NASCAR: 3 possible landing spots for Noah Gragson in 2022
By Randy Smith
Noah Gragson landing spots: No. 2 – A different Xfinity Series team
With Austin Cindric and Harrison Burton moving from the NASCAR Xfinity Series to the Cup Series, there will be some open seats to fill in the Xfinity Series which Gragson could look toward, should a Cup Series promotion be out of the equation.
Though Team Penske have been rumored to run a rotation of drivers behind the wheel of the #22 Ford, they could elect to sign Gragson full-time instead of having to rely on multiple drivers, including existing Cup Series drivers.
Additionally, with Burton moving on from Joe Gibbs Racing, there’s an open seat behind the wheel of the #20 Toyota. While it’s more likely that Ty Gibbs, the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, will fill this seat, the team could elect to run a full-time driver in the #54 Toyota as well.
With Kyle Busch’s retirement from the Xfinity Series, the #54 Toyota has lost one of its drivers, lessening the “star car” reputation it has earned.
Gragson has spent time in the Toyota Racing Development camp, scoring multiple wins for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series and competing in three races in the Xfinity Series for Joe Gibbs Racing behind the wheel of the #18 Toyota back in 2018. A return to the manufacturer with which he made his NASCAR debut could be in line for Gragson.