Noah Gragson has been formally released from his contract with Legacy Motor Club and will no longer pilot the No. 42 Chevrolet for the team in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The team confirmed via Twitter on Thursday morning that Gragson had “requested to be released from his contract” in order to focus on the reinstatement process with NASCAR.
This news comes days after Gragson was suspended by both LMC and NASCAR for liking an insensitive social media post and thus violating the member conduct section in the NASCAR Rule Book.
“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 said.Â
Since being suspended, the 25-year-old Cup Series rookie has missed one race, which was Monday’s FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan Int’l Speedway. Josh Berry was the fill-in driver and finished 34th.Â
LMC has already filled his spot in the No. 42 entry for the upcoming two races with Mike Rockenfeller, a two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner who recently took part in NASCAR’s Garage 56 program.
“Noah has a ton of talent and has a great personality. This is a difficult situation, but we are proud that Noah has taken ownership of his actions and are confident he will work through the process with NASCAR and come back stronger,” said Cal Wells III, CEO, LMC.
Prior to his suspension, Gragson was 33rd in the Cup Series standings.Â