“Can be their saving grace”: Noah Gragson and Stewart-Haas Racing impress fans in Las Vegas

Stewart-Haas Racing driver Noah Gragson has garnered praise from fans for his NASCAR Cup Series run despite finishing outside the top 5 in the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Kyle Larson locked his first win of the 2024 season as he clinched the P1 spot on Sunday. By dominating the majority of the 267-lap race before crossing the finish line, the Hendrick Motorsports driver sealed his third overall win at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Gragson entered his first year as an SHR driver, fielding the #10 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. The 25-year-old started at P30 but rose through the ranks as the 400.5-mile race neared its conclusion. He was in a close battle for P5 with rival Ty Gibbs but settled his run at P6.

For a team that went winless the entire 2023 season, Noah Gragson's first top-10 finish has given SHR hopes of a better season moving forward. The team's new inclusion's remarkable performance on the 1.5-mile asphalt caught the attention of NASCAR writer Austin Konenski, who praised him on X (formerly Twitter).

"How about Noah Gragson finishing in 6th place during his intermediate track debut with Stewart-Haas Racing? Gragson wasn’t up there by a mistake. What a very impressive showing," Konenski wrote.

Not just Konenski but several NASCAR fans were quick to point to the homeboy's exhilarating dash on the oval:

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Noah Gragson sheds light on the impending progress despite bringing home P6

Despite starting from the back of the pack at P30, Gragson climbed up the charts, taking home a P6 finish and showcasing his prowess. On the other hand, his rivals like the polesitter Joey Logano, couldn't convert into a race win and ended up his day just under top-10, at P9.

However, keeping his excitement from the race weekend at bay, the SHR driver weighed in on the existing gaps in his performance and the need to "be better" as the season progresses.

He shared his post-race thoughts, saying (via NBC Sports):

“We definitely need to be better, and I need to clean some stuff up. Really, other than that last restart, I don’t think I had any net gains on restarts, so I need to keep working on that. I’m still trying to figure it all out, but overall it’s a good stepping stone to where we’re at right now."

Noah Gragson added:

"We’re going to take this and get back into the positives in points and just keep on working, keep on learning and becoming better than we were yesterday and just keep that attitude. I think we’ve got the tightest group in the garage. They’re awesome to work with and I love every one of them.”