Petty GMS on Wednesday made official its hiring of Gragson – at present a fulltime driver within the Xfinity Collection with JR Motorsports – to a multi-year contract to drive its No. 42 Chevrolet within the Cup Collection starting in 2023.
The sometimes-fiery 24-year-old driver from Las Vegas has had his share of run-ins with fellow rivals in his profession and even with NASCAR, which fined him $30,000 and docked him 30 factors for deliberately wrecking one other driver earlier this season.
However there isn’t a doubting Gragson’s expertise, which incorporates eight wins, 52 top-five and 85 top-10 finishes in 123 Xfinity collection begins. He additionally owns two profession wins within the Truck Collection has seven mixed wins within the ARCA East and West collection relationship again to 2015.
Noah Gragson, JR Motorsports, Bass Professional Retailers TrueTimber BRCC Chevrolet Camaro, winner
Photograph by: Gavin Baker / NKP / Motorsport Images
Nevertheless, Gragson’s transfer to Petty GMS subsequent season comes with doubtlessly a fair larger bonus – valuable seat time within the new Subsequent Gen automobile, which debuted within the Cup Collection this yr.
Whereas competing in Xfinity, Gragson has additionally been operating a partial schedule in Cup in 2022, driving entries for each Beard Motorsports (twice) and Kaulig Racing (seven races up to now).
“It’s so thrilling. We’re so blessed he will get to run these races,” mentioned Petty GMS president Mike Beam. “It’s like I instructed him final week: ‘Don’t be a dumbass and wreck the primary lap as a result of the following yr you’re again there, you’re a rookie once more.’ You bought to big-picture this deal.
“He simply must get laps. We actually admire the chance he has there (at Kaulig and Beard). That is simply going to profit us.”
Studying to drive the ‘tough’ Subsequent Gen automobile
Most drivers plucked from NASCAR’s decrease tier collection normally don’t include any prior Cup expertise and even much less within the Subsequent Gen automobile. With groups not allowed to check on their very own, Gragson’s Cup seat time this yr is extraordinarily precious.
“It’s been fairly a problem,” Gragson mentioned of his Cup races this season. “The vehicles are arduous to drive. They’re actually arduous to drive. Once you’re not operating it each week, it’s much more of a problem and also you’re taking part in catch-up.
“With that being mentioned, the added observe time has been a profit, I feel, and my dream has at all times been to get to the Cup Collection. Mike Beam and (proprietor) Maury Gallagher reached out to me a pair months in the past with the chance and it simply appeared like the fitting match for me.
“Trying again now, the additional observe time is the fitting factor to do. I feel when you strap in for Daytona subsequent yr, I’ll have already got a bit of little bit of expertise. I received’t be getting into with blinders over my eyes.”
Gragson’s Cup expertise may also be vital as Beam made clear the group is in search of outcomes as quickly as doable, particularly getting the No. 42 on par with the place the No. 43 has been operating this yr with driver Erik Jones.
“We don’t have time. We’ve acquired to go. We’re not going to fiddle right here,” Beam mentioned. “Maury is dedicated to this and what it prices to do it. We’re shopping for what we have to do to run properly however we can’t have any – I don’t need to say weak hyperlinks – however we’ve simply acquired to go, and that’s simply the trustworthy to God’s reality.
“Noah is aware of it. I’ve talked to Noah about it. I’ve mentioned, ‘We’re going to assist you however we acquired to go.’ Erik is aware of it. Our plan is simply to run arduous.”
Erik Jones, Petty GMS Motorsports, FOCUSfactor Chevrolet Camaro
Photograph by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images
Contemplating the group solely got here collectively final December, the very fact Jones has been in competition to win races this yr is a testomony to the group’s power and it’s on the fitting path.
“We’ve come up to now in 9 months,” Beam mentioned. “It’s like you should purchase 600 horsepower however you bought to make 650, you started working at it. We’ve to work at it to get to that subsequent stage.
“That’s about me hiring the fitting individuals, it’s about all of the Cup guys having a course. It’s about effort, that’s what it’s going to take.”
Whereas Gragson’s crew chief for subsequent season has but to be named, his former crew chief at JRM, Dave Elenz, is already working at Petty GMS in his first yr a crew chief for Jones.
Jones and Elenz will proceed to work collectively in 2023 however Elenz mentioned he welcomed the chance to have Gragson be part of the group.
“I like Noah quite a bit. He’s achieved a number of nice stuff on the race observe at JR Motorsports,” Elenz mentioned. “I don’t know if you happen to might get two extra completely different personalities, which I feel is an effective factor for us. Maintaining Noah in line a bit of bit, I feel Erik will help with that. I feel Noah will carry a bit of little bit of liveliness to us.
“It’s a very good mixture. They’re each fairly younger however Erik positively has a number of expertise Cup racing. That may positively assist information Noah and hopefully they may elevate one another. The higher your teammate is, the higher your group goes to be and that’s simply the best way it’s.
“They’re going to supply extra high quality data in the event that they’re operating alongside of you. It’s good from that standpoint and it’s good from a motivation standpoint. It simply makes everyone work more durable.”
