NASCAR rising star Hailie Deegan is ordered to undergo sensitivity training for calling an opponent a 'retard' during online race
NASCAR's rising start driver Hailie Deegan has been ordered to undergo sensitivity training for calling an opponent a 'retard' during live stream of a virtual race.
The 19-year-old was playing iRacing - a popular racing simulation that is sometimes played and broadcast live by professional drivers - on Sunday night, and used the word when she was bumped into by another car.
'It was inappropriate slang and a stupid thing to do,' Deegan said in a statement Sunday. 'I apologize to everyone who was offended by it. There's no excuse for it, and I know I have to do better for my sponsors and my fans.'
NASCAR's rising start driver Hailie Deegan (pictured in February) has been ordered to undergo sensitivity training for calling an opponent a 'retard' during live stream of a virtual race
In 2018, the California became the first woman to win a race in NASCAR's K&N Pro Series West. Deegan now competes for Ford Racing Development in mostly lower-level NASCAR series.
Ford signed Deegan to be part of the development program ahead of the 2020. The company issues a statement of Monday morning about the incident.
'We are aware of this inappropriate comment,' the automaker said via NBC Sports. 'Hailie immediately acknowledged this mistake, has apologized and promised to be much more thoughtful in the future.'
In 2018, the California became the first woman to win a race in NASCAR's K&N Pro Series West. Deegan now competes for Ford Racing Development in mostly lower-level NASCAR series
In April, driver Kyle Larson was suspended indefinitely for using a racial slur during another iRacing event, and also had to undergo sensitivity training.
Larson was fired by Chip Ganassi Racing following his incident, but was reinstated in October when he signed with Hendrick Motorsports.
Deegan is the daughter of motocross legend Brian Deegan, and despite her age has already become one of the more popular drivers in NASCAR.
In 2020, she raced in NASCAR’s ARCA Series and finished third in the points standings with four top-five finishes in 20 races. This year year, she is set to run a full season in the Truck Series as she continues to work her way up the NASCAR ladder.