Noah Gragson became the recent [third] Stewart-Haas Racing driver to find a NASCAR Cup Series seat for 2025. With Chase Briscoe piloting Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 19 Toyota at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2025 and Josh Berry replacing Harrison Burton at Wood Brothers Racing, it was just a matter of time before Gragson followed suit. The 25-year-old will be joining Front Row Motorsport in a multi-year deal, reuniting with Todd Gilliland, who was his teammate at the now-defunct Kyle Busch Motorsports.

With Stewart-Haas Racing ceasing operations at the end of the season, Noah Gragson is hoping his colleagues from the team can join him at Front Row Motorsports as well, as the team is looking to hire a crew for Gragson’s car.

Gragson is hoping the Stewart-Haas Racing crew joins Front Row Motorsports

With the talented crew at Stewart-Haas Racing looking for their next move in NASCAR, opportunities seem plentiful at Front Row Motorsports, especially now that Noah Gragson has been signed and a third driver will be announced at a later date. While Gene Haas has kept one of the team’s charters and will run a one-car operation next season, there will be plenty of backroom staff and pit crew who will be deemed redundant. Noah Gragson is hoping that they get opportunities with his new team.

Speaking on SiriusXM NASCAR radio, when Noah Gragson was asked for details about his future crew chief, sponsors, and car number at Front Row Motorsport, the 25-year-old replied, “There’s definitely a lot of stuff in the works, still things we just need to, you know, figure out, but the main goal was to get the opportunity done and a deal signed with Front Row.

“Who’s going to crew chief it with Drew Blickensderfer and the group of 10 guys we have at Stewart-Haas, obviously with them closing doors at the end of the year, all those guys need opportunities too. There’s definitely opportunities for all that, nothing is finalized yet as far as the car number, sponsors and who the crew is going to be.”

While details about Gragson’s crew chief, sponsors, and car number are unclear, we do know some insights, thanks to Bob Pockrass’ conversation with Front Row Motorsports co-owner Jerry Freeze. A tweet by the Fox Sports journalist read, “He does not expect crew chief Travis Peterson to return to FRM (as I’ve said, expect him to join Spire with McDowell). On car numbers, he said not set on 34, 36, and 38. Working on a new one. Current shop to house Cup team; truck operation to relocate.”

With Travis Peterson joining Michael McDowell at Spire Motorsport, it leaves the crew chief position wide open. If Gragson had his choice, his crew chief from Stewart-Haas Racing, Drew Blickensderfer, would follow him to Front Row Motorsport. The veteran has established a strong rapport with Gragson, offering a calming presence and a commanding leadership quality for the young driver. According to Jerry Freeze, Blickensderfer, who was also McDowell’s crew chief for three years, is in contention for the role at Front Row Motorsport.

Signing Noah Gragson signifies a shift in strategy for Front Row Motorsport, who have gone for veterans in the past, or promoted from within, as they did with Todd Gilliland from the Truck Series program three years ago. As one of Ford’s top supported teams in the Cup Series, giving Gragson a multi-year deal is a clear indication that the team is looking to build on their recent success, but ensuring the 25-year-old feels at home in his new surroundings would mean bringing over his crew from Stewart-Haas Racing as well.

Here’s why Front Row Motorsports went for Noah Gragson, per Bob Jenkins

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Gragson rose to fame after winning twice in the NASCAR Truck Series and 13 times in the Xfinity Series, finishing runner-up in 2022. In the Cup Series, the 25-year-old has seven top-10 and two top-five finishes in 59 starts, with most of them coming this season at Stewart-Haas Racing, under very difficult circumstances. With all things taken into consideration, it’s no secret that Front Row Motorsports went for the Las Vegas native, especially considering that he has managed to get some decent results with very limited resources this season.

Speaking to Claire B. Lang on X, Bob Jenkins shared his insights about the reason Front Row Motorsports went for Noah Gragson. He said, “Just a tremendous opportunity. When the Stewart-Haas announcement was made, I knew this was a great opportunity to get a quality driver, a good person, he’s not as conservative as some of the other drivers we have had in the past. And the fans. He’s one of the top drivers out there and in only two years. I think he’s very relatable for fans and they respond to him.” Jenkins went on to say, “He (Gragson) so appreciates being a part of NASCAR and loves his opportunity. And I feel the same way.”

With Michael McDowell leaving for Spire Motorsports next season, Noah Gragson will have some big shoes to fill. McDowell won the Daytona 500 in 2021, earning a playoff spot, built that up with more consistent performances the following year, and won his second race at Front Row Motorsports in 2023.

However, despite Front Row becoming a Tier 1 Ford-supported team with a technical alliance with Team Penske, McDowell hasn’t fulfilled the expectations despite having a fast car. Bob Jenkins will hope Noah Gragson is able to make use of a competitive car in a more structured and long-term setup, giving the driver some much-needed stability that he hoped Stewart-Haas Racing would give before the team decided to shut down at the end of the season.

What are your thoughts about Noah Gragson joining Front Row Motorsports? Let us know in the comments!