Legacy Motor Club announced Thursday morning that Noah Gragson has asked to be released from his contract as the driver of the team's No. 42 Chevrolet. Gragson's request to be released comes days after he was indefinitely suspended by both the team and by NASCAR for liking a racially insensitive meme on his Instagram account.
"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," read a statement by Gragson. "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."
Gragson, a Cup Series rookie after becoming a top driver and championship contender in the Xfinity Series, had been struggling in 2023 prior to his suspension. He had just two finishes inside the top 20 all season with a best of 12th at Atlanta in March, and his average finish of 28.2 is the second worst among all full-time drivers in Cup. Gragson was 33rd in the Cup Series standings at the time of his suspension, partially due to having missed a race after suffering a concussion following a crash at Gateway in June.
Multiple reports suggested that Gragson was already in danger of being replaced for 2024, with John Hunter Nemechek being discussed as a potential replacement following Legacy Motor Club's move to Toyota.
"Noah has a ton of talent and a great personality," read a statement by Legacy Motor Club CEO Cal Wells III. "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."
Legacy Motor Club announced earlier this week that the No. 42 will be driven by Mike Rockenfeller, who was part of the NASCAR team that competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, over the next two races.
