“I'm super happy with our team, it's very strong”: Noah Gragson’s crew chief explains his move to FRM with his driver

Noah Gragson's crew Chief, Drew Blickensderfer recently expressed his happiness with the decision to rejoin Front Row Motorsports along with Gragson. He spoke in an interview with Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

Noah Gragson will drive the No. 4 car for Front Row Motorsports from the start of the 2025 season. He made a name for himself with impressive performances in the NASCAR Xfinity Series where he racked up 13 wins. In 2022, he was adjudged the NASCAR Xfinity Series' Most Popular Driver.

Drew Blickensderfer is a two-time Daytona 500-winning crew chief. He achieved victory once with Roush Fenway Racing and Matt Kenseth in 2009 and again with Front Row Motorsports and Michael McDowell in 2021.

The 48-year-old, in an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR radio, expressed how happy he was with the decision to return to Front Row Motorsports with the Nevada native, Gragson. He also explained why he originally left the North Carolina-based team. He said:

"It went back to the fact that I was very happy at Front Row. The things I was frustrated with was, we were just getting outperformed car-wise by wind tunnel time and resources and that's gone away, like I said."

He went on to express optimism for the upcoming year and made it very clear that he has worked towards building a strong team. This would give his driver a great opportunity to prove himself to NASCAR fans for the upcoming season. He also joked about his blood pressure being at a normal rate at the Daytona 500.

"But tryna get guys to come with me or try to recruit new guys so all of that stuff was really successful, I am super happy with my team. It's very strong. So everybody believes everything was gonna be okay. So it helps, I can say that my blood pressure will be slightly less at Daytona than it probably would have been. I am just trying to build the fastest cars and let Noah prove everybody how good he is.", Blickensderfer said.

The 26-year-old Gragson also expressed gratitude towards his crew chief through a press release, also expressing optimism for the upcoming season.

"I’m grateful to have my crew chief, Drew, along with four members from last year’s team, join Front Row Motorsports. This gives us a strong foundation to hit the ground running in the 2025 season.", Gragson said.

Drew Blickensderfer worked with Noah Gragson at Stewart-Haas Racing and will reunite with the driver at Front Row Motorsports for the 2025 season. In 2024, the pair achieved solid results, securing 16 top-15 finishes, 7 top-10s, and a top-5 finish.

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FRM's Noah Gragson opened up on being paired with former SHR crew chief for the 2025 season

Noah Gragson and Drew Blickensderfer previously collaborated in the Xfinity Series, where they found success together, and their reestablished partnership is anticipated to bring a fresh dynamic to Gragson's campaign in the Cup Series. Gragson called Blickenderfer "a big brother" in an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, saying:

"Right off the bat, we hit it off and Drew's been so much fun to work with. He's been a big brother to me and somebody that I can always count on and we've got some other team members from our team at Stewart-Haas from the 10 team. So they're coming over and we're just super excited."

Blickensderfer, known for his successful tenure with various drivers, is expected to play a crucial role in guiding Gragson through the challenges of the Cup Series. With a deep understanding of Gragson's driving style and strengths, Blickensderfer will aim to enhance the team's performance on the track. This reunion underscores the significance of strong team chemistry in the pursuit of success in the highly competitive NASCAR landscape.