Virtual racing has real-life growing pains as platform's reach grows

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Scott Dixon, five-time IndyCar champion and relatively new iRacing competitor, received a brief set of instructions from boss Chip Ganassi about the world of virtual racing.

"I did get a text from him that said 'Just lay low,''' Dixon said Friday.

What started out as a fun way for racing leagues to fill time and engage fans during the sports shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic has taken a dark turn.

Kyle Larson was fired by Ganassi this week for using a racial slur during a virtual race. Bubba Wallace lost a sponsor for "rage quitting'' the game a week earlier. And NASCAR's iRacing event this Sunday is drawing criticism after the series decided to trim the field of…