25-year-old NASCAR driver Noah Gragson was suspended by his team, then suspended by NASCAR, and now released by his team.
This all happened because Gragson liked a meme on social media.
“Noah has a ton of talent and 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 charge of his actions and are confident that he will work through this process with NASCAR and come back stronger.”
Gragson’s release led anti-woke activists to launch a boycott of NASCAR.
After being released, Gragson took to social media to release a statement. “I am disappointed in my lack of attention and action on social media” Gragson tweeted in a public apology. “I understand the seriousness of this situation. I love and appreciate everyone. I try to treat everyone the same, no matter who they are. I made a mistake, plain and simple.
But what was the meme? Did liking this meme really warrant liberation?
Gragson would have liked a “Little Mermaid” meme with a photo of George Floyd’s face and the insensitive lyric “below the knee,” a play on the Disney song “Under the Sea.”
Series officials said Gragson violated the conduct of members of its rules.
NASCAR has taken racial insensitivity seriously since Bubba Wallace’s allegation that Talladega’s garage door pull cord was a hate crime because it resembled a noose. The FBI investigated and learned that the garage door pull cords at the railroad tracks had been tied like this for a long time. They dismissed the case.
The punishment of an indefinite suspension from NASCAR was harsh for Gragson. Reports indicated that similar violations would have required running sensitivity training, not a suspension, much less an indefinite suspension that cost him his spot on his 2023 series team.
The problem is he was already on the ice. He had already fought on the track with another driver this year. He also underperformed in the Rookie of the Year race with compatriot Ty Gibbs.
To hear Tony Katz’s thoughts on the story, click the link below.
