Picture Credit: Twitter
Legacy Motor Club driver Noah Gragson has been suspended indefinitely for liking a controversial meme about George Floyd. The meme was divisive because it made fun of Floyd’s murder, prompting the club to take action against the driver. While it is not known whether or not Gragson himself liked the image on Instagram, it still reflects poorly on both himself and the team he represents. Given the political situation in the United States, the action taken against Gragson was strong.
It is to be noted that George Floyd was killed in 2020, and his death sparked a number of riots and protests across the world. The meme made fun of Floyd’s manner of death and showed a picture of his face superimposed onto Sebastian from ‘The Little Mermaid’ with the caption “Under Da Knee”, a pun on the song ‘Under the sea’. Following his suspension from the team, Gragson will not be able to participate in the NASCAR Cup Series race in Michigan over the weekend. He will be replaced by Josh Berry.
The statement released by the Legacy Motor Club stated, “We have made the decision to suspend Noah Gragson effective immediately regarding his actions that do not represent the values of our team. Josh Berry will drive the no. 42 entry for this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan.”
Gragson responds on Twitter to suspension; takes accountability
Replying to his team’s statement, Gragson wrote on Twitter that he understood the gravity of his actions and that he was disappointed in himself.
He said, “I am disappointed in myself for my lack of attention and actions on social media. 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 also intervened and stated that Noah Gragson had violated Section 4.4D of the NASCAR rulebook which addressed driver behaviour. Their official statement was in agreement with Legacy Motor Club’s decision to indefinitely suspend Gragson.
