NASCAR Cup Series: Top 5 free agents for 2023
By Asher Fair
Top NASCAR Cup Series free agents for 2023: No. 4 – Noah Gragson
Of the drivers included on this list, Noah Gragson is the only one who does not compete full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. He has competed in six races so far this season, including four for Kaulig Racing behind the wheel of the #16 Chevrolet and two for Beard Motorsports behind the wheel of the #62 Chevrolet. He is set to compete in 10 more races for Kaulig Racing.
Gragson still competes full-time in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports behind the wheel of the #9 Chevrolet. He is in his fourth season in the series and has won multiple races in each of the last three seasons, and many people have their eye on him as a candidate to be promoted to the Cup Series on a full-time basis next year.
Hendrick Motorsports is out of the equation, despite their affiliation with JR Motorsports, due to having no openings.
But could Kaulig Racing, which currently run three drivers in the #16 Chevrolet, commit to just one and go with Gragson, the only one of the three (A.J. Allmendinger and Daniel Hemric) who has never had the chance to compete full-time in the Cup Series before?
Unlike Gragson, Allmendinger and Hemric both compete for Matt Kaulig’s team in the Xfinity Series, so Gragson is the one they risk losing if they don’t give him the Cup seat. Don’t think that other teams aren’t watching his availability closely.