NASCAR suspends Noah Gragson for liking insensitive meme with George Floyd’s face

BROOKLYN, Mich. â€”  Driver Noah Gragson has been suspended indefinitely by NASCAR and Legacy Motor Club due to liking an insensitive meme with a photo of George Floyd’s face.

“I am disappointed in myself for my lack of attention and actions on social media,� Gragson posted Saturday. “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.�

Josh Berry will be in the No. 42 Chevrolet in Sunday’s race at Michigan International Speedway to replace Gragson.

Sports

Oregon and Washington join Big Ten and Pac-12 is in peril. What happens next?

The Pac-12 faces a bleak future as Oregon and Washington jump to the Big Ten, pushing the Pac-12 toward a collapse or merger in diminished form.

Aug. 4, 2023

Floyd, who was Black, died in 2020 after a white police officer knelt on his neck for 9½ minutes. His death sparked mass protests around the world and forced a national reckoning on racial injustice.

In the wake of Floyd’s death, NASCAR banned the Confederate flag at events and venues after Bubba Wallace — its lone Black driver — said there was “no place� for it in the sport. Earlier that year, Cup series driver Kyle Larson used a racial slur while playing a video game. Chip Ganassi Racing fired Larson and he was suspended by NASCAR, which required him to complete a sensitivity training course for reinstatement.

NASCAR said Gragson violated the member conduct of its rule book, without providing details.

“His actions do not represent the values of our team,� Legacy Motor Club said in a statement.

The 25-year-old Gragson, who is from Las Vegas, is in his first full season in the Cup series and is No. 33 in points.