NASCAR suspends driver Noah Gragson after he appeared to like an insensitive George Floyd meme

NASCAR has suspended driver Noah Gragson indefinitely, the company said Saturday, after he apparently liked an insensitive meme on social media featuring a photo of George Floyd.

Gragson, 25, was completing his first full season as a driver in the Cup Series, NASCAR’s top division, when Josh Berry replaced him in the No. 42 car on Saturday, his team said in a statement.

The Legacy Motor Club announced Gragson’s suspension, saying his conduct “does not represent the values ​​of our team.”

NASCAR said Gragson violated the stock car racing member conduct section, which states, among other things, that members cannot publicly disparage people based on their race, NBC Sports reported.

NASCAR said the suspension was “indefinite.” Drivers who have been taken out of racing in the past due to indefinite suspensions have had the opportunity to rejoin NASCAR.

Gragson did not directly address the alleged meme in a statement on Platform X, formerly known as Twitter, but acknowledged his actions.

He doesn’t make that exact connection, but his statement on X Saturday seems to support the narrative that his suspension was the result of endorsement of the George Floyd meme.

“I am disappointed in myself because I show so little attention and action on social media,” he tweeted Saturday. “I understand the seriousness of the situation. I love and appreciate everyone. I try to treat everyone equally, no matter who they are. I just messed up.”

Neither NASCAR nor Legacy immediately responded to requests for more information about the reason for Gragson’s suspension. Fox Sports reported that NASCAR confirmed the suspension was related to the meme.

Gragson’s apparent “like” of the post was reported Saturday by TMZ, which posted a screenshot that appeared to show it came from an account belonging to Gragson. The meme, which shows a photo of Floyd’s face, includes a reference to his death on May 25, 2020, after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for 9½ minutes.

Floyd, who was black, had been stopped by police officers investigating a report that someone had circulated a counterfeit $20 bill at a market.

The video of his agonizing death sparked protests across the country that lasted a summer, and the four police officers involved were successfully prosecuted at the state and federal levels.

NASCAR headed to Michigan International Speedway for the weekend to host Cup races and lower series events, all leading up to the showpiece Firekeepers Casino 400.

Chevrolet, the name on the Legacy Motor Club’s No. 42, said in a statement Saturday: “Noah’s actions are not consistent with our beliefs and brand values. We will work with the Legacy Motor Club on next steps.”