NASCAR: Noah Gragson ineligible for Cup Series points?

The entry list for the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway indicates that Noah Gragson is not eligible for Cup Series points. However, this appears to be nothing more than a typo.

That said, it drew some confusion among fans when the entry lists for both the All-Star Open and the All-Star Race were shared by Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass on Monday afternoon.

Gragson is listed with an (i) beside his named, indicating that he is not a championship-eligible Cup Series driver. Also listed with an (i) are two drivers who legitimately are not eligible for Cup Series points, those being full-time Xfinity Series driver A.J. Allmendinger of Kaulig Racing and Timmy Hill of MBM Motorsports.

Gragson is indeed eligible for Cup Series points, and he sits in 19th place in the point standings through the first 13 races of the 2024 season.

Noah Gragson trending upward

After a rocky start to his stint with Stewart-Haas Racing behind the wheel of the No. 10 Ford, which saw him hit with a 35-point penalty after the second race at Atlanta Motor Speedway to put him in negative points territory, he has shown steady improvement.

The 25-year-old Las Vegas, Nevada native has scored five top nine finishes so far this season; in his shortened season with Legacy Motor Club last year, he finished higher than 20th place just once in 21 races.

Gragson secured a career-high finish of third place in the recent race at Talladega Superspeedway, and he is currently riding a streak of seven straight top 20 finishes.

It is worth noting that, regardless of whether drivers are eligible for Cup Series points or not, Sunday's 200-lap All-Star Race at the four-turn, 0.625-mile (1.006-kilometer) North Wilkesboro, North Carolina oval is not a points race for drivers or car owners.

Gragson is one of the 20 drivers set to compete for the final three spots in the All-Star Race. The top two finishers in the 100-lap All-Star Open clinch a spot in the main event and get to compete against the 17 drivers already locked in, as does the winner of the NASCAR Fan Vote -- or more specifically, the highest vote-getter among drivers not locked yet in who still have raceable cars after the Open.

The All-Star Open is set to be shown live on Fox Sports 1 from North Wilkesboro Speedway beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, May 19. The All-Star Race itself is set to be shown live on the same channel beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET later that evening. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss the battle for $1 million this weekend!