Noah Gragson has sequestered himself in Las Vegas since the end of the NASCAR Cup Series season, only coming out to race in the Snowball Derby this week, so he has no idea what is going on from a legal standpoint with the Front Row Motorsports team he will join next season.
He jokes that it’s easier this way because he can’t say anything to get anyone in trouble.
Front Row joined 23XI Racing in bringing an antitrust lawsuit against the sanctioning body. The team had two chartered teams last season but did not sign an extension for the governing agreement with NASCAR, and the third charter it agreed to purchase from Stewart-Haas Racing is in legal limbo.
Team owner Bob Jenkins has expressed a willingness to race as an open team next season but it is an open question of how the three-car effort will be structured through the legal process. But again, Gragson says he just expects to show up when and where he is told.
“I am so disconnected,” Gragson said. “I’m probably not the guy to ask but I do feel confident we’re going to race. I’m not the most educated guy on what’s going on with the lawsuit and I’m not even just saying that because you’re recording me right now. Like, I have no idea what’s going on and I just do what I’m told.”
Again, it’s certainly easier that way given how every quote has been used in legal proceedings at some point over the past three months.
Gragson said he is looking forward to next season at Front Row, in whatever car number he is given, because he says he also doesn’t know that is going to be either.
Gragson took a bit of a leadership role at Stewart-Haas and was well-liked by his teammates and senior leadership. He got a full season under his belt after not making it to the end of his rookie season at Legacy Motor Club in 2023. Gragson finished 24th in the standings with seven top-10s for a team that announced it was closing its doors seven months before the season ended.
“I felt it was a good season just because I was able to experience that full grind, 38 weeks and felt like I did a good job with that,” Gragson said. “It takes a lot to stay focused and keep executing over 38 weeks and I was able to stay focused and motivated, didn’t let my mind wander off and kept to the routine. I’m proud of that.
“I went to work every Monday, whether it was a good race or a bad race, and came away with a lot of great relationships at Stewart-Haas. It was a lot of fun and it’s a bummer that it shut down because I really enjoyed my time there.
“My biggest takeaway was that we had some top-10 runs and raced inside the top-5 and left Phoenix feeling like I belonged at this level.”
Gragson said he feels really motivated to get back to North Carolina when the time comes to start the year with Front Row because he has been reunited with a lot of his No. 10 SHR crew members, including crew chief Drew Blickensderfer.
‘Blick’ previously served as a crew chief at Front Row and led Michael McDowell to a Daytona 500 win in 2021.
“When Bob started our team, he told me he just wants to build something that gets better every week,” Gragson said. “They were already doing that before I got there so that excites me that I know I’m going someplace that is still growing.
“I don’t know what the deal is with the third charter but I know Bob is invested in growing the team We have Drew and a lot of our 10 guys going over there so we should hit the ground running.
“This is not like a new team, where we all have to get used to each other. We already have chemistry and we just have to go out there and perform.”
More than anything, Gragson is just looking forward to stability in his career. He had a home at JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series but then came time to make the leap to Cup in 2023 but that didn’t work out. Then he jumped to Stewart-Haas and it unexpectedly closed.
Gragson wants to build this team into a place where he can thrive for years to come.
“I want stability, a home,” Gragson said. “It would be really nice not to get to June and July and wonder what is next for me, and have to be distracted looking for a new opportunity. I hope this is my home for a long time to come.”
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.