Legacy Motor Club suspends Noah Gragson effective immediately

On Saturday LEGACY Motor Club announced that Noah Gragson would be suspended effective immediately. In his place, Josh Berry will race the No. 42 in the NASCAR FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Gragson allegedly liked a post on Instagram that “do not represent the values,” of LEGACY Motor Club.

The team and Noah Gragson himself released statements on the matter. This is not an easy decision for a team to make the day before a race. However, the severity of the incident appears to be enough for action to be taken.

“I am disappointed in myself for my lack of attention and actions on social media,” Gragson posted on Twitter.

“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,” LEGACY M.C. said in a statement.

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— LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (@LegacyMotorclub) August 5, 2023

Noah Gragson allegedly liked a meme on Instagram relating to George Floyd. There were rumors prior to this incident that Gragson might be on his way out at LEGACY Motor Club after this season. One has to think this might push him out of the door completely.

With the move to Toyota next season, the change makes sense. Perhaps Gragson just isn’t a good fit at LEGACY. The team definitely doesn’t appreciate this new development as it puts them in a tough spot.

Noah Gragson’s rough 2023 season

When you think about the struggles that Noah Gragson has had this season, this is the last thing he needed. In NASCAR you have to be marketable and you have to get results. Sometimes you can be a little less marketable or a little less talented and make it work. But you have to have a little bit of both.

A move like this can be devastating for a driver. Kyle Larson is perhaps the most talented driver in NASCAR and he still struggles to get sponsorship outside of HendrickCars.com and Valvoline who has a deal with Hendrick as a whole.

So, what does this mean for Gragson longterm? I’m not sure. Things will have to settle down and LEGACY will have a decision to make. Whether that happens sooner or later remains to be seen. While he was a promising talent in the Xfinity Series, this 2023 season has not been great on or off the track.

A P12 finish at Atlanta is his season-best. Since the All-Star Race, he hasn’t had a finish better than P22.