NASCAR driver Kyle Larson’s spotter Chris Monez has been let go by Hendrick Motorsports four days after his past social media activity came under fire online.
Larson raced for Ganassi Motorsports in 2020 before he was suspended for using a racial slur during an online sumulation race.
(Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
Monez, who was Ty Dillon’s spotter in 2020 and joined Hendrick on January 1, has retweeted and liked posts by President Trump that criticize coronavirus response measures and the voting process. He also reportedly highlighted tweets that included a QAnon-related hashtag, according to Motorsports.com, and Trump’s suggestion that Bubba Wallace apologize for the uproar that followed the discovery of a rope tied into a noose in his garage at Talladega Superspeedway in June.
Monez’s posts were discussed on Reddit and in an editorial on SpeedwayMedia.com by Joseph Shelton that suggested Hendrick and Larson “consider if it is worth keeping this guy around.”
Spotters keep an eye on the race from a platform above the grandstand and radio information to their drivers about what’s happening around them on the track.
(Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)
Hendrick Motorsports confirmed the dismissal to Fox Sports NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass, but has not officially stated the reason for the decision. Monez has not yet said anything about it to social media, but confirmed the news to TobyChristie.com.
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Kyle Larson is joining Hendrick Motorsports after being fired by Chip Ganassi Racing in April for using a racial slur during an online simulation race. Larson, who is Japanese American, completed a sensitivity training course mandated by NASCAR and spent much of the year meeting with African American community leaders in an effort to educate himself about civil-rights issues.
NASCAR has not issued a statement on the Monez situation.
