NASCAR Driver Loses Sponsorship Over ‘Racially Insensitive’ Remark His Father Made Over 30 Years Ago

Can you imagine being held accountable for everything your parents said or did as young adults? Most of us don’t even want to think about that. Yet, that’s exactly what’s happening to NASCAR driver Conor Daly.

Lilly Diabetes has pulled its sponsorship of Conor Daly’s No. 6 car in the NASCAR Xfinity race at Road America, citing a racially insensitive remark made by the driver’s father in the 1980s that surfaced this week. https://t.co/TbJeb1jCu5

— RTV6 Indianapolis (@rtv6) August 25, 2018

Lilly Diabetes has pulled its sponsorship of Daly over a “racially insensitive” remark his father made 30-something years ago. Word has it his father, Derek Daly, used a racial slur for African Americans during a radio interview back in the ’80s.

In a statement, Daly said he admitted to using a racial slur for African-Americans during a radio interview in the early 1980s. Daly, who had just moved to the United States then, said the term had a different meaning and connotation in his native Ireland.

Daly said he was “mortified’” when he learned how the term was used in the United States and has never used it since then. Conor Daly, 26, wasn’t born when his father made the comment.

Who knows if it’s really true that he had no idea the remark meant something different here, but either way, CONOR WASN’T EVEN BORN YET. What does this have to do with him? Why should he be punished over this? Not to mention that Derek apologized.

“Finally, I want everyone to know I deeply regret and sincerely apologize for what I said more than three decades ago,” he said in a statement.

Doesn’t matter. Because of all of that, Lilly is out.

“Unfortunately, the comments that surfaced this week by Derek Daly distract from this focus, so we have made the decision that Lilly Diabetes will no longer run the No. 6 at Road America this weekend,” Lilly stated.

Does this make any sense to you guys? No? Good. Because IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE. This is utterly absurd.

I'll take 'Liberal Insanity' for a $1,000 Alex.

SMH

— 🇺🇸 Deb–Unapologetic Plastic Straw User (@debster7301) August 25, 2018

Well, he should've thought of that before his dad said something that offended people

before he was born https://t.co/SBWFOREMfr

— Jim Treacher (@jtLOL) August 25, 2018

That's peak stupidity

— self identified tank, respect my decision (@ougrad2001) August 25, 2018

I’ll say. I. Will. Say.

h/t The Indy Channel