As has been widely expected Stewart-Haas Racing announced Wednesday that Noah Gragson will return to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2024, taking over the team’s No. 10 Ford in a multiyear contract.
Gragson will take over the No. 10 Ford from veteran Aric Almirola, who announced in October he would leave SHR after six seasons with the No. 10 team. Earlier in the day Almirola was announced as a part-time driver in the NASCAR Xfinity series in 2024.
“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,” said Tony Stewart, the NASCAR Hall of Famer who co-owns Stewart-Haas with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas. “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.”
The signing marks the return of Gragson who parted ways with Legacy Motor Club shortly after NASCAR suspended the 25-year-old indefinitely in August for a member-conduct violation related to his activities on social media. NASCAR reinstated Gragson on Sept. 12 after he completed diversity and inclusion training with the RISE group.
“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. “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.”
Gragson will work with veteran crew chief Drew Blickensderfer, who returns for his third season with the No. 10 Mustang team. Stewart-Haas Racing said that sponsorship announcements for Gragson and the No. 10 group would be made at a later date.
Before joining the Xfinity Series full-time in 2019, Gragson competed in the NASCAR Truck Series in 2017 and 2018. He won twice and finished second in the 2018 championship. Those Truck Series results were a continuation of the kind of talent Gragson showcased in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series. In 2015 and 2016, Gragson raced in this developmental league, regionally split into two divisions – K&N Pro Series East and K&N Pro Series West. Gragson won six races between the two entities and narrowly missed out on the 2015 West title by a scant seven points. Gragson also owns victories in two of the United States’ most prestigious Late Model races – the 2017 Winchester 400 at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway and the 2018 Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida.
“I race to win and winning at the Cup level is what I’ve been working toward since I started racing Bandoleros as a 13-year-old at the Bullring in Las Vegas,” Gragson said. “To be with an established team with a history of winning is what every driver wants. I’ve got exactly that here at Stewart-Haas and I aim to make the most of it.”
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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