A Denver sportswriter is being slammed on social media after firing off a “racist” tweet about the winner of the Indy 500 being Japanese.
“Nothing specifically personal, but I am very uncomfortable with a Japanese driver winning the Indianapolis 500 during Memorial Day weekend,” wrote Terry Frei, of the Denver Post.
His tweet came about an hour after former Formula One driver Takuma Sato made history Sunday by taking home the checkered flag and becoming the first Japanese winner in history.
It wound up sparking a wave of backlash, with countless Twitter users blasting him throughout the evening for being insensitive.
“SPECIFICALLY personal, i am very uncomfortable w your racism, xenophobia & lack of understanding of what the Indianapolis 500 is all about,” tweeted Megan Brown.
“Really just a monumentally stupid tweet,” wrote the band The Mountain Goats. “Congrats.”
PFT Commenter added, “Your right. Much would of rather seen a italian, British, or southern guy win it as opposed to someone the US has fought a war aganst [sic].”
Frei later deleted his tweet, and fired off another post that seemed to be directed at his haters.
“THIS is what Memorial Day is about. Dave Schreiner’s death in Battle of Okinawa. Not for squeamish or ‘sensitive,'” he wrote, prompting more responses.
“Are you saying Takuma Sato killed Dave Schreiner in the Battle of Okinawa, and then won the Indy 500 on Memorial Day to mock him?” tweeted one person.
“Ya that’s it, go ahead and double down on the Japanese racism,” another added.