“I Was Pretty Selfish”: Noah Gragson Opens Up About the Second Opportunity Given to Him by Tony Stewart

Perhaps no driver is looking forward to the 2024 Cup Series season as much as Noah Gragson. The new #10 driver for Stewart-Haas Racing has a lot to prove—not just on track. After Gragson’s dream debut was overshadowed by his irresponsible social media activity, the 25-year-old is eager to prove that his time off the tarmac has helped him become a better person.

Gragson’s rookie error at the 56th annual Snowball Derby earlier this month was an extension of his form in the Cup Series. But with the new announcement, it might just be the turnaround everyone has been expecting from the promising driver. However, the makings of a skillful driver are not only seen on tracks but also in their ability to acknowledge past mistakes, which is exactly the route Noah Gragson is taking.

Noah Gragson reflects on “selfish” past

In an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Gragson reflected on the mistakes he’s made and the gratitude he has for the people who have helped him through the entire ordeal. The Nevada native has nothing but words of appreciation for the people who have helped him outrun his mistakes over the past few months.

He thanked the organization for allowing him to learn from his mistakes by asking the right questions about topics estranged from him. His ultimate goal? To create and find balance in his life with better habits as the foundation.

He mentioned, “It’s been a lot of hard work, been a lot of self-reflection, and overall I feel more clear-minded when I’m strapped into a racecar, I think I’m more clear-minded when I’m out of a racecar, and with all the learnings over the past handful of months, it’s allowed me to be more self-aware and put myself in other people’s shoes where I was pretty selfish before.”

Noah Gragson also thanked the likes of Brendon McReynolds and Corey Bass for helping him overcome the struggles he’s had to endure after his exit from Legacy Motor Club. He concluded, “You know, there’re dark times and challenges, but you’ve got to overcome them. That’s what I keep telling myself. And listen and learn […] And I’ve done a lot of learning over the last couple of months.”

It’s safe to say Noah Gragson shows no signs of slowing down and is taking the incident a few months ago on the chin. While the time may have been daunting for Gragson, the #10 star feels it did more good in the long run.

Gragson is taking away only positives from the unfortunate incident

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Gragson spoke in depth about the five months he’s spent away from the action to reflect and grow, and he feels the time spent learning has benefitted his awareness and self-reflection tremendously. He was quoted by Las Vegas Sun as saying, “Ultimately it opened my eyes to the world and showed me I was a pretty selfish guy. I’ve learned to pay more attention, be more present, and enjoy the people I’m with. This has really been a rude awakening of all the work I needed to do on myself.”

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Gragson feels that the incident has not only allowed him to reflect on his insensitive behavior in the past but also gifted him the ability to have greater situational awareness. For one last time, he summed it up, “I think at that time, it was laziness on social media. I don’t know why it came up on my page, but I take accountability for the lack of awareness and realize I put myself in that position and want to become better from it.”

It looks like the reparations have borne fruit for Gragson as he heads into the 2024 season with a competitive seat and a championship-winning team behind him. But will Gragson’s efforts bear fruit or will Stewart-Haas Racing’s gamble backfire?

READ MORE: Elated Over Noah Gragson’s Redemption, Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Sister Comes in Support of Tony Stewart’s Latest Recruit