Noah Gragson suspended indefinitely; Josh Berry tapped for Michigan

Credit: Debbie Ross for Skirts and Scuffs

A dismal rookie season just got a whole lot worse for Noah Gragson, driver of the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Legacy Motor Club.

Gragson has been suspended indefinitely by both his team and NASCAR stemming from a social media incident where Gragson liked a meme of George Floyd posted by someone else on Instagram. Screenshots of the meme listed Noah Gragson among the 77,600 plus people who liked the post.

Legacy Motor Club released their official statement and their substitute driver Josh Berry a mere 90 minutes before practice on Saturday at Michigan International Speedway.

Following Legacy’s announcement, NASCAR released their official statement: “NASCAR fully supports Legacy Motor Club’s decision to suspend Noah Gragson. 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.”

Gragson acknowledged his actions shortly after, “I am disappointed in myself for my lack of attention and actions on social media. 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.”

Josh Berry, a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series driver, coincidentally earned the pole for this afternoon’s Cabo Wabo 250.

Filling in for Cup drivers is nothing new for Berry, as he filled in for Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman at Hendrick Motorsports for eight races total this season. Berry has signed on with Stewart-Haas Racing to replace Kevin Harvick in the No. 4 Ford in 2024, which made it seem unlikely he'd substitute for Gragson today. However, Chevrolet allowed Berry to replace Gragson.