NASCAR Indefinitely Suspends Driver Noah Gragson After He Likes Racist George Floyd Meme

NASCAR driver Noah Gragson has been suspended indefinitely after it was revealed that he had liked a racist meme on Instagram about George Floyd’s murder at the hands of a police officer.

Floyd, a black man, was killed in Minneapolis in 2020 by white police officer Derek Chauvin who had pinned an already-handcuffed Floyd’s head under his neck for about nine minutes. The killing renewed a debate about police brutality and the racial justice movement. It also led to the widespread Black Lives Matter protests, sparking conversations and debates across the nation.

In the meme, a live-action version of Sebastian, a crab in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, has a picture of Floyd’s face photoshopped on him. The text “Under Da Knee, Under Da Knee” features right below.

In their statement, Legacy Motor Club declared suspending Gragson indefinitely, further emphasizing that his actions “do not represent the values of our team.”

The No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 car, usually driven by Gragson, was instead manned by Josh Berry at the Michigan International Speedway Cup Series race.

NASCAR tweeted in support of the decision. “Following his actions on social media, NASCAR has determined that Gragson has violated the Member Conduct section of the 2023 NASCAR Rule Book and has placed him under indefinite suspension,” they wrote.

Section 4.3.E in the Cup Rule Book encourages NASCAR members to refrain from making “a public statement and/or communication that criticizes, ridicules or otherwise disparages another person based upon that person’s race, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age or handicapping condition.” Violating these rules lead to indefinite suspension, as happened to Gragson.

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Gragson expressed his regret on Twitter for his “lack of attention and actions on social media.” Claiming he “messed up plain and simple,” he said, “I try to treat everyone equally no matter who they are.”