Ever since Stewart Haas Racing announced its departure from NASCAR racing, Noah Gragson was on a hunt for a new seat. This was the third instance where he had to look for new opportunities after spending a single season in the Cup Series. Gragson is a talented race car driver, and he has the backing of a big sponsor in Bass Pro Shops.

Therefore, it was expected that he would find a seat before the start of the 2025 season. Multiple teams looking to expand or make changes to their driver lineups were linked to the SHR driver. However, despite being linked with some of the prominent teams, the 26-year-old chose to land at Front Row Motorsports.

Surprisingly, Denny Hamlin was aware of Gragson’s move to FRM well before it was announced. And he was convinced that he made the right call by joining one of the rising underdogs in the Cup Series.

Denny Hamlin believes that Gragon’s move to FRM is a good deal for both parties

Before FRM confirmed the signing of their new driver, Gragson was heavily linked with Richard Childress Racing. The rumor mills were suggesting that RCR is looking to add a third charter to their team to aid his arrival. Rather, Gragson chose to stick with the Ford camp and moved to Front Row Motorsports.

“So I think that’s a good opportunity for Noah. I spoke with Noah while he was kinda on his job search. And I’m a fan of Noah; I think he’s got the ability to go out there and do it.” Denny Hamlin said this on his podcast, Actions Detrimental. Moreover, he went on to highlight how this move could be beneficial to both the driver and the team.

“What I said to him after he told me he was gonna sign with Front Row. I said, listen that’s a place that you have a chance to go win. Bob Jenkins is obviously investing in our sport, and he’s gonna grow, and it seems like he’s putting a lot of chips on the table to try to get better as well and so I think this is a good move for both,” Hamlin added.

FRM is now a Tier-1 Ford partner and has also signed a technical alliance with Team Penske. They now have two young talents, Todd Gilliland and Noah Gragson, which further helps them drive towards their target of being a competitive race team. Although Michael McDowell’s presence could’ve been a good anchor for the team as a senior driver, he had decided to move to Spire next season.

It has to be noted that FRM added a charter to its team, and they are yet to confirm the driver who will take the reins of the third car from 2025 onwards.

Zane Smith could be in for a reunion with FRM’s third Cup Series entry in 2025

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For the time being, it looks like Bob Jenkins is looking to build a project on the back of young, talented race car drivers. Gilliland being promoted to a senior role in the team and Gragson’s arrival are proof enough that the team is headed in that direction. And it looks like, they are going to field another young and budding talent in their third car.

“If Zane were to be a free agent for next year, I think that’s something that we would certainly be interested in for sure. I don’t know if he is, but we really believe in Zane’s talent, and I think he’s going to be a star. Everybody’s gotta go through that learning curve in the Cup Series,” Jerry Freeze, Front Row Motorsports general manager, said in a recent interview.

Smith is out on loan to Spire Motorsports this season and will return to Trackhouse Racing. However, Justin Marks and Co. are looking to promote Shane van Gisbergen if they expand to a three-car team themselves. This leaves Smith as the odd man out once again. The 25-year-old has some fond memories with FRM, winning the Truck Series championship in 2022, so he might be on his way to a reunion with them in the Cup Series.