Noah Gragson’s success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season has made him one of the top drivers seeking to enter the Cup Series in 2023.
Noah Gragson made his NASCAR Cup Series debut this season in the “Great American Race” when he drove the #62 Chevrolet for Beard Motorsports. After failing to qualify for the Daytona 500 last year, Gragson honored the late team owner Mark Beard and wife Linda by doing so this year in one of the non-chartered cars.
Additionally, Gragson has run a part-time schedule for Kaulig Racing in the Cup Series, driving the #16 Chevrolet. Between both teams, his best finish in six starts so far this year is an 18th place effort at Kansas Speedway.
Outside of the Cup Series, Gragson has become a real threat for the 2022 Xfinity Series championship, driving the #9 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. In his fourth season in the series, he has already shown what he can do at the site of the Championship 4 race, Phoenix Raceway. He earned the first of his two wins this season at the track back in March.
With the Las Vegas, Nevada native only on a one-year contract with JR Motorsports, Cup Series teams will likely show interest in signing Gragson for a 2023 ride. Here are five possible landing spots for him in 2023.
Noah Gragson landing spots: No. 5 – JTG Daugherty Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing downsized from two cars to one after 2021, opting not to run the #37 Chevrolet that had been driven by Ryan Preece.
They instead elected to run only the #47 Chevrolet, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. returning as the full-time driver. Stenhouse is believed to be on a one-year contract. This year, Stenhouse has scored five top 10 finishes, and a top five finish, but he is still seeking his first playoff berth with the team since joining in 2020.
For Gragson, the #47 Chevrolet would be a safe bet to get into the Cup Series, given the fact that it is a chartered car with sponsorship from Kroger and its partners. For JTG Daugherty Racing, the youth and upside Gragson brings versus the veteran status of Stenhouse, who hasn’t won a race since 2017, could be appealing as well.
However, Stenhouse has brought a sense of consistency with the team, especially with a recent run of solid results, so it’s more likely than not the team will decide to keep him for another season. The #47 Chevrolet is not an impossible landing spot for Gragson, but it is not the most ideal, either.
Noah Gragson landing spots: No. 4 – Petty GMS Motorsports
Sticking with Chevrolet could be in Noah Gragson’s plans to enter the NASCAR Cup Series, as all three teams for which he currently competes are Chevrolet teams. Another Chevrolet team that could lure Gragson to the Cup Series full-time is Petty GMS Motorsports.
The team currently fields both the #42 Chevrolet and the #43 Chevrolet for Ty Dillon and Erik Jones, respectively. The statuses of both drivers for next year are unknown, but Jones has seemed to fit behind the wheel of the #43 car, adding stability and consistency to a car that hasn’t won since 2014.
Maury Gallagher Jr. may have some loyalty attached to Dillon, as he was originally named the driver for their single-car GMS Racing team before they merged with Richard Petty Motorsports.
Dillon has sponsorship from Black Riffle Coffee Company, but so does Gragson. Gragson is not only younger than Dillon, but he has arguably made a more successful bid to compete in the Cup Series than Dillon did. Gragson would enter the series with at least seven Xfinity Series wins to his name. Dillon had just one.
For Petty GMS Motorsports, if they were to re-sign Jones and bring Gragson on board, the team would have two younger drivers who could give them a solid chance to make the playoffs year in and year out. Jones currently sits below the playoff cut line, but he does sit in the top 16 in the point standings. Most notably, he ranks 10 spots ahead of Dillon.
Moving on from Dillon after just a year of commitment may seem unlikely for the newly merged team, but it wouldn’t be for a lost cause if Gragson is brought on board. Still, the idea of giving Dillon another year in the Gen 7 car with the team could be Petty GMS Motorsports’ best option overall, which would eliminate Gragson from consideration.
Noah Gragson landing spots: No. 3 – Joe Gibbs Racing
Sticking with rides which complement Noah Gragson’s sponsorship, Joe Gibbs Racing comes to mind. In addition to Black Rifle Coffee Company, Gragson has sponsorship from Bass Pro Shops. His relationship with CEO Johnny Morris is well noted, with Gragson thanking him in post-race interviews.
That relationship is where Joe Gibbs Racing, specifically the #19 Toyota, becomes a possible landing spot for the 23-year-old. Their current driver, Martin Truex Jr., has hinted at retirement after the 2022 season. It is unknown when an official announcement will come on Truex’s future, but it is expected to come soon.
