Larson apologized on Monday: “Hey 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.”

“I understand the damage is probably unrepairable,” he added, “and I own up to that.”

In suspending Larson, the racing organization said he had violated guidelines for its members.

“NASCAR has made diversity and inclusion a priority and will not tolerate the type of language used by Kyle Larson during Sunday’s iRacing event,” NASCAR said in a statement. “Our member conduct guidelines are clear in this regard, and we will enforce these guidelines to maintain an inclusive environment for our entire industry and fan base.”

Earlier in the day, Larson’s team, Chip Ganassi Racing, had suspended him without pay.

“We are extremely disappointed by what Kyle said last night during an iRacing Event,” the team said in a statement. “As of this moment we are suspending Kyle without pay while we work through this situation with all appropriate parties.”

Many NASCAR drivers have been participating in virtual races while the season is suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic. The race on Sunday was on a simulation of the Monza circuit in Italy.