"I was uneducated and ignorant": Noah Gragson reflects on NASCAR suspension post sensitivity training

Noah Gragson was involved in a whirlwind of controversy midway through his rookie NASCAR Cup Series campaign, hitting rock bottom after being suspended from the sport.

Gragson was suspended by Legacy Motor Club and NASCAR on August 5, 2023 for liking an offensive post on Instagram. Days after the incident unfolded, the 25-year-old parted ways with his team as his future in the sport remained in doubt.

Noah Gragson had to complete the NASCAR-mandated sensitivity training (RISE) to forge his way back into the premier stock car series. He completed the reinstatement program in early September and recently reflected on his learnings from the program.

“I was quite frankly uneducated and just ignorant,” Gragson told Sportsnaut. “I’ve had a lot of conversations with a lot of different people, put in a lot of time and effort to learn and understand things that I just didn’t know anything about.”

Gragson reflected on the events over the last four months as one of the "best things that ever happened to him".

“The RISE program, they really took me step-by-step and allowed me to ask questions about things that I didn’t understand,” Gragson added. “Five years from now, whenever from now, this will be one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

Gragson credited the RISE program for pushing himself to be more educated and "open-minded".

“To be able to educate myself and learn, to become more open-minded, and I really was so closed-minded, selfish and didn’t really take time to understand what other people were going through or their situations,” he said.

The 25-year-old admitted that the program has also helped him improve his work-life balance and build better habits. The journey doesn't end for Gragson as he remains focused on applying these habits in his everyday life.

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Noah Gragson reflects on his time with Legacy Motor Club

Noah Gragson had a tough rookie year with Legacy Motor Club, which came to an abrupt end midway through the season. He made 21 starts as the driver of the #42 Chevy and had an average finish of 28.2.

Reflecting on his rookie campaign, Gragson reckoned the atmosphere at Jimmie Johnson's team was not right for him.

"We had all the pieces of the puzzle but we just couldn’t put them together," Gragson said. "I could have applied myself better and there were areas where the whole company could have been better, right? I don’t know that there was one thing that made it not work out but I’ve learned through this process that maybe this atmosphere might not have been right for me and the things I need."

He added that the experience has taught him what it means to be a leader.

"But I also needed to be a better leader, step up and overcome whatever things a team might be faced with and I think I understand better now what it means to be a leader," Gragson said.

As to his future in NASCAR, Noah Gragson is rumored to replace the retiring Aric Almirola at Stewart Haas Racing.