This weekend marks a lot of lasts, the last race of the season, last race for Martin Truex Jr, and more. Among all that, it is also the last race for Stewart-Haas Racing before the team becomes Haas Factory Racing. None of the drivers are being retained, so this is essentially their final race for the team as well. To that end, some of them are paying tribute, and Noah Gragson is among them.

The #10 driver is paying tribute to team co-owner Tony Stewart, with a special helmet. It shouldn’t be surprising because Stewart is a legendary driver in his own regard, with three Cup titles under his belt. Then in 2009, Stewart inked a deal with Haas CNC Racing, which saw him gain a 50% stake in the team. Now, he departs the partnership after 15 years, and receives a special gift from Noah Gragson, a special helmet design.

Noah Gragson paid a tribute to Tony Stewart for giving him a chance

During that tenure, the team nabbed two Cup Series titles, courtesy of Stewart himself and Kevin Harvick. Even in the Xfinity scene, the team has been successful, winning the 2023 title with Cole Custer. Custer is now on the verge of winning a second title in a row, and a great gift has to be his promotion back to the Cup Series in 2025.

He made his Cup Series debut in 2022 with the erstwhile Beard Motorsports. However, his full-time debut came in 2023 for Legacy Motor Club. After a season full of struggles, Tony Stewart evidently saw something in him to recruit him for the upcoming season. Since then, he has rewarded that faith with several consistent finishes, including a best finish of 3rd at Talladega.

Gragson revealed on Instagram, “One last helmet for one last race, here at Stewart-Haas, at Phoenix this weekend. I wanted to do a throwback to Tony. Without Tony and Greg Zipadelli, driving over at Stewart-Haas wouldn’t be possible. Wanted to do a ‘thank you’ helmet to Tony, so this is a mix between his old IndyCar helmet from back in the day. Then we got more of his NASCAR new school stuff, the gold flake flames, on the back we have Tony’s signature. Always do a Las Vegas sign. Then we got the #14 on there to remember Tony, as well as the ‘Thank You Smoke’ on the top. Tony, means a lot to myself, but it means a lot to everybody in this company. To be able to run this helmet in the last race for Stewart-Haas. It’s been an unbelievable season, everything coming together to making memories all year long. To be able to represent Tony, without him, this wouldn’t be possible. This is a little ‘thank you’ for him.”

It was only a matter of time before fans would see such a heartfelt tribute from Gragson. After all, it was an optimistic Tony Stewart who was at the center of turning Gragson’s career around. At the end of 2023, Gragson found himself out of a seat. He lost his place in Legacy Motor Club, until Stewart snapped him up for the SHR fourth seat. It was a decision that worked in the team’s favor. With a renewed perspective and Tony Stewart’s leap of faith, Noah Gragson led an inspiring revival. Eventually, his string of impressive performances garnered attention from Front Row Motorsports, an opportunity Gragson jumped at as Stewart-Haas Racing shuts down at the end of 2024.

He will replace Michael McDowell, who heads to Spire Motorsports next season. Of course, the other SHR drivers have also had to look for seats elsewhere, as they bid farewell to Stewart-Haas Racing.

How did it get to this point for Stewart-Haas Racing?

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Earlier this year, the organisation announced that they were shutting shop at the end of the season. Tony Stewart and Gene Haas put out a joint statement announcing the decision, which came as a big blow. According to them, the decision wasn’t taken lightly, and came after much consideration.

They were of the opinion that the organisation could no longer be competitive and be sustainable. As such, the two believed that it was time to hand over the reins to more capable hands. Of course, they acknowledged all the wins and titles accumulated during their tenure, as well as relationships cultivated. Tony Stewart explained how the team’s shutdown felt like retiring from the sport.

He explained, “It’s honestly, especially in the last two to three weeks, it’s starting to feel exactly like a year ago when we knew you were coming to the end of your careerAnd thinking of the fun we had together on the road, the times I drove your Xfinity car, just the fun stuff that we did together. Like you mentioned, I literally went to Talladega, went from Talladega to Charlotte, spent the whole day at the shop, got to see as many people as I could at the shop, and knowing that when I left the building there that there’s some of those people that I’ve known for 16 years and I may never ever see them again, unfortunately.”

Owing to that, the team is compelled to do the best it can to end their swan song on a high note. Chase Briscoe achieved that with his win earlier this year, which got him into the Playoffs. Admittedly, he did exit during the Round of 12, but it was still an impressive run from the #14 driver. Now, all that is left to do is look ahead to the final race of the season at the Phoenix Raceway.