NASCAR’s Hailie Deegan Used the R-Word During a Virtual Race

NASCAR's Hailie Deegan let the r-word fly during a virtual race on Sunday.  That night the 19-year-old Truck Series driver issued an apology after the clip of her using the word went viral.

Deegan used the word during the Twitch stream after another virtual driver bumped her car during the race.

From TMZ Sports:

"Oh! Hey!" Deegan said during the clip. "Who’s the r***** behind me?! Don’t do that, please."

Video of Deegan's comment quickly went viral -- with critics slamming her for using the offensive word ... and a short time later, the driver issued a lengthy apology on her social media page.

"Earlier tonight I used an insensitive word during an online race being broadcast on twitch," Deegan said. "It was inappropriate slang and a stupid thing to do. I apologize to everyone who was offended by it."

Deegan added, "There's no excuse for it, and I know I have to do better for my sponsors and my fans."

This isn't the first time a NASCAR driver let an offensive word fly during a virtual race and if I had to guess it won't be the last time either.