Noah Gragson used to be among the most frequent NASCAR personalities on social media. Yet, following an incident in 2023 that resulted in his suspension, the driver has since changed course in his online presence.

On The Athletic's 12 Questions Podcast, Gragson revealed that he was once really struggling with his relationship with social media and was actually thinking of quitting it altogether.

“I’m asking two wild-card questions,” the host began. “In the past, you used to put yourself out there a lot on social media, then dialed it back, and now it feels like you’re putting yourself out there a little more again. Where are you now with it?”

Noah Gragson admitted that the constant scrutiny changed how he looks at social media.

“You could post a picture of me hunting, and 99 people comment on it, and they’re happy about it, and one person claps at me,” he said.

“Then they get mad, and they send emails and stuff because I’m hunting, and it gets back to the shop and the team. It takes one person to ruin it for everyone.”

It turned out to be a vivid lesson following his suspension in 2023. NASCAR suspended Gragson because he liked an insensitive meme about George Floyd on Instagram.

Later, Legacy Motor Club also let him go, and then he made a comeback in 2024 with Stewart-Haas Racing.

That experience changed how he handles his online life. “On the social media side, they’ve really put a muzzle on me,” Gragson admitted. “I don’t show people my behind-the-scenes life anymore. They’ve lost that privilege. Now I let other people control my social media for the most part. I don’t even touch it.”

Still, the driver acknowledged his own role in the situation. “I’ve made mistakes on social media too,” he said. “But there’s always going to be somebody that’s mad at you for something.”

But the challenges surrounding Gragson’s life haven’t been limited to social media.

Tragic Family Incident That Drew National Attention

Away from the racetrack, Noah Gragson’s family faced a major legal tragedy that made headlines in 2019. A few days back, Noah recalled the incident on “Full Speed: The Daytona 500.” He said,

"Back in 2019, my dad was involved in a fatal DUI. It’s changed my life. It’s changed my family’s life. It’s changed other families’ lives.”

Authorities said the incident resulted in the death of 36-year-old Melissa Newton and seriously injured others after a night at a charity golf event.

The case later resulted in a guilty plea to DUI, resulting in passing and substantial bodily harm. In September 2020, Scott Gragson was sentenced to 8 to 20 years in Nevada State Prison.

The crash resulted in a number of civil court settlements with victims and their relatives. One of the settlements was a reported $21 million deal with the Newton's family.

While Noah Gragson was laying the foundation of his NASCAR career, building his NASCAR career, the case added a difficult chapter to his life away from the track.

Written by

Dolly Bhamrick

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi