Will the 2024 NASCAR Cup Campaign Be a Season of Redemption for Noah Gragson?

History has officially repeated itself, and this time it is Noah Gragson, who is at the center of it all. Much like Kyle Larson before him, he was caught up in an incident where his acts were seen as offensive and inappropriate. Following this, his team, Legacy Motor Club, alongside NASCAR, suspended him. But after some time away, it appears that he is ready to return to the fray. This time, he will be competing for the Stewart-Haas Racing team, driving the #10 car.

In essence, he is replacing Aric Almirola, who stepped away from the Cup Series. Now the question is, can Noah Gragson use this second chance to rebuild his career and reputation? The driver has insisted that he has matured a lot since the incident and confessed that his early social media days were “careless”. Bubba Wallace also imparted some sage advice for the 25-year-old and believes that Gragson genuinely wants to change himself.

How is Kyle Larson connected to this Noah Gragson controversy?

While he is not connected to the incident directly, a few years ago, Kyle Larson faced a suspension of his own, while he was racing for Chip Ganassi Racing. During an iRacing event, said a racial slur to get his colleague’s attention. As this was highly inappropriate, he was swiftly punished and even dropped by his team. After a year away from the sport to reflect on his actions, he truly repented. That was when Hendrick Motorsports came knocking on his doorstep and recruited him onto their team for the 2021 season.

Much like Stewart-Haas Racing, HMS was also facing the departure of a veteran driver, Jimmie Johnson. So while Alex Bowman was moved from the #88 to the #48, the #88 car was dropped for the #5, which Larson would drive. When the 2021 NASCAR Cup season kicked off, Kyle Larson was a man on a mission. That year, he rocketed to an astounding 10 wins during the season and eventually clinched the Cup Series title. All in all, it was a great way to repay the faith that Hendrick Motorsports had in him.

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What to expect from Noah Gragson and Stewart-Haas Racing?

No one is expecting history to repeat itself and Gragson to win the 2024 Cup title. After all, Stewart-Haas Racing is just coming off of a poor 2023 NASCAR Cup Series campaign. Out of their four drivers, only Kevin Harvick managed to reach the Playoffs, and that too without a win. That statistic came back to bite him hard, as he was eliminated in the opening round, ending his final season on a poor note.

Meanwhile, the other three drivers, including Almirola, could not turn in great performances. In essence, the 2-time Cup Series champions are in a rebuilding phase, and Noah Gragson is now a part of those plans. Also joining him are Chase Briscoe, Ryan Preece, and rookie driver, Josh Berry. This line-up is quite possibly the least experienced of the lot, as Briscoe will be in his fourth season next year. 2024 will also be Preece’s 2nd season with the team, while the two new drivers will compete in their first full-time campaigns.

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Gragson is trying to be a changed man in 2024. He admitted that he did a lot of self-reflection after the incident and put Legacy Motor Club and himself in a tough situation. At the moment, Gragson is just keen to turn his fortunes around and guide the team back to form. The driver described his earlier self as ‘selfish’ and this is a massive learning opportunity for him. How do you think he will do next year?