Cup Series driver Noah Gragson has been suspended by both NASCAR and his race team for liking a racially insensitive post on Instagram.
Xfinity Series driver Josh Berry will drive the Legacy Motor Club No. 42 this weekend at Michigan International Speedway. At a minimum, a NASCAR spokesperson says a term of reinstatement will be sensitivity training but the details are still being understood and worked out.
“NASCAR fully supports Legacy Motor Club’s decision to suspend Noah Gragson. 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.”
Legacy Motor Club suspended Gragson on Saturday morning shortly after the Cup Series garage opened on Saturday morning.
“We have made the decision to suspend Noah Gragson effective immediately regarding his actions that do not represent the values of our team. Josh Berry will drive the No. 42 entry for this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan.”
The post was effectively a meme that depicted the Disney movie character Sebastian the crab from the Little Mermaid but with the late George Floyd’s face photoshopped on the character. Instead of ‘under the sea,’ the meme said ‘under the knee’ in reference to how Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020.
Floyd was killed when Derek Chauvin, one of the four police officers who arrived on the scene, knelt on his neck and back for 9 minutes and 29 seconds which caused a lack of oxygen. The incident ignited a series of protests around the country in the months that followed spotlighting racial injustice and police brutality.
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Gragson is in his first full-time season at the Cup Series level and is 33rd in points with a 28.2 average finish. Berry is in his final full-time Xfinity Series season with JR Motorsports before moving over to the Cup Series with Stewart-Haas Racing next season.
“I am disappointed in myself for my lack of attention and actions on social media. 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.”
Noah Gragson’s apology
Matt Weaver covers NASCAR for Sportsnaut.com Follow Matt Weaver on Twitter, @MattWeaverRA