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Former Greater Victoria racer welcomed back to NASCAR after suspension

A toaster strudel got Josh Reaume disciplined last year
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Former Highlands resident Josh Reaume was suspended by NASCAR last fall for a social media post and was recently reinstated. (Black Press Media file photo)

Former Vancouver Islander and NASCAR racer Josh Reaume has been reinstated to the legendary stock car racing association after being suspended in November.

Reaume, who used to live in Highlands, was reprimanded for a social media post showing a toaster strudel with icing that allegedly looked like a swastika.

In an online apology, Reaume said he didn’t notice the design on the snack at the time and the photo was taken out of context.

In November 2020, NASCAR officials released a statement that Reaume, 30, had been “issued an indefinite suspension” for violating two sections of the organization’s rule book.

READ MORE: NASCAR suspends former Vancouver Island resident for insensitive social media post

NASCAR has a firm policy for mandating that members not make any “public statement and/or communication that criticizes, ridicules, or otherwise disparages another person based upon that person’s race, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, or handicapping condition.”

On March 31, NASCAR announced Reaume had “successfully completed the terms and conditions mandated for reinstatement.”

Reaume got his start racing at the Western Speedway as a 15-year-old competitive kart racer.

– With files from Devon Bidal