Truex’s retirement would leave Joe Gibbs Racing with a big decision to make in terms of who to put in the #19 Toyota. Gragson fits the bill with not only the aforementioned sponsorship ties, but with his connections to the Toyota Racing Development (TRD) camp as well.
Gragson scored two Truck Series wins driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2017 and 2018. With Kyle Busch still competing for Joe Gibbs Racing, the team would have a good internal source who would know exactly what Gragson provides if they elect to go that route.
But drivers currently in the TRD camp are probably more likely replacements for Truex than an outsider. Xfinity Series driver Ty Gibbs has been the one most discussed, but grandfather and team owner Joe Gibbs has stated that the team is looking to keep in him in the Xfinity Series for 2023.
A ticket to one of the best Cup Series rides would be ideal for Gragson, but the possibility of serving as a placeholder until Gibbs is ready might not sit well. Gibbs and Gragson haven’t shown to be the best of friends on the race track either, but stranger signings have happened.
Noah Gragson landing spots: No. 2 – Kaulig Racing
Contrary to popular belief, Noah Gragson may not have to look far for a Cup Series ride in 2023. The team for which he currently competes, Kaulig Racing, could very well be in the mix, should they decide to go with just one driver in the #16 Chevrolet for next season.
They currently have a full-time driver, Justin Haley, in the #31 Chevrolet, but have run multiple drivers behind the wheel of the #16 Chevrolet. However, the quest of team owner Matt Kaulig to trophy hunt could result in a second full-time driver.
If Kaulig Racing elect to go with a single driver for the #16 Chevrolet in 2023, Gragson would be the best option to take over. He currently shares the ride with fellow full-time Xfinity Series drivers A.J. Allmendinger and Daniel Hemric, and he brings the youth and raw talent that would complement Haley and Kaulig Racing’s Cup Series program.
Additionally, with Allmendinger and Hemric having already had the opportunities to show their capabilities as full-time Cup Series drivers in the past, the team could decide to keep them in their respective rides in the Xfinity Series while going with the young prospect who hasn’t yet had the chance to do so.
The #16 Chevrolet has served as somewhat of an audition for all three drivers this season, but with other Cup Series teams most likely to offer Gragson a full-time ride for 2023, Kaulig Racing may need to keep him in-house to avoid losing him to competitors.
Sponsorship could be a factor, as Gragson has run a variety of paint schemes throughout his time in the car this year. From Chevrolet to Minor League baseball teams, it’s unclear who would sign on to sponsor the 2018 Truck Series Most Popular Driver Award winner.
But with in-house partners such as Leaf Filter and Nutrien Ag Solutions, the results and potential could outweigh the costs to keep him.
Noah Gragson landing spots: No. 1 – Stewart-Haas Racing
The one seat that is guaranteed to have a new driver in 2023, and could very well be in the mix for Noah Gragson, is Stewart-Haas Racing’s #10 Ford.
The current driver of the car, Aric Almirola, announced his plans to retire from full-time racing before the 2022 season began. Ryan Preece is currently serving as a reserve driver for the organization, and he has long been seen as the favorite to take over.
Preece has even been compared to current Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman, who had a similar role with Rick Hendrick’s team in 2016.
But Gragson serves a dark horse to take over behind the wheel of the #10 Ford, as he has had a more impressive NASCAR career than Preece so far. Gragson’s personality could also make for a bigger splash of a signing, compared to the signing of a journeyman.
Stewart-Haas Racing also need to start preparing for the future, and that goes beyond Almirola. Kevin Harvick’s contract is set to expire at the end of next season, and with Harvick already having stated that he was ready to hang it up last year, a flagship face of the organization will become a need sooner rather than later.
Chase Briscoe earned his first career victory earlier this year and has shown his potential behind the wheel of the #14 Ford, but with Cole Custer continuing to struggle, a four-car team can’t rely on one young prospect to carry the organization alone.
Placing Gragson in the #10 Ford could make for a fierce combination, establishing him and Briscoe as the future faces of Stewart-Haas Racing. Additionally, both of these drivers share a connection to co-owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart himself.
Briscoe has stated numerous times that Stewart was his childhood hero, and Gragson pays homage to him after every victory by climbing the fence. Two young guns with a desire to win for a NASCAR legend is exactly what Stewart-Haas Racing could use to recapture their success.
Leaving Chevrolet may be tough for Gragson, but he has switched manufacturers before to advance his career. The decision to move from Chevrolet to Ford to not only drive in the Cup Series but to represent a NASCAR Hall of Famer every week makes the #10 Ford the perfect landing spot for the Las Vegas, Nevada native.