Speculations are swirling around about Stewart-Haas Racing’s drivers. As they wield their cars every weekend for a struggling team, tensions rise about their future. And the recent news of SHR’s closing isn’t helping their case. Noah Gragson is only in his first full-time NASCAR Cup year with the team and is already bound for a bumpy road ahead. Yet, being the top driver of the team, Gragson has a little less to worry about. He has shown some stellar performances in recent races and is likely to draw some employers.

NASCAR’s Silly Season projects several teams hoping to buy new charters and recruit fresh faces. But Richard Childress Racing was initially not one of them until Jordan Bianchi floated around some rumors. Gragson might end up beside veteran Kyle Busch and rejoin his old car manufacturer. But fans have offered mixed responses towards this possibility.

NASCAR Insiders entertained rumors about Noah Gragson 

Noah Gragson had ties with Richard Childress Racing before joining SHR. In 2022, Gragson made 10 of 18 starts under Kaulig Racing’s banner in the Xfinity Series. Kaulig and RCR are deeply connected, with the former housed on RCR’s campus. Kaulig also buys engines from Richard Childress-owned ECR. Though the bond is loose and indirect, Gragson is pretty familiar with the RCR fold.

Recently, The Athletic journalist Jordan Bianchi claimed Noah Gragson may replace Austin Dillon in the No. 3. This had the NASCAR community in a frenzy, however, Dale Earnhardt Jr termed such a possibility a ‘far-fetched’ one. “That’s really kind of far-fetched. Even though, I don’t know, Austin retiring and sending him to a managing role at RCR is something I see in his future…They’ve made some changes on his own team, to try and get him better, and he had a great run this past week. So maybe he still believes that there’s something left in the tank.”

Just in time, another rumor began to float, which has further cemented Noah Gragson’s future in RCR alongside Kyle Busch. But it all depends on the retirement plans of the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Martin Truex Jr. A NASCAR expert tweeted on X: “Per @SpotterBrett, there are rumors floating that @NoahGragson & @BassProShops head to @RCRracing with a 3rd charter. Truex retiring or not retiring could play a factor in this deal with the Bass Pro sponsorship.”

This significantly adds to the debate, as Martin Truex Jr recently hinted that 2024 may be his last show. DBC host Brett Griffin observed that if Truex does not retire, that would leave Gragson in a tight spot. And all of it is a play of sponsorships. “There’s a lot of rumors out there that Noah Gragson and Bass Pro Shops could even be going to RCR, and that could be an added Charter. And obviously, Bass Pro Shops has ties to Martin, so if Martin does retire that probably helps Noah’s scenario. If he doesn’t retire, I think it probably hurts Noah’s scenario, so you know there’s a lot of cards to fall.”

Ultimately, the sponsor will take the call on Noah Gragson’s future. But if he does end up competing beside Kyle Busch, it will be a unique team. And fans are not so sure about how good that would be.

The NASCAR community is split about Gragson joining RCR

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In 2023, Noah Gragson made a disgraceful exit from his former team, Legacy Motor Club. When Stewart-Haas Racing inducted him, people had already lost all faith in the young driver and thought it was a huge gamble by SHR. However, Gragson is turning around his fortunes. With two top-five and four top-ten finishes, he is restoring his credibility.

Hence, the rumors of him entering Richard Childress Racing boosted some fans’ excitement. One fan was pumped at the idea of Gragson going back to a Chevrolet car, which he drove for JR Motorsports till 2022. “Would love to see Noah in a Bass Pro 33 car and back in a Chevrolet!” Another fan equated Gragson’s temperament with the RCR fold. “Makes sense. Noah Gragson fits RCR’s culture and Bass Pro Shops has been longtime backers of both.”

However, other fans threw cold water on the prospect, questioning RCR’s possible move to buy a third charter. One Kyle Busch fan highlighted financial concerns. “It’s probably a no-brainer to add a third charter. Now you’ll have a third stream of income. Makes sense over just paying out KFB. Honestly, I would love to just see RCR be really competitive.” Keeping Busch’s streak of misery aside, his teammate Austin Dillon has not been a brilliant driver. One fan hilariously warned Richard Childress. “A third baby won’t save the marriage, Richard.”

The NASCAR community is obviously divided about Noah Gragson’s future in RCR. But let us wait and see if Martin Truex Jr retires, as that would ultimately determine Gragson’s direction.