NASCAR's Jeremy Clements Suspended Indefinitely for "Insensitive" Remark, Slur

NASCAR race card driver Jeremy Clements has been indefinitely suspended by NASCAR for allegedly uttering what they deemed to be an "intolerable and insensitive" comment during an interview.

Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations, issued a statement that Clements, through that comment, violated a section of NASCAR's Code of Conduct, Sections 7-5 and 12-1, otherwise known as actions detrimental to stock car racing.

Specifically, NASCAR's rule book prohibits "public statements" that criticizes or ridicules another person due to their race, color, religion, age, creed, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, marital status and or handicap.

"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."

While the comment that he made was not specified, officials verified that Clements made the remark during a Feb. 23 interview, which was the same day as the Nationwide opener at the Daytona International Speedway.

Clements issued the following statement through NASCAR.

"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."

In order to be reinstated, USA TODAY reported, Clements, 28, would have to go through a NASCAR-sponsored program tailored to Clements' specific needs.

Clements ranked 14th overall in last year's Nationwide Series standings for drivers and finished 33rd overall at Daytona, an oil line problem causing him to finish after only 88 laps.