8:24 AM ET Kevin Matz When NASCAR made the call to suspend the 2020 regular season indefinitely in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, a traditionally niche hobby was thrust into the national spotlight to serve as a placeholder until the green flag drops once again. Weekends at the track have been traded

5:45 PM ET Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace, the lone African American competing in one of NASCAR’s national series, said Kyle Larson was wrong to have used a racial slur during a virtual race, adding that he’s spoken with Larson and believes he deserves a second chance.” Larson was competing in an iRacing event on

10:45 AM ET Associated Press Speedway Motorsports, owner and operator of eight tracks that host NASCAR’s top Cup Series, has laid off 180 employees and furloughed 100 as part of a company restructuring during the sports shutdown. Speedway Motorsports owns the Atlanta, Bristol, Charlotte, Kentucky, Las Vegas, New Hampshire, Sonoma and Texas tracks. The coronavirus

11:08 AM ET ESPN News Services CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Chip Ganassi Racing has fired star NASCAR driver Kyle Larson after he used the N-word during a virtual race, it was announced Tuesday. Larson was competing in an iRacing event Sunday night when he appeared to lose communication with his spotter on his headset. During a

9:40 PM ET When a racecar crashes, what do we do once we know the driver is okay? We instantly try to assess the damage. How bad is the wreck? Is the car done for the day? Where will it end up in the final finishing order? Then, just as quickly, we move on, shifting

10:26 AM ET ESPN News Services Chip Ganassi Racing has suspended driver Kyle Larson without pay after he used a racial slur on a live stream during a virtual race Sunday. “We are extremely disappointed by what Kyle said last night during an iRacing Event. The words that he chose to use are offensive and

8:17 AM ET Doug KezirianESPN Close ESPN Sports Betting Analyst Host of Daily Wager Behind The Bets podcast host As the world faces a global pandemic from the coronavirus, the sports betting community is adjusting to a new normal that includes an unprecedented economic hit and innovative wagering options that sportsbooks previously would never have

9:04 AM ET From protective masks and hospital gowns to drive-through tests and machines to help virus-stricken lungs fill with oxygen, the handiwork of racers from NASCAR, IndyCar, NHRA and beyond can be found in every corner of the coronavirus fight. After all, at its heart, the COVID-19 pandemic is a race. A race to

3:10 PM ET Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson has added homeschooling elementary teacher to his resume. The sports stoppage from the coronavirus pandemic has thrown a red flag on Johnson’s farewell tour. He had planned a final season of racing a full NASCAR schedule, but so far that has lasted

4:26 PM ET Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards were among the new nominees for NASCAR’s next Hall of Fame class announced Tuesday under a revamped voting protocol. Voters for 11 years elected five members per class first from a list of 25 candidates; it was trimmed to