racing fired Kyle Larson with immediate effect. As for Larson, who was a top driver at the time, not only lost his contract, but also all of his sponsors.

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How did Kyle Larson respond to his racial slur controversy?

After the controversy, Kyle Larson shared an immediate apology on social media, where he stated that he did not want to put forward any excuse for his actions. He also extended his apology to the NASCAR community. Here's what he said:

Kyle Larson (42), Chip Ganassi Racing, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, during qualifying for the South Point 400 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Playoff Series race on September 14, 2019 - Source: Getty

"I made a mistake, said the word that should never, ever be said," Larson said. "There is no excuse for that. I wasn't raised that way. It is 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. But I just want to let you all know how sorry I am, and I hope everyone is staying safe during these crazy times," the former CGR man said in a video.

In October 2020, Kyle Larson signed a multi-year contract with Hendrick Motorsports to drive the #5 Chevrolet in 2021. As the Elk Grove native returned to the Cup Series scene with Rick Hendrick's team, he made his mark by winning the 2021 Cup Series Championship.