Nascar Driver Suspended for Racial Slur

[MJ_N_09]

Clements suspended for violating code of conduct UPDATES: #51-Jeremy Clements, a driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, has been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for violating the sanctioning body's Code of Conduct. On Feb. 23 at Daytona International Speedway, Clements was found to have violated Sections 7-5 (NASCAR's Code of Conduct) and 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing). "During the course of an interview, Jeremy Clements made an intolerable and insensitive remark," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. "NASCAR has a Code of Conduct that's explicitly spelled out in the 2013 NASCAR Rule Book. We fully expect our entire industry to adhere to that Code."(NASCAR)(2-27-2013)
UPDATE: The following statement has been issued by Jeremy Clements regarding his NASCAR suspension: "I apologize and regret what I said to the NASCAR writer and to NASCAR, my sponsors, my fans, and my team. NASCAR has a Code of Conduct that everyone must follow and I unintentionally violated that code. I will not get into specifics of what I said but my comment to the writer was in no way meant to be disrespectful or insensitive to anyone or to be detrimental to NASCAR or the NASCAR Nationwide Series. I will do what I need to do in order to atone for my error in judgment."(Jeremy Clements Racing)(2-27-2013)
UPDATE 2: Nationwide Series driver Jeremy Clements was indefinitely suspended on Wednesday for using a racial slur in an interview with a writer at Daytona International Speedway, a source told ESPN.com. NASCAR officials would not verify or discuss what Clements said to earn the suspension, only that it was an "intolerable and insensitive remark'' and violated the sanctioning body's Code of Conduct for actions detrimental to stock car racing. Officials did verify that the remarks came during the course of a Feb. 23 interview. That was the same day as the Nationwide opener at DIS. The rule book prohibits "public statement'' that criticizes, ridicules or otherwise disparages another person based on race, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age or handicapping condition.(ESPN)(2-27-2012)
UPDATE 3: Nationwide Series driver Jeremy Clements explained in detail Thursday exactly how he finds himself suspended indefinitely from NASCAR competition. In a one-on-one interview with ESPN, Clements would not verbalize the specific comments he made, but when pressed for clarity about whether or not it was racial, he paused. Asked again, "Was it racial or not? Maybe not in context, but in term?" Clements replied: "Correct." "When you say 'racial' remark, it wasn't used to describe anybody or anything," Clements said. "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." Clements said he only said the word once. The remarks, he said, were made Saturday following the driver's meeting at Daytona International Speedway. The remark lands Clements in NASCAR suspension for a minimum of two races, he said. He also said he must undergo some sort of speech advisement, the details of which he did not have at the time of the interview. Clements admitted his mistake and he's hurting. His emotions "are pretty bad. I'm pretty hurt, for sure," he said. "I've never gotten into trouble with NASCAR. Not one time. We're just a small family team, just trying to survive and run the whole season. This is our third full season. And I was supposed to be on a plane right now going to Phoenix to race. And then this hit me late [Wednesday] afternoon. I've known about it since Sunday night, when I got a phone call. But I did not think it was going to be like this. I just thought I'd be fined like most normal guys have been fined. But not suspended for this. But I'm going to do what they want me to do so I can get back in the car as soon as possible. I think it's a little harsh, but it's their rules. It's their game."(see more details at ESPN)(2-28-2013)

What do you all think? Did he deserve the suspension or should he have just been fined? Did Nascar come down too hard on him, your thoughts.

[GTRMagic]

So... what exactly did he say?

A gold medal winning Australian olympian lost a load of sponsors when calling an opposing team in a different sport some unkind names.

[mountainstar]

Reading all that doesn't really get to the bottom of it.

Sounds like an indefinite suspension is over the top and that he has to take some sort of "speech advisement" course.

Nascar has been trying to turn their drivers into puppets that never offend anyone and I think it's why a lot of people are losing interest. One of the reasons people watch is rivalries and controversy and people not liking one another. People want to see these guys duking it out not dancing arm in arm with one another.

[Paradise City]

So he has to undergo the 'sensitivity training' for using a 'hurtful' word in a casual context and then he's back but must sit out two races in any event? Is that the correct interpretation of his punishment?

According to Clements the slur was directed at no competitor/person in particular but the remark was overheard by an MTV journalist who informed on him to NASCAR. Seems NASCAR wanted to nip the controversy in the bud so acted swiftly and categorically so it wouldn't create a lingering controversy. Not disclosing what he said of course extends the speculation. It's tough for a small team to get hit over a casual remark like that.

[Reload]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

So... what exactly did he say?

A gold medal winning Australian olympian lost a load of sponsors when calling an opposing team in a different sport some unkind names.

Reading that it was a 6 letter word beginning with N.

[Clive Brown]

What's wrong with "nitwit"?

Or are we getting into Sheriff Bart territory here?

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by Reload

Reading that it was a 6 letter word beginning with N.

I was thinking it was N-A-S-C-A-R.

[Clive Brown]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

I was thinking it was N-A-S-C-A-R.

