NASCAR insider offers intriguing possibility for Noah Gragson amid Stewart-Haas closure

Noah Gragson is looking to secure a full-time ride in the NASCAR Cup Series next season following Stewart-Haas Racing’s announcement last week that it will shut down after the 2024 campaign.

Gragson, still 25 and with sponsorship backing from Bass Pro Shops, could very well find himself in a top-level ride next season. According to Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports, Gragson is a potential candidate to find a landing spot at Joe Gibbs Racing if Martin Truex Jr. decides to call it a career.

“Noah Gragson, who has some sponsorship from Bass Pro Shops, also can’t be counted out for that JGR ride, where a significant amount of the Bass Pro money goes each year to sponsor Truex,” Pockrass wrote Monday.

Gragson has had his ups and down in his first year with SHR but has been better of late. He’s tallied five top 5s, including three in a row at Talladega, Dover and Kansas in late April/early May. He sits 23rd in the points standings after a P22 finish in Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Noah Gragson presses forward with clear message after challenging week, Stewart-Haas closure

While not an easy situation to navigate around, Gragson isn’t bitter about the end of SHR. He wants to keep pushing forward not getting caught up in the off-track drama.

“It was definitely an emotional week, challenging week for our organization but the goal still stands,” Gragson said Sunday. “I brought my team together and told them, ‘Hey, don’t burn a bridge. Don’t say something out of spite or what not and be frustrated. It’s gonna be a challenge today and I know how much this place means to you guys.’ That, and the goal still continues of let’s work hard. And the harder we work, the better opportunity we have to build our stock as a team. And have an opportunity in the future.

“We gotta put the blinders on. And keep focused on this weekend at Gateway, next weekend at Sonoma and just keep the focus there. Because we can get wrapped up in drama and different stuff. But we put the blinders on and we’re hopefully gonna have an opportunity at the end of the day. And that’s what we’re all looking for.”