Noah Gragson primed for Daytona opportunity, more experience in Beard family's No. 62
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — As a part-time racer in the NASCAR Cup Series, Noah Gragson won’t figure into the playoff equation when the green flag flies on the regular-season finale Sunday morning at Daytona International Speedway. But the 24-year-old’s outlook is still full of opportunity for the team that gave him his first shot at the big leagues.
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Gragson will make his 11th Cup Series start in Sunday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 (10 a.m. ET, CNBC, Peacock, MRN, SiriusXM), driving the Beard Motorsports No. 62 Chevrolet. Three of his Cup Series appearances have come with the small family-owned team, which focuses on entries in superspeedway events. His other eight Cup starts have come in a part-time role with Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 Chevy team.
Gragson, a regular for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, says he’s aware of the stakes for multiple drivers outside of the playoff bubble as they try to make a late bid for one of the 16 Cup Series Playoff berths. But he’s also trying to make his best showing for team owner Linda Beard in one of the No. 62 team’s handful of races this season.
“I think you want to be considerate of those guys, but the most important thing for us is making it to the end of the race and then having a shot to win and really being smart,” Gragson said. “This year, trying to gain respect from the other competitors and not doing anything dumb — I think if we take that mindset, it doesn‘t really change between playoff guys and non-playoff guys — it‘s about getting that experience and getting that respect.”
The experience has been a boon as Gragson makes the next step in his NASCAR career. He was announced Aug. 10 as the next driver of Petty GMS Motorsports’ No. 42 Chevrolet, making the full-time jump to Cup after four full seasons in the Xfinity Series.
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Gragson will be pulling double-duty this weekend, driving JRM’s No. 9 Chevy in Friday night’s Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola (7:30 p.m. ET, USA, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM). He’s currently in the thick of the Xfinity playoff hunt — fourth in points and an established three-time winner this season. His Cup Series efforts this year have been a tougher go, with five DNFs in 10 races, but Gragson says the seat time he’s had between both teams have given him a head-start on 2023.
“I think the opportunity with Beard Motorsports and Kaulig Racing have helped,” Gragson says. “I know how raw I was getting into the Cup car to start the season and how much I‘ve learned since then with more experience. That‘s definitely been a big help. And with these guys having a full season under their belt this year, if I were to hop in cold turkey next year, it‘d definitely be a lot more challenging. But just getting the understanding of the car and how they feel and the level of competition, all of that has helped.”
