With silly season winding down, it has come to light that Noah Gragson is a candidate to drive for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2024.
All signs are currently pointing at the driver of the 10 car for SHR, Aric Almirola, stepping away and retiring. If that is the case, there is another seat in the NASCAR Cup Series to be filled.
With Carson Hocevar announcing his deal with Spire Motorsports to drive the 77 car in the Cup Series full-time, that leaves two prominent seats left in the Cup Series. That being the 10 car for SHR and the 16 for Kaulig Racing. Kaulig Racing's president, Chris Rice, and owner, Matt Kaulig, have stated that they know who is driving the 16 car for them next year, but they are waiting to officially announce who it is. If that driver is not Gragson, that means the 10 car is his only shot at returning to the NASCAR Cup Series in a competitive ride.
It was announced this week on Dirty Mo Media's "Door Bumper Clear" that Gragson has been linked to the 10 car. FOX reporter, Bob Pockrass, was the one to break the news on the show.
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"I think Noah Gragson is certainly a candidate for it (10 car)," Pockrass said. "It sounds like he's talked to several teams over the last month and it sounds like some things have gotten close and don't happen."
Pockrass also confirmed that Almirola is not coming back next year to drive the 10 car. "It's not Aric Almirola. I feel pretty good about that."
With this being the last Cup Series ride Gragson could get, a couple rides in the NASCAR Xfinity Series could be in place. Currently, there are open rides at Joe Gibbs Racing and Kaulig Racing that could allow Gragson to get back to his winning ways.
Silly season seems to be revolving around Noah Gragson. With the rumors swirling around the garage, Gragson could change everything by landing a ride at Stewart-Haas Racing.
More: Noah Gragson Reinstated by NASCAR After Indefinite Suspension
