NASCAR Xfinity Sponsor Dumps Driver Because His Father Used the N-Word 30 Years Ago
A NASCAR Xfinity sponsor canceled its sponsorship of driver Conor Daly for a “racially insensitive remark” that the driver did not even utter. Instead, it was said by his father over 30 years ago. Indeed, Connor Daly, wasn’t even born when the supposed incident occurred.
Lilly Diabetes ended its sponsorship of the 26-year-old Daly, just ahead of his NASCAR debut. After reports surfaced of his father’s off-color comments uttered back in the 1980s, according to Fox News.
What an oddball situation that one is. I mean, as I understand it, the sponsorship was written such that the sponsors can withdraw for any reason, or no reason at all. So I'm not sure there is much poor Conor Daly can do.
To make matters even more cloudy, it's pretty unclear what even Derek Daly did wrong back then. Apparently, he uttered a "racial slur." No one seems to have the quote, and the entire thing is nearly 4 decades out of context by now. And it all could just be a misunderstanding of regional dialects and such, as Derek hadn't spent much time in the US back then.
I mean, seriously... This is what we've come to?