The Perfect Storm Surrounding Noah Gragson, Legacy Motor Club

by
Peter Stratta
August 9, 2023

Photo Credits to Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images and Peter Stratta/TSJSports

Legacy Motor Club’s Unfortunate Woes and Why they Had to Suspend Gragson

There is no easy way to dance around the current issue involving Noah Gragson. In an apparent lapse of judgement, the 25-year-old NASCAR Cup Series rookie allegedly liked an offensive post on his public Instagram. Others then reportedly saw this post and that it was liked by Gragson. Just prior to Cup Series practice on Saturday at Michigan, Legacy Motor Club chose to bench Gragson. This sidelining was followed by an indefinite suspension from NASCAR. Despite earlier claims, it does not seem that Legacy and Gragson have yet parted ways.

Legacy Motor Club truly had their hands tied in this matter. Had the screenshot been ignored by Legacy and made the rounds on social media, it would have reflected very poorly on the team, on Gragson and his sponsors, as well as on NASCAR as a whole.

NASCAR drivers and teams differ wildly from other sports because of their reliance on corporate sponsorship. No company funding any driver as a brand ambassador with a six-figure deal would want to be perceived as aligning themselves with any sort of social controversy.

The subject matter behind the post itself is volatile to say the least. This incident coming to light was nothing short of a public relations disaster for all parties involved. It is for these reasons that Legacy had to act swiftly to get ahead of any blowback from this firestorm. Having Gragson sit out is not an easy decision to make, but it does show how seriously this situation was treated.

Should social media apps not publicly show a person’s likes? Maybe, with some seeing a perception of privacy in what they choose to like. That argument is for another time and place though, and does not change anything regarding Gragson.

Legacy and NASCAR both choosing to suspend Gragson does not violate any First Amendment free speech rights. The First Amendment, as with the rest of the Bill of Rights, protects individual citizens from government overreach of power. No force of the United States government can imprison Gragson or anyone else based solely on what they say. This principle is known as State Action Doctrine, and is explicitly outlined in the 14th Amendment. Free speech does not mean speech free from consequences.

Missing in the mainstream attention for Gragson are his lackluster on-track results this year with the No. 42 Chevrolet. Gragson is one of only two full-time drivers (along with Ty Dillon) without a single top-10 through 23 races in 2023. A dismal average finish of 28.2 defines one of the most forgettable rookie seasons in recent Cup Series history.

Gragson’s rookie misfortunes come off the heels of one of the best Xfinity Series seasons ever achieved. Driving the JR Motorsports No. 9 Chevrolet in 2022, Gragson won eight times and was a close championship runner-up.

Rumors had already begun about a new driver taking over the No. 42 when Legacy switches manufacturers to Toyota in 2024. After such poor initial results, Legacy was looking for a reason to make a change with the No. 42. Gragson may not be returning to this team, so his exit could possibly come 13 weeks early.

The immediate future is very much in limbo for Noah Gragson. NASCAR should eventually deem him fit to return following some form of sensitivity training. If that happens in the coming days or weeks, then ideally he does return to the Legacy No. 42 to fulfill his rookie year contract. That decision has not yet been made however. Legacy announced on Tuesday that road course ace Mike Rockenfeller will drive the No. 42 this weekend at Indianapolis.

Gragson’s image has certainly taken a hit that in some people’s eyes is irrevocable even though he has publicly apologized. The Las Vegas native’s road back to competing at racing’s highest levels will not be easy, but all hope is not lost. Kyle Larson’s transgressions saw him sidelined for nearly a year, only to come back and win the next Cup Series title. Gragson is not likely to have such a straightforward path, but he should still be forgiven with the opportunity of a second chance if he learns from this experience.