NASCAR suspends driver Noah Gragson for liking an insensitive meme with George Floyd’s faceĀ
In the wake of Floyd's death, NASCAR banned the Confederate flag at events and venues after Bubba Wallace ā its lone Black driver ā said there was āno placeā for it in the sport.
DriverĀ Noah GragsonĀ has been suspended indefinitely byĀ NASCARĀ and Legacy Motor Club due to liking an insensitive meme with a photo of George Floyd’s face.
āI am disappointed in myself for my lack of attention and actions on social media,āĀ GragsonĀ posted Saturday. āI 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.ā
Josh Berry will be in the No. 42 Chevrolet in Sundayās race at Michigan International Speedway to replace Gragson.
Floyd, who was Black, died in 2020 after a white police officer knelt on his neck forĀ 9 1/2 minutes. His deathĀ sparked mass protestsĀ around the world and forced aĀ national reckoning on racial injustice.
In the wake of Floyd’s death, NASCAR banned the Confederate flag at events and venues after Bubba Wallace ā its lone Black driver ā said there was āno placeā for it in the sport. Earlier that year, Cup series driverĀ Kyle LarsonĀ 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.
āHis actions do not represent the values of our team,ā 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.
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