CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR Cup Series driver Noah Gragson has asked Legacy Motor Club to be released from his contract amid an indefinite suspension by NASCAR, the team announced Thursday.
Gragson was suspended before last weekend's race at Michigan after it surfaced that he liked an inensitive meme mocking the murder of George Floyd. Legacy Motor Club, which is co-owned by seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, first announced that Gragson would be replaced by Josh Berry for the race before NASCAR opted to suspend the rookie driver. The team's original statement said Gragson's actions "do not represent the values of our team."
"I have asked Legacy Motor Club to release me from my contract so that I can take time to work through the NASCAR resinstatement process," Gragson said in a statement released Thursday. "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."
Legacy Motor Club CEO Cal Wells said the organization was proud of Gragson for taking ownership of his actions and is confident he will "come back stronger" once reinstated by NASCAR.
Veteran sports car racer Mike Rockenfeller will drive the team's No. 42 entry at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and Watkins Glen International. It's unclear who will drive the remainder of the races following Gragson's departure.
Gragson's rookie campaign has been a major disappointment after he enterd the Cup Series with significant fanfare in the Xfinity Series. In 21 starts, Gragson's best finish was 12th at Atlanta and he was last in points among full-time drivers. Gragson also missed the Cup Series event at Sonoma Raceway due to an injury he suffered in a crash at Gateway this summer.
