By Noah Nelson
After months of rumors and speculation, Stewart-Haas Racing finally made the announcement that 25 year-old Noah Gragson would drive for the team next season, replacing the departing Aric Almirola in the No. 10 Ford Mustang.
Gragson will be paired with crew chief Drew Blickensderfer. His sponsorship package is still to be determined.
“I’m grateful for this opportunity with Stewart-Haas Racing and while most people in the industry are happy that the offseason is here, I want to get started on 2024 and go racing as soon as I can,” Gragson said in a release. “Stewart-Haas is filled with racers and I saw that and felt it as soon as I walked onto the shop floor. There are high expectations here and a strong desire to compete and win races. I have high expectations for myself and I want to deliver for Tony and Gene and everyone at Stewart-Haas.”
He joins a team in transition, joining former Xfinity Series teammate Josh Berry, who is replacing Kevin Harvick in the #4.
Gragson’s first full-time Cup Series season was cut short in August after he was suspended indefinitely for liking an offensive and racially insensitive meme that made light of the death of George Floyd in May 2020.
His on-track results were also nothing to write home about after a dismal season with no top-10 finishes and a final result of 33rd in the points standings at the end of the season.
He was reinstated in September after satisfying NASCAR’s conditions for reinstatement, but did not run a race after his suspension in any of the top three series to end the year.
Team owner Tony Stewart is confident that Gragson can fulfill his potential that he showed in the Xfinity Series, where he earned 13 career wins, along with two trips to the series’ Championship 4. He led the series in victories in 2022 with eight.
“Noah deserves to be in the NASCAR Cup Series and we’re very happy to have him as the driver of our No. 10 Ford Mustang,” Stewart said. “Noah has performed at every level where he’s competed and has regularly been in championship contention. That’s the kind of driver we need at Stewart-Haas and that’s why Noah is a part of our team.”
Personal growth and self-education have been the themes of Gragson’s search for a new home in 2024, and Gragson is hoping to make the most of his second chance, starting at the Busch Light Clash at the L.A. Coliseum set for February 4 (7:00 p.m. FOX).
