NASCAR Driver Noah Gragson Requests Release From Team After Suspension Over George Floyd Meme

Noah Gragson, driver of the (42) Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet, waits on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Va., on July 29, 2023. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

NASCAR driver Noah Gragson, who was suspended for liking a meme that poked fun at the circumstances surrounding George Floyd’s death, has requested to be released from his team, Legacy Motor Club.

Mr. Gragson was slapped with an indefinite suspension after he was found to have liked the George Floyd meme, on grounds of violating the member conduct section of the NASCAR Rule Book.

In an Aug. 10 statement obtained by The Epoch Times, Mr. Gragson requested to be released from his contract with the team “so that I can take time to work through the NASCAR reinstatement process.”

“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,” he added.

Cal Wells III, CEO of Legacy Motor Club, acknowledged Mr. Gragson’s request and intent to make his way back to competing on the track.

“Noah has a ton of talent and has a great personality,” Mr. Wells said in a statement. “This is a difficult situation, but we are proud that Noah has taken ownership of his actions and are confident he will work through this process with NASCAR and come back stronger.”

Daniel Suarez, driver of the #99 Jockey Chevrolet, Noah Gragson, driver of the #42 Sunseeker Resort Chevrolet, and Ryan Preece, driver of the #41 Mohawk Northeast Ford, race during the NASCAR Cup Series HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., on July 23, 2023. (Logan Riely/Getty Images)

The Suspension

On Aug. 5, Legacy Motor Club announced an immediate indefinite suspension for Mr. Gragson, citing “actions that do not represent the values of our team.”

Neither the club nor Mr. Gragson revealed publicly what the trigger was for the suspension, but NASCAR told Fox News that it was due to Mr. Gragson’s liking the George Floyd meme.

Daniel McFadin, a NASCAR writer at Frontstretch, suggested that his report about Mr. Gragson liking the meme was the factor that set the suspension in motion.

“Noah Gragson made a big mistake. I did my due diligence to make sure it was real,” Mr. McFadin said in an Aug. 6 tweet.

On May 27, an Instagram account called LBuddah_ posted a meme that showed Mr. Floyd’s head pasted onto the body of a crab, with the caption “Under da knee, under da knee,” which was a mashup of a song from “The Little Mermaid” and a reference to the way Mr. Floyd died.

When Mr. McFadin saw that Mr. Gragson liked the video, he “immediately sent an email” to Legacy’s PR representatives. He followed it up with multiple emails.

Legacy then announced Mr. Gragson’s suspension, while NASCAR issued a statement in support.

“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,” the organization said in an Aug. 5 tweet.

Mr. Gragson responded by stating that he was “disappointed in myself for my lack of attention and actions on social media,” according to an Aug. 5 post.

“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.”

Mr. McFadin reacted to the suspension in an Aug. 5 article on Frontstretch: “Good. NASCAR had to take this action.”

Mr. Gragson’s suspension came as the 25-year-old was taking part in his first full season as a driver in NASCAR’s top league, the Cup Series. He has been replaced by driver Josh Berry.

The action against Mr. Gragson drew a range of reactions online, with some criticizing the suspension as excessive.

“I will NEVER watch NASCAR again for as long as I live. First, they peddled Bubba Wallace’s lie about a noose being in his garage. Now, they’re suspending Noah Gragson for liking a meme making fun of George Floyd. Go woke, go broke!” Nick Adams, the founder of Foundation for Liberty & American Greatness, said in an Aug. 6 tweet.

George Floyd’s Death

George Floyd died in May 2020 while in police custody after resisting arrest. A Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for over nine minutes, with Mr. Floyd repeatedly saying he couldn’t breathe.

Mr. Floyd’s death was officially attributed, in part, to asphyxiation. The incident was recorded by a bystander and sparked widespread protests, giving a boost to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Following an investigation prompted by Mr. Floyd’s death, the Justice Department accused the Minneapolis police of a consistent pattern of violating constitutional rights, discrimination against minorities, and “excessive” and “unjustified deadly force” in policing.

“To be sure, many MPD officers do their difficult work with professionalism, courage, and respect,” the Justice Department said in the executive summary of a report following the investigation. “Nevertheless, our investigation found that the systemic problems in MPD made what happened to George Floyd possible.”

The probe was launched in April 2021, a day after former officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter in Mr. Floyd’s death.

Naveen Athrapully contributed to this report.