Noah Gragson asks for team release following Nascar suspension

Legacy Motor Club released Noah Gragson from his contract at the driver's request, the organisation announced on Thursday.

The move follows Gragson's indefinite suspension by Nascar on Saturday for what it termed his "actions on social media" that violated member conduct rules.

"I have asked Legacy Motor Club to release me from my contract so I can take time to work through the Nascar reinstatement process," Gragson, 25, said on Thursday.

"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."

While Gragson's violation was not specified, ESPN reported a screenshot taken from his Instagram account showed he had liked a meme that mocked George Floyd, the black man killed by police officers in Minneapolis in 2020.

The Nascar suspension followed one set forth by his team, Legacy Motor Club, earlier on Saturday for "actions that do not represent the values of our team".

"Noah has a ton of talent and has a great personality," Cal Wells III, CEO of Legacy Motor Club, said on Thursday.

"This is a difficult situation, but we are proud Noah has taken ownership of his actions and are confident he will work through this process with Nascar and come back stronger."

Legacy announced on Tuesday that German road course driver Mike Rockenfeller will be at the wheel of Gragson's former No 42 car for the next two races - the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course (Sunday) and Watkins Glen (August 20).

Gragson's season ends ranked 33rd in the Cup Series points standings. He was in his first year with Legacy Motor Club, his first full Cup Series season after four seasons racing in the Xfinity Series.