Noah Gragson Released From NASCAR Contract After Suspension

Noah Gragson has been released from his NASCAR contract after his indefinite suspension from driving in the series.

The Legacy Motor Club suspended the 25-year-old from the team earlier this month after he appeared to like a meme on social media mocking the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020.

At the time, the club said Gragson's actions did not "represent the values of our team." But now Gragson and the Legacy Motor Club have parted ways at the request of the NASCAR driver.

Legacy announced the decision on social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.

"Today, Noah Gragson requested to be released from his contract as the driver of the No.42 for Legacy Motor Club," the club said in the statement.

The statement included a quote from the young driver saying he asked to be released from his contract so he "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 said.

Cal Wells III, the CEO of Legacy, also shared some parting words for the driver.

"Noah has a ton of talent and has a great personality. 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," he said in the statement.

Mike Rockenfeller was chosen to step in for Gragson during his suspension as the latter took to social media to apologize for his actions. The German has been in racing for two decades, winning the Le Mans 24-hour race twice, the Daytona 24 hour event, and a host of other championship titles across a number of racing disciplines.

"I am disappointed in myself for my lack of attention and actions on social media," he wrote on X. "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."

NASCAR fans called for a boycott of the sport after the association backed Legacy's suspension of Gragson.

In a statement shared by Fox News, the racing organization said: "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."

This was Gragson's first full season racing in the NASCAR Cup series and he is currently 33rd in the standings without any top 10 finishes so far.

Update 08/10/2023, 10:15 a.m. ET: This story was updated to include additional information.