CONCORD, N.C. — Noah Gragson picked up his best finish of the season Sunday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, giving the Front Row Motorsports driver momentum heading to this weekend’s race at Texas Motor Speedway.
Gragson crossed the finish line sixth, but wound up fourth after fellow Ford drivers Ryan Preece (second) and Joey Logano (fourth) were disqualified.
It was Gragson’s best Cup Series effort since joining FRM during the offseason.
“I feel like it’s good motivation for our team. It’s not been a great year result-wise. I think we’ve had some good runs and good speed throughout the races, just closing them out and finishing them off we haven’t finished the way we need to be,” Gragson said during a media conference call on Wednesday. “Hopefully, it’s a good building moment for our group and good motivation and confidence that we can take to these next handful of race tracks.”
Gragson, who advanced to the Cup Series full time in 2023 after winning eight Xfinity Series races in 2022, has hit a few bumps along the way since then. But he’s built popularity with fans based on his aggressive style on and off the track.
Gragson said he’s towing the line between being edgy and toning down his public persona.
“It’s definitely one of those things where you answer to so many different partners that might have different views,” Gragson said. “Within the partners that you have, they have different views. You kind of just have to tone it down and I’m probably a little edgier than most drivers, and I try to live every day like it’s my last, and I try to enjoy it, but at the same time there’s so many partners that you’ve kind of got to walk that middle road.”
Gragson is teamed with David Gilliland and Zane Smith in the three-car Front Row Motorsports stable, and he believes the team needs more speed to improve its consistency.
“It’s just kind of silly wrecks and getting involved with them, but it really just comes down to we need to go faster so we’re not in those positions,” Gragson said. “If you’re leading the race, the odds are you’re not gonna be around that stuff. Ultimately, we just have to go faster and I think we’ve got a team to do it.”
Gragson expects only bigger things to come from Front Row Motorsports.
“I feel like I’m in a great spot here at Front Row Motorsports. Bob Jenkins and Jerry Freeze have a great vision and I’m thankful for the opportunity to race here,” Gragson said. “Our cars are fast. We haven’t had the results we want, but in racing when you don’t have speed, you’re really scratching your head.
“Right now, I feel like we have some decent speed, it’s just putting the whole race together. I’m probably not as stressed out right now as maybe I was around this time last year, just because I feel like we’re in a good spot.”
