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Stewart-Haas Racing driver Noah Gragson hit the rear of his #10 Ford Mustang during the first stage of the Great American Getaway 400 race at Pocono Raceway. Gragson got loose on Turn 1 and, as a result, ended his day prematurely.
Pocono Raceway hosted the 21st race of the NASCAR Cup Series season, #10 Gragson started at P25 on the grid hoping to capitalize on 'The Tricky Triangle'. But the 25-year-old was forced to sit back and evaluate the issues he faced on the 2.5-mile asphalt racetrack after an early DNF.
Here's a glimpse of the crash that called the first caution on Lap 14:
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According to Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass, Gragson claimed that it was not the rear that got affected, but the jammed steering wheel was the major issue that caused the wreck.
"Gragson said steering is messed up. He thinks he's done for the day."
"There's nothing I could do" - Noah Gragson on his crash at Pocono
Noah Gragson talked about his early exit from the Pocono Raceway after colliding with the safety barrier. This was Gragson's third DNF of the season.
In a recent conversation after getting released from the Infield care center, #10 Gragson claimed that he struggled during the practice and qualifying on 'The Tricky Triangle'. He also believed that he could have made the required changes after finishing the first stage, which he unfortunately couldn't.
"Well, we were pretty tight yesterday in practice and in qualifying, so we made a pretty big swing at it to free up for today, loosen up, and we definitely started the race out pretty loose and it got a little worse through turns 1 and turns 3," Gragson said (via Speed Sport).
"So with the being so early in the race, like I'm just trying to make laps and get to the first stage at the end of lap 30, and then we could work on it. I'm just trying to be patient, but just stepped out and there's nothing I could do," he added.
The Las Vegas native is set to join Front Row Motorsports on a multi-year contract after the current season. After the announcement of SHR's closure, Gragson became the third driver along with Chase Briscoe and Josh Berry to land a confirmed ride for 2025.
Before the Pocono race, Gragson was at P23 in the overall standings. He is 168 points behind the cutoff line for the 2024 NASCAR playoffs.
