“You never really know”: Noah Gragson addresses uncertain future after Tony Stewart’s SHR announced NASCAR exit

Noah Gragson expressed the uncertainty of his NASCAR Cup Series career next season as Stewart-Haas Racing will shut operations at the end of 2024. This is his second full-time season and it was the first with SHR.

Stewart-Haas Racing earlier announced that they would shut operations at the end of this month. This news was made public on the same day as the crew and drivers were informed, and the future of their drivers now seems uncertain. Gragson, who drives the #10 Ford has been racing rather competitively this season with five top-ten finishes. However, his future is not yet decided.

Speaking in Iowa earlier, Noah Gragson revealed that he was scouting out all available options.

"I’m just trying to weigh out all the options accordingly and have those conversation," Racer.com quoted him. "But [I’m] still looking for an opportunity."

He further revealed that despite having supportive people around him, he is unsure what the future holds for him. Noah Gragson mentioned that he has faced challenges throughout his racing career, but he is not relaxed about this issue as he does not have a certain team to sign within the next Cup Series season.

"I’ve had my fair challenges and adversity over the years. I’ve got a lot of great people supporting me and have a great support system that I talk to every day and whatnot. You like to tell yourself, ‘Hey, it’s going to be OK. Things are going to be all right,’ but you never really know. I know that in the past when I’ve gotten something signed, I’ve been able to sleep a little better at night, take a deep breath and fully focus on my day job for the rest of the day. That point hasn’t come yet."

---

Noah Gragson focusing on his driving for the rest of the season as future uncertainty looms

One of the major things that is affecting Noah Gragson's future ride is his inexperience in the Cup Series. Although he won 13 races in the Xfinity Series and finished in second place in the 2022 season, his experience in the Cup Series lacks what a competitive team might look out for.

His first season in 2023 with Legacy Motor Club was cut short after 22 rounds because of a social media controversy. He did not manage to pull a single top-ten finish that season. Running currently with SHR, his best finish came at Talladega in third place. but he has been out of the top 20 in the last three races.

It is quite apparent that a team would look out for a driver who has proven to be competitive at the top of the field, but Noah Gragson's results don't show that. He stated that he will focus on the driving part for the rest of the season and hopes for an opportunity in 2025.

“I keep telling myself to focus on what I can control,” he said (via Racer.com). “That’s my attitude, focus…my leadership of our race team and what I can do behind the wheel preparation-wise — just becoming the best person and driver I can be. I don’t know what’s going to happen; I believe I can be a part of this group on Sundays that races, and I’m working my tail off to be a part of that group in the future.”