The road back to NASCAR will be long for Noah Gragson, but one positive he can take away from his suspension last week is that he can focus on himself and put in the work it will take to get back.
Gragson officially requested to be released from his contract with Legacy Motor Club so he can focus on putting in the work that it will take to get reinstated to NASCAR. Gragson was suspended after it was discovered he liked a meme on social media that made fun of George Floyd's murder.
In his official statement shared by Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass, Gragson said he is looking forward to a second chance and to be able to make his family, team and fans proud of him.
Noah Gragson and Legacy Motor Club have parted ways. Gragson will continue to work through the NASCAR reinstatement process. https://t.co/lE7sJgiF6H
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 10, 2023
"I have asked LEGACY MOTOR CLUB to release me from my contract so that I can take time to work through the NASCAR reinstatement process," Gragson said. "I love racing, and I am looking forward to a second chance to compete for wins at the highest level of NASCAR — and most importantly, make my family, my team, and the fans proud of me once again."
So ends a very trying and ugly rookie campaign for the 25-year-old Las Vegas native. There is no denying that Gragson has the personality to be in the Cup Series, but he violated NASCAR rules and has to deal with the consequences.
One person who believes he can come back from this as a better person and driver is Legacy Motor Club CEO Cal Wells III. Wells wished Gragson the best in a prepared statement of his own.
"Noah has a ton of talent and has a great personality," Wells said. "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."
It won't be the same every weekend for a lot of his fans. But like Kyle Larson's situation in 2020, Gragson has the opportunity to make things right. Gragson has a long road ahead of him, so good luck, Noah.
