Bob Pockrass
FOX NASCAR Insider
MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Neither Noah Gragson nor Stewart-Haas Racing met their on-track expectations during the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season.
They hope that their new pairing will help find a way back to victory lane.
SHR announced Wednesday that it had signed Gragson to a multiyear deal to replace Aric Almirola in the team’s No. 10 Ford starting in 2024. Sponsorship was not announced as the team indicated that it is still a work in progress.
“Noah has performed at every level where he’s competed and has regularly been in championship contention,” team co-owner Tony Stewart said in a statement.
“That’s the kind of driver we need at Stewart-Haas, and that’s why Noah is a part of our team.”
The 25-year-old Gragson, though, is a work in progress as well—- both on and off the track. He won eight races in the Xfinity Series in 2022 (and 13 races over a four-year stretch at JR Motorsports) but was 33rd in the Cup standings 22 races into his rookie season at Legacy Motor Club.
Amid speculation was he was going to lose his ride at Legacy, Gragson never got a chance to convince the organization he should get more time. In August, he was indefinitely suspended, and later released, for liking a racially insensitive post on social media. Gragson was reinstated in September after completing diversity training.
He remains in the Cup Series but a shadow of doubt follows him into his new ride despite his successful Xfinity resume.
“Obviously they’re different [cars] — I wasn’t that good up there [at Legacy],” Gragson said Wednesday. “But I think there are other things that are part of the puzzle there than just the on-track stuff.
“I feel like I’m in the right environment to become successful.”
SHR could use some success. The organization went winless last year and said goodbye to the retiring Kevin Harvick (60 career Cup wins) and Almirola (three career Cup wins), who will race part-time in the Xfinity Series next year at Joe Gibbs Racing.
The organization now has only one Cup win among its four drivers — Chase Briscoe (one win in 108 Cup starts), Ryan Preece (0-for-151), rookie Josh Berry (0-for-12) and Gragson (0-for-39).
The four drivers have combined for 31 career Xfinity wins and six truck wins.
“The pressure hasn’t been really a focus to me, it’s been working my tail off every single day, and becoming the best teammate, driver, leader [that] I can be for the organization,” Gragson said.
“They’re a bunch of racers and … they want to win races. And I want to win races as well. And we’re working hard to do that.”
Gragson has spent the last couple of weeks at the shop, and indicated he has the tools to be successful. As he looked for rides for 2024, there was speculation that a return to Xfinity might help his confidence.
“I did enjoy running Xfinity, but the opportunity with Stewart-Haas Racing, we felt like that was the absolute best fit,” Gragson said. “And I want to be a Cup Series driver at the end of the day.
“Last year didn’t go all as well as we had hoped. But I think just being at the shop for the last week or two [at SHR], getting to know everybody’s names and stuff, I’m starting to get comfortable. It feels like home to me and a place where I can bring confidence.”
As far as expectations, Gragson said he doesn’t know what to expect. Harvick was the only driver among the four to make the playoffs last season.
“Obviously, we want to be in victory lane,” Gragson said. “But a good season? I have to see where we’re at, … Winning as a goal. That’s obvious. But until I get behind the wheel, I don’t even know how these cars feel.”
Looking back at last season, Gragson knows he played a role in the sour performance. He admitted he was a little burned out.
“I could have been a better leader for our team,” Gragson said. “I could have been a better driver, could have worked harder, right? … Looking back and self-reflecting, I think there’s a tremendous amount of value to myself and learning what I could have done better through that whole process.
“It was a challenge, no doubt.”
The challenge continues. He has never driven full-time for an organization as big as SHR, which has more than 300 employees.
“There’s a lot of people to hold me accountable and a lot of people to lean on as a resource as well,” Gragson said. “It’s the best opportunity I’ve had. And I’m, I’m grateful.”
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including the past 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
Get more from NASCAR Cup Series Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more