NASCAR Cup Series

Noah Gragson 1-on-1: On joining Front Row, overcoming self-doubt, 'Chunky Dunky' Nikes

Published Jul. 11, 2024 12:34 p.m. ET

Noah Gragson will drive primarily for his fourth Cup team in four years starting in 2025, and it’s been a heck of a journey for a driver who turns just 25 years old next week.

Driving part-time for Kaulig Racing while in his final Xfinity year at JR Motorsports in 2022 (where he also drove a few Cup races for Beard Motorsports and was a fill-in driver for the injured Alex Bowman at Hendrick Motorsports), Gragson thought he had his future set with a move to Legacy Motor Club in 2023. But struggling with an average finish of 28th in a year where maybe his most notable moment was a fight with Ross Chastain, Gragson found himself sidelined as NASCAR indefinitely suspended him for liking a racially insensitive social media post on the death of George Floyd.

Gragson never made excuses for what he had called an act of "ignorance" and was reinstated by NASCAR after the 2023 season. He returned to Cup this year driving for Stewart-Haas Racing on what he had hoped would be a long-term relationship only to see SHR announce in May that it would cease operations after 2024.

On Wednesday, Front Row Motorsports announced it had hired Gragson for 2025 as part of a multiyear deal.

Gragson talked with FOX Sports about his journey, his new team ... and about the shoes he was wearing last week at Chicago. They were a pair of "Ben & Jerry's Chunky Dunky" Nikes that were quite colorful. When Alex Bowman saw them, he asked this reporter if he would wear those if Bowman won either at Chicago or Pocono. The reporter agreed, and Bowman won at Chicago.

So that's where this conversation starts.

Why in the world are you wearing $2,500 shoes to the racetrack?

They weren't that much when I bought them by any means. But back when I was racing in the Xfinity Series, I told myself if I won a couple of races — I've been wanting those shoes for a long time and really liked them — and back when we won those races, I said when I win a couple, I'll get them. And I just like them. I don't care what people think that they're ugly or not. I like them and kind of beat to my own drum.

Anyway, this will be your fourth team in four years. How would you describe the journey?

It's been up and down. But I think looking at everything from an overhead view and from a 30,000-foot view, the grand scheme of things have been the things that I've learned throughout the years and the relationships that I've built and the friendships and being able to look back and just as a person, not necessarily a driver — I guess a driver as well — but seeing the growth both on and off the racetrack has definitely been important to me. Looking back and seeing all the learnings that I've had, throughout the years, the relationships that I built — there have been good times, there have been also pretty low times as well. But I know that without those challenges, I wouldn't be who I am today and wouldn't grow into the person that I am today. So I wouldn't trade the growing aspect of things for anything. I feel like all those challenges have made me into the person I am.

Do you like you've found the balance to be yourself versus being professional? You were on that line between being yourself and being immature?

I definitely think I know when to shut up now, and kind of find that balance of things.

Do you feel you've done what you've needed to do this year (Gragson is 23rd in the standings)?

I don't ever think I want to be content with anything. I feel like there's still areas to grow, definitely, and to develop. And I know that each and every week, we continue to build those communications with the team, that camaraderie, just trying to become better each and every day. Would I like there to be more good runs and whatnot? Absolutely. Am I content with where we're at? No. But I do feel like compared to last year, I've gotten my feet underneath me. I feel like I can compete, and I feel confident going into the race weekends in the Cup Series that that's where I belong. I have confidence in myself. I feel comfortable behind the wheel of the race car, and I think it's only up from here.

A year ago, did you wonder whether you could be a Cup driver?

Absolutely. Even on into the beginning of this year, you never know. But I know that with the right group of people around me, when I focus on the right things, that we can achieve a lot. And I have that this year — the group that I have around me, they definitely push me to become better on and off the racetrack. Last year, I was probably the most down on myself, and I was ready to move back to Vegas and go do landscaping or build pools out there. I didn't enjoy racing anymore. And this year, I found my love for the sport again. I found why I want to do it. And I found myself. So my appreciation for the sport has flipped 180 in the last 12 months. And a big part of that is the people that I have around me.

How much of that is just performance-based — or is any of it?

Definitely performance helps. But just looking at things and appreciating the things that we get to do. Performance definitely helps when you get your teeth kicked in each and every week, and you're working your tail off and the results aren't there. Then you go into a mindset where you're like, I'll just try to get my mind right and enjoy myself throughout the week and have fun and the results are the same — and you're like, "Man, why am I working so hard if the results are the same and the results suck?" It seems like it's a dead-end road with no light at the end of the tunnel. But being able to regroup and reset, and lead on into this year having good results, but also it takes everything, all the pieces of the puzzle have to come together. And I feel like they have. People are the most important thing to me, and having a place where you feel like you're safe, that's where I feel like it's been this year, I feel like I can be myself with the group around me. I feel like they have trust in me. And I have confidence now when I go to the racetrack. So I think there's multiple things — I think the momentum off of a good run definitely helps, but at the same time, it takes everything.

How many of those people do you think will be with you at Front Row next year?

I know that my core group, as far as in my personal life and aside from the racetrack, will stick with me. The people that are there for me — my family, my close friends, everybody who supports me throughout this really daily day-to-day life and keeps my life going, they'll all be with me. I don't know as far as personnel-wise, the mechanics and whatnot, but I certainly hope we can keep the band together. But time will tell on that.

How many different teams did you think you were going to race for in 2025, over the last six weeks?

I didn't know. I learned over last year not to get my hopes up. Leading into the 2024 season, I probably thought I was going to race for a dozen different teams and it all falling through. So this year, the goal was to find somewhere where I feel like I can make a difference, feel somewhere where I could grow as a leader, feel somewhere where I can bring energy to the building and make a change. The opportunity with [FRM owner] Bob Jenkins and Front Row Motorsports was high on my list. It was a spot that I felt like that checked all those boxes. And so once I really found them and could see where their values and their vision lied, it was kind of a no-brainer for me to be able to transition into that role as a driver over at Front Row. So they checked all the boxes for me as far as what they want to accomplish, what they need as a driver and where their program is at. So with that being said, it's definitely exciting. Once I met with them, it became pretty clear that that's going to be a good place for me to be myself and be able to accomplish the goals that I have in mind.

What did Todd Gilliland — you obviously were teammates with him at Kyle Busch Motorsports — tell you about Front Row, if anything, that helped you with your decision?

Being able to be teammates with Todd back at Kyle Busch Motorsports, we've been buddies ever since. And when I told him, "Hey, I'm thinking about coming over here," he had a lot of positive stuff to say. Nonetheless, there are challenging times, no doubt, but that's anywhere in the Cup Series. It's a grind to be able to race 38 weekends of the year and be on the top of your game each and every weekend and go to the race track and be in contention. But with his support, he was pretty pumped up to be able to have the support from Bob and [GM] Jerry [Freeze] and everybody else included at Front Row. It definitely added, after having a conversation with Todd, it added some extra optimism.

And finally, as we mentioned earlier, fourth team and four years. How long does it take a team to know that your last name is pronounced Greg-sun and not Grag-sun?

I don't know. It depends who you ask. I was at JR Motorsports for four years and people pronounce it differently over there. But I'm to the point where I'm just kind of hands off now. However you want to say it, there's only one Noah in NASCAR. So I know who they're talking about when they say at least Noah.

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.