Surely he can't get away with using foul language like that on this Forum?

[MJ_N_09]

Well, at least his team can still participate in the sport. They have Ryan Sieg in for this week for his team.

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by MJ_N_09

Well, at least his team can still participate in the sport. They have Ryan Sieg in for this week for his team.

I had to take a doubletake there. Ryan Sieg? Sounds like the surname of an SS officer.

[Knowlesy]

If he has used the racial slur that people are saying he did then he fully deserves to sit it out IMO.

Maybe he should reflect on what he has said and try to come back as a more mature individual instead of the rock ape that he apparently is.

[MJ_N_09]

Originally Posted by Paradise City

I had to take a doubletake there. Ryan Sieg? Sounds like the surname of an SS officer.

Well, he has a brother named Shane Sieg...who ironically is also suspended indefinitely from the sport. This update explains exactly what went down.

UPDATE 4: Several other outlets picked up on the story, and quickly figured out that reporter was Marty Beckerman, an associate editor for MTV's Guy Code blog, an extension of MTV2's "Guy Code" television series, which takes a humorous look at "the laws of manhood." Beckerman was covering last weekend's NASCAR events at the Daytona International Speedway and spoke to several drivers. As the news of Clements' suspension  and speculation over just what he said  began to spread, Beckerman remained silent... until he sat down with MTV News to speak about what happened in Daytona.
"I was there to do a fish-out-of-water story about going to NASCAR and having a wild, crazy weekend. And, we were doing interviews with many of the drivers, and I was on the way to another interview  we were looking for [driver] Johanna Long's trailer  and the NASCAR publicist called Mr. Clements over and asked him for help finding her," Beckerman said. "He walked us toward where she was, and on the way over, I explained to him that Guy Code is rules for guys, how you treat your friends, how you treat your ladies, things like that. I was there to do a humor piece, so I asked him what would be Guy Code for race car drivers, and he blurted out [a phrase that used the n-word]."
Beckerman said that Clements didn't use the phrase in reference to any specific driver, but was instead illustrating that "if you drive roughly, you'll be treated roughly." He wrote the quote down in his notes (the conversation was not recorded) and, since he was in the presence of a NASCAR publicist, continued to speak with Clements for a few more minutes, before going to interview Long. Then, on Thursday morning, as the story continued to unfold, Clements called him to discuss the quote and let it be known that he regretted making it. Beckerman said, since returning from Daytona, he had debated whether to publish a story around the quote. On Thursday morning, while discussions continued with Guy Code editors, he was contacted by a NASCAR rep who informed him about Clements' suspension. "We had not even intended to necessarily publish it, because our site is a humor site for men, we aren't the New York Times, we aren't investigative journalism. It didn't fit with our blog," Beckerman said. "The fact is that NASCAR made this a national story, and then Clements explained a bit of what he said to ESPN ... I never wanted to be part of the story."(MTV)(3-1-2013)

[gomick]

Originally Posted by Knowlesy

If he has used the racial slur that people are saying he did then he fully deserves to sit it out IMO.

Maybe he should reflect on what he has said and try to come back as a more mature individual instead of the rock ape that he apparently is.

Maybe calling someone a rock ape is just as bad - not that i care...

[The Original Instag8or]

I had heard he used a two word phrase. The first word is unpostable, the second is "rigged".

While use of the word in question is internationally taboo, in parts of the US the two words together was widely used to describe "shoddy workmanship".

Note: I sued to race at a NASCAR sanctioned track, and my first car was rather crude. I remember one track (NASCAR) official even use the same phrase as Clements is suspended for, while desribring some of the welds on my rollcage during my car's first tech inspection.

[MJ_N_09]

Originally Posted by The Original Instag8or

I had heard he used a two word phrase. The first word is unpostable, the second is "rigged".

While use of the word in question is internationally taboo, in parts of the US the two words together was widely used to describe "shoddy workmanship".

Note: I sued to race at a NASCAR sanctioned track, and my first car was rather crude. I remember one track (NASCAR) official even use the same phrase as Clements is suspended for, while desribring some of the welds on my rollcage during my car's first tech inspection.

Reminds me of a time back, I think, in 2005, someone in one of the lower series try to run the "number" 4Q (had to change to #41 instead)....say that five times fast.

[JHamilton]

Originally Posted by The Original Instag8or

I had heard he used a two word phrase. The first word is unpostable, the second is "rigged".

While use of the word in question is internationally taboo, in parts of the US the two words together was widely used to describe "shoddy workmanship".

Note: I sued to race at a NASCAR sanctioned track, and my first car was rather crude. I remember one track (NASCAR) official even use the same phrase as Clements is suspended for, while desribring some of the welds on my rollcage during my car's first tech inspection.

Ahh, that makes a little more sense. I mean, it is still bad but makes the whole incident more clear.

[The Original Instag8or]

^^^ I just noticed an alarming typo in my post. Reads "sued to race" when it should read "used to race"

[MJ_N_09]

Clements has been reinstated.