Nothing Could Hurt NASCAR More Than Drivers Using Racist Language

Early Wednesday evening (Feb. 27) NASCAR announced an indefinite suspension for Nationwide Series regular Jeremy Clements for violating the sport’s Code of Conduct for actions detrimental to stock car racing. Soon after it came to light that Clements was suspended for using a racial slur.

On Thursday (Feb. 28), Clements confirmed the racial slur in an interview with ESPN.com’s Marty Smith, but claimed that he didn’t mean any offense by the term. The slur came in a conversation at Daytona International Speedway prior to the Nationwide Series race on Saturday, Feb. 23 with an unnamed reporter for MTV and a female NASCAR employee. It’s unknown whether the reporter or NASCAR employee notified NASCAR of the incident.

In the ESPN.com interview, Clements said: “When you say racial remark, it wasn't used to describe anybody or anything. So that's all I'm going to say to that. And it really wasn't. I was describing racing, and the word I used was incorrect and I shouldn't have said it. It shouldn't be used at all.”

Here’s the thing … I actually believe Clements when he says the term wasn’t meant to be offensive, but he’s obviously too ignorant to realize that a racial slur in any context is almost certainly going to be offensive. One major problem with this story is that nobody knows what exactly was said. Clements isn’t saying, NASCAR isn’t saying and the reporter thus far hasn’t come forward and said. I have a pretty good feeling that I know what the term was, especially given the context of Clements’ statement to ESPN. Since he was referring to racing and not an individual I’m willing to bet that the term used was “n*****rigged.” Again, that’s just my observation and estimation, not in any way a fact.   

No matter what racial slur Clements in fact used or what context it was in the suspension from NASCAR is warranted and needed. NASCAR drivers can’t go around using offensive and racist terms no matter what the intent behind them is. In fact, given the already stereotypical and oftentimes negative (some deserved, much of it undeserved) reputation and image that NASCAR has a driver using racial slurs is the worst possible thing NASCAR could face. I’m 100 percent serious when I say that a driver using racist language is more detrimental to NASCAR than multiple car parts flying into the stands and injuring numerous spectators, like we saw last Saturday at the end of the Nationwide Series race at Daytona.

NASCAR has come a long way in terms of diversity through its Drive for Diversity program which has seen female drivers like Danica Patrick and Johanna Long competing in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series respectively, Kyle Larson of Japanese-American descent competing full time this season in the Nationwide Series and Darrell Wallace Jr., who this season becomes just the fourth African-American driver to compete full time in a NASCAR series as he races in the Camping World Truck Series.

However, in the minds of many all of these positive steps the sport is making can be undone by drivers using racially insensitive language like Clements did, again no matter the context intended. Another thing that can help to set the sport back many years is the way many fans have come to Clements’ defense claiming that he shouldn’t have been suspended for his ignorant slip of the tongue. These fans and their passionate defense of Clements’ racial slur do a lot of damage to NASCAR and the stereotype that ignorant rednecks are all that follow the sport. The stereotype is drastically untrue, but if you go to Twitter right now and type the name Jeremy Clements into the search bar you might not think so.

It’s unfortunate that a NASCAR driver had enough ignorance to use a racially offensive term, even when offense wasn’t intended, but it’s absolutely disgusting to see the support given to him by fans, who claim that NASCAR should have let the slur go unpunished.

A NASCAR driver using racial slurs is a black eye for NASCAR, but letting it go unpunished could’ve been the knockout punch.