Noah Gragson has been suspended from racing after it was discovered that he liked a meme making fun of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed in 2020 by a white police officer.
Noah Gragson was given an indefinite suspension and will not be allowed to compete in the Cup Series on Sunday.
Gragson was given an indefinite suspension on Saturday according to Legacy Motor Club due to his controversial social media behavior. Josh Berry from Hendersonville will take his position in the Cup Series race on Sunday at Michigan International Speedway.
Gragson ran into trouble after a screenshot of his Instagram account started making the rounds on social media. According to reports, the account linked to Gragson liked a meme making fun of Mr. Floyd, whose passing in 2020 played a part in igniting a nationwide uprising.
The meme features a picture of Mr. Floyd’s face and makes mention of his demise.
In an effort to distance itself from the driver on Saturday, Gragson’s team, Legacy Motors, said in a statement that the driver’s conduct “did not represent the values of our team.”
“We have made the decision to suspend Noah Gragson effective immediately regarding his actions that do not represent the values of our team,” Legacy Motor Club said in a statement posted to social media.
In a separate statement, NASCAR noted that Gragson had broken Driver Conduct Section 4.4.D of the NASCAR Rule Book.
“NASCAR fully supports Legacy Motor Club’s decision to suspend Noah Gragson,” the statement said.
“Following his actions on social media, NASCAR has determined that Gragson has violated the Member Conduct section of the 2023 NASCAR Rule Book and has placed him under indefinite suspension.”
The manufacturer of the Legacy Motor Club car Gragson was driving, Chevrolet, released a statement of its own distancing themselves from the driver.
“Noah’s actions do not align with our beliefs and brand values. We will work with Legacy Motor Club on next steps,” the company wrote.
Gragson issued a general apology on Twitter on Sunday, despite the fact that neither Nascar nor Legacy Motor Club gave a particular reason for their decision to suspend him.
“I am disappointed in myself for my lack of attention and actions on social media,” Gragson said on X, formerly known as Twitter, while reposting Legacy Motor Club’s statement.
“I understand the severity of this situation. I love and appreciate everyone. I try to treat everyone equally no matter who they are. I messed up plain and simple.”
Gragson is 33rd in the Cup Series standings in his first full year.
Berry will make his ninth start of the year on Sunday in the No. 42 Legacy MC Chevrolet at the FireKeepers Casino 400. For Hendrick Motorsports, the 32-year-old veteran has made eight Cup Series starts this season, standing in for Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman.
He runs with JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series as well.
