25-year-old NASCAR driver, Noah Gragson, was suspended by his team, then suspended by NASCAR, and now been released by his team.
All of this happened because Gragson liked a meme on social media.
“Noah has a ton of talent and has a great personality,” Legacy Motor Club CEO Cal Wells wrote in a statement. “This is a difficult situation, but we are proud that Noah has taken ownership of his actions and are confident he will work through this process with NASCAR and come back stronger.”
Gragson’s release has led to anti-woke activists to start a boycott on NASCAR.
After being released, Gragson went to social media to release a statement. “I am disappointed in myself for my lack of attention and actions on social media,” Gragson tweeted in a public apology. “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.”
What was the meme though? Did liking this meme really warrant a release?
Gragson reportedly liked a “Little Mermaid” meme with a photo of George Floyd’s face and the insensitive lyrics “under the knee,” a play on the Disney “Under the Sea” song.
Series officials said Gragson violated the member conduct of its rule book.
NASCAR has taken racial insensitivity seriously ever since Bubba Wallace’s allegation that Talladega’s garage door pull cord was a hate crime because it looked like a noose. The FBI investigated and learned that the garage door pull cords at the track had been tied like that for a long time. They dismissed the case.
The punishment of an indefinite NASCAR suspension was severe for Gragson. Reporting has indicated similar violations would have called for race sensitivity training, not a suspension, much less an indefinite one that cost him his spot on his 2023 series team.
The issue is he was already on thin ice. He had already gotten into a trackside fight with another driver this year. He also underperformed in the ballyhooed rookie of the year race with fellow rookie Ty Gibbs.
To hear Tony Katz’s thoughts on the story, click the link below.
