How did Noah Gragson get into racing? Here's what we know

As opposed to several drivers who started young, Noah Gragson only began racing in his teenage years. The Las Vegas native climbed his way up the ranks and is now a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver signed for the years to come.

Gragson is a 26-year-old driver who is currently racing for the outgoing Haas-Stewart Racing team. He will be joining Front Row Motorsports next season following the imminent discontinuation of the North Carolina-based outfit. From 2025, the driver will be competing alongside Todd Gilliland and another driver for the newly acquired charter.

While awaiting his new chapter, let’s check out how he got his start in motorsports.

Noah Gragson’s early racing years

Noah Gragson began his racing career at the age of 13 at Bandoleros, an entry-level racing series fielding 30-horsepower cars. Fellow NASCAR Cup Series drivers such as Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney also participated in this series.

In 2014, Gragson joined the INEX Legends Car Racing Series, where he won the Young Lion Road Course Championship at the age of 15. A year later, he joined the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, known as ARCA Menards Series West today, and raced against notable drivers, including future teammate Todd Gilliland.

From 2015 to 2018, the driver had been racing at the ARCA Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, known as the Craftsman Truck Series today.

His first win at the pickup truck-based racing series was recorded in 2017 at Martinsville under Kyle Busch Motorsports. In 2018, the driver dominated the Kansas Speedway race weekend and finished in P1 ahead of Kyle Busch.

Noah Gragson joined the Xfinity Series in 2018

Noah Gragson made his debut in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2018, scoring two top-5 and three top-10 finishes. He signed a full-time seat with JR Motorsports a year later and found success in his four-year stint with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team.

While Gragson didn’t score a win in his first full season, the Las Vegas native opened the 2020 season on a high note by winning the Daytona 300. He secured another win at Bristol Motor Speedway, holding off Chase Briscoe to the checkered flag.

His most successful Xfinity Series season was in 2022 when he ranked second in the standings. He had eight wins, 21 top-5s, and 26 top-10s. However, Ty Gibbs beat him by just 0.397 in the championship race at Phoenix.

Noah Gragson made it to the top league

Noah Gragson’s first full NASCAR Cup Series season was in 2023 with Petty GMS Motorsports, known as Legacy Motor Club today. The driver had a tough season as he failed to score a single top-10 finish. He was also suspended due to misconduct and later was released from the team.

In 2024, Gragson returned to the premier league with the Stewart-Haas Racing team. His best finish in the No. 10 Ford Mustang was at the Talladega Superspeedway, where he came home in 3rd. So far this season, the driver only had one top-5 and seven top-10 finishes.

Noah Gragson in a Haas-Stewart Racing uniform - Source: Imag

Gragson will continue his racing career with Front Row Motorsports and hopefully find his breakthrough season.