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Noah Gragson was officially reinstated by NASCAR on Tuesday evening, and that means he can truly turn his focus toward getting back behind the wheel in 2024. Gragson was already rumored to be out at Legacy Motor Club even before he was suspended, so it is entirely possible he already had something in the works. With that in mind, where can Gragson go in 2024?
The timing of Gragson’s reinstatement is definitely interesting with Kaulig Racing teasing a “surprise” driver to be announced at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. It’s interesting to note that Chris Rice told Frontstretch following Kansas that he was “hoping” to announce at Bristol, not a guaranteed announcement at Bristol. Is it possible he was privy to where Gragson was in the reinstatement process and planned on announcing as soon as Gragson was reinstated?
Now, this could all just be a major coincidence because Gragson being signed to Kaulig has a few potential drawbacks to it. First off, what type of sponsorship can Gragson bring in given his recent suspension? Secondly, given his performance so far this season, is Gragson going to perform well enough in a new Cup Series ride?
Now, this is on the longshot end of the spectrum, but it is not impossible. Gragson won 13 races in four seasons with JR Motorsports between 2019 and 2022. We know he can compete and win races with good equipment in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
The issue, once again, boils down to sponsorship. Can Gragson bring in the funds necessary to get a high-profile ride like this, and the other major issue is timing. Gragson was likely not looking too hard at Xfinity until he got suspended, and JR Motorsports may very well have had their candidates nailed down by that point.
Rick Ware Racing has yet to announce their plans for a second car in 2024, and they have yet to even announce Justin Haley’s car number for 2024. Could Noah Gragson be a driver to fill in that second seat in 2024? RWR is a race team looking to become an up-and-comer, and signing a youngster like Gragson could be a good idea.
The issue is charters. The number 51 charter could potentially be in danger of being revoked by NASCAR if it finished in the bottom three in the owner’s points. Now, it is not a guarantee, but it would explain why Haley’s 2024 car number has yet to be announced. With no second charter, it is hard to justify a second car.
Live Fast has not had a great year this year, but, what if they were to sign a big name like Noah Gragson? It could be big for that race team, and if Gragson really wants to stay in the Cup Series, this is absolutely an option for him. However, the performance of Live Fast could be the major issue.
If Gragson were given the choice between an underdog Cup Series team and a race-winning Xfinity Series team, it is easy to see why he may choose the Xfinity team. However, if he really wants to stay in Cup, his way back up the ladder may start at a place like Live Fast. Who knows where he could take them?
Gragson does have a Toyota connection as he ran Toyotas for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Xfinity Series between 2016 and 2018. He won two races over those seasons and finished second in the standings in 2018. If he kept that bridge open, then why not go to a winning Xfinity team?
The optics of this would look odd as Gragson would go to the ride that his replacement vacated, but the biggest issue is competition. Toyota has plenty of drivers to choose from for that ride, and are they willing to bring in someone with the baggage of Gragson? It would be interesting to see if Gragson did race here, but it may not be realistic.
Noah Gragson’s focus is now fully turned towards 2024, and these are just a few teams he could drive for. What other options does Gragson have?
