NASCAR: Noah Gragson to JR Motorsports would mirror William Byron

If Noah Gragson signs with JR Motorsports for the 2019 Xfinity Series season, his move would mirror that of William Byron from the 2017 season.

Noah Gragson, the 20-year-old driver of the #18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota in the NASCAR Truck Series, has been tipped to sign with JR Motorsports in the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series season as the replacement driver for 43-year-old Elliott Sadler, who recently announced that he will be retiring once the 2018 season ends.

If Gragson ends up replacing Sadler as the driver of the #1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet next season, his move would mirror that of William Byron between the 2016 and 2017 season.

In the 2016 season, Byron drove full-time for Kyle Busch Motorsports. He drove the #9 Toyota and was a championship contender all season long. He racked up five victories in the regular season and two in the playoffs, including one in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

More from Xfinity Series

• NASCAR: Two new drivers linked to Joe Gibbs Racing
• NASCAR: Frankie Muniz linked to surprise landing spot
• NASCAR: How a sudden downfall inadvertently created a champion
• NASCAR: Kaulig driver linked to Joe Gibbs Racing for 2024
• NASCAR: Another top prospect leaves Toyota for 2024

Unfortunately for Byron, he had already been eliminated by the time the Championship 4 took place at Homestead-Miami Speedway as a result of an engine failure in the final race of the round of 6 at ISM Raceway. Had this not occurred, he would have been the 2016 Truck Series champion. Instead, he finished in fifth place in the championship standings.

In the 2017 season, Byron was added to what was a three-car lineup at JR Motorsports, which is co-owned by Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, in the Xfinity Series. He drove the #9 Chevrolet and won three races in the regular season and one in the playoffs en route to winning the championship.

This season, Byron is in his rookie season driving for Hendrick Motorsports in the Cup Series. He drives the #24 Chevrolet, but he is the replacement driver for Kasey Kahne, who drove the #5 Chevrolet.

Gragson, like Byron was, is a championship contender in the Truck Series, and he, too, drives for Kyle Busch Motorsports. The only differences are that Gragson is in his second season as a full-time Truck Series while Byron spent just one full season in the series and Gragson is a championship contender despite the fact that he won just one regular season race while Byron won five.

That said, Gragson currently sits in fourth place in the playoff picture, and he has the third highest playoff point total (24) among all drivers with the first of seven playoff races having been completed. He sits 24 points above the round of 6 cut line and has a great chance to advance to the Championship 4, which would mean that he would finish higher in the championship standings than Byron did with far fewer victories.

If the rumors about Gragson replacing Sadler next season come to fruition, he would effectively be on the same path that Byron took to get to the Cup Series. With the contracts of two of Hendrick Motorsports’ four drivers set to expire at the end of the 2020 Cup Series season, he could potentially continue on the path that Byron took by signing with the team after, once again, spending twice as many seasons as Byron in another one of NASCAR’s feeder series.

Even if all of this happens, this possibility would not completely unfold for at least another few years. However, signing with JR Motorsports as Sadler’s replacement for next season would be another step in the right direction for Gragson on the path that Byron took.

Will Noah Gragson follow in William Byron’s path and sign with JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series after a highly successful season driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series, and if so, will he continue to follow in Byron’s path by signing with Hendrick Motorsports in the Cup Series one day?