(Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
OAN’s Abril Elfi
1:07 PM – Thursday, August 10, 2023
Noah Gragson, a NASCAR driver, has asked Legacy Motor Club for a release of his contract after being suspended for liking a George Floyd meme on social media.
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On Thursday, the Legacy Motor Club and the NASCAR driver released a statement announcing a request to be released from his contract. The request came only two days after it was announced that he would be replaced in the next two races due to his suspension.
On Tuesday, the team announced that Mike Rockenfeller would drive the No. 42 car at Indianapolis on Sunday and at Watkins Glen on Aug 20th.
“I have asked LEGACY MOTOR CLUB to release me from my contract so that I can take time to work through the NASCAR reinstatement process,” Gragson said. “I love racing, and I am looking forward to a second chance to compete for wins at the highest level of NASCAR – and most importantly, make my family, my team and the fans proud of me once again.”
Last weekend, Gragson was suspended when it was discovered that he “liked” a meme of George Floyd. Screenshots were also circulating on social media.
In a response, the Legacy Motor Club stated that the driver’s actions did not “represent the values of [their] team.”
Before he was officially suspended for his “lack of attention and actions on social media”, the racer issued an apology and said that “[he tries] to treat everyone equally no matter who they are [and that he] messed up plain and simple.”
The 25-year-old spent four complete seasons in the Xfinity Series prior to his debut year at Legacy Motor Club and his first full Cup Series season.
The suspension had social media users arguing if the repercussions were fair.
One user from the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, defended the suspension of Gragson, saying “People saying ‘boycott NASCAR’ as if they watched to begin with. We’re doing just fine without you, go cry in a corner while you’re at it.”
While others who think the suspension is unfair have been wanting to “boycott” NASCAR. For example, another X user said “BOYCOTT Nascar! Let’s BUD LIGHT the hell out of them!”
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