Following his suspension, handed down by LEGACY Motor Club, Noah Gragson has released a statement of his own on the matter. Gragson apparently liked an insensitive meme mocking the death of George Floyd on his Instagram. His team made the decision to suspend Gragson “effective immediately” with Josh Berry replacing him for tomorrow’s NASCAR Cup Series race.
Berry will fill in for the FireKeepers Casino 400. Meanwhile, Noah Gragson will have to deal with these consequences. The situation does not seem great for the young Cup Series rookie.
Gragson kept his statement short and simple with a series of “I” statements. He said that he was “disappointed” in himself for his “lack of attention and actions on social media.” He then went on to say he understands how serious the situation is and that he loves and appreciates “everyone.
“I try to treat everyone equally no matter who they are. I messed up plain and simple,” Gragson concluded.
LEGACY Motor Club did not comment on the duration of the suspension and it remains to be seen what the rest of the season looks like for the No. 42 team.
It is no secret that Noah Gragson has not had the best rookie season. He is last among the full-time drivers in the points standings and has generally seemed disengaged throughout the season. He suffered a concussion earlier this season and sat out the Sonoma race. It has not led to a prosperous entry into the Cup Series.
Legacy Motor Club statement on Noah Gragson
The news was sudden and surprising. However, it seems like the right move from LEGACY Motor Club here. Sponsors are one-half of the game if not more than that, and they don’t like controversy like this. Swift action was taken it seems and LEGACY knew how they wanted to handle this.
“We have made the decision to suspend Noah Gragson effective immediately regarding his actions that do not represent the values of our team,” LMC said in a statement. “Josh Berry will drive the No. 42 entry for this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan.”
Sitting 33rd in the points standing and not much to talk about as far as success this season, Noah Gragson should be worried. There are rumors that LEGACY was going to part ways with Gragson after this season, to begin with, and now this incident makes that an easier decision.
Josh Berry will once again be the super sub in the Cup Series. This is the third car he has raced in this season in Cup. Berry will be on his way to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2024.
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