Noah Gragson, a 13-time NASCAR Xfinity Series winner, will return to the NASCAR Cup Series on a full-time basis in 2024, joining Stewart-Haas Racing to drive the No. 10 Ford Mustang.
“Noah deserves to be in the NASCAR Cup Series and we’re very happy to have him as the driver of our No. 10 Ford Mustang,” said Tony Stewart, the NASCAR Hall of Famer who co-owns Stewart-Haas with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas. “Noah has performed at every level where he’s competed and has regularly been in championship contention. That’s the kind of driver we need at Stewart-Haas and that’s why Noah is a part of our team.”
The 25-year-old driver will replace Aric Almirola, who confirmed in an October 28 announcement that he wouldn’t return to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2024. Smithfield Foods will not return, either, after serving as the anchor partner of the No. 10 since 2018.
“I’m grateful for this opportunity with Stewart-Haas Racing and while most people in the industry are happy that the offseason is here, I want to get started on 2024 and go racing as soon as I can,” Gragson said. “Stewart-Haas is filled with racers and I saw that and felt it as soon as I walked onto the shop floor. There are high expectations here and a strong desire to compete and win races. I have high expectations for myself and I want to deliver for Tony and Gene and everyone at Stewart-Haas.”
Drew Blickensderfer will return as crew chief of the No. 10 Ford Mustang in 2024.
Over the last three seasons, Gragson has accumulated 39 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving for several different organizations including Hendrick Motorsports, Beard Motorsports, Kaulig Racing, and most recently, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB.
In those starts, Gragson has recorded a single finish inside the top-10 — finishing fifth place in August 2022 at Daytona International Speedway, driving the No. 62 Chevrolet for Beard Motorsports.
This year, the Las Vegas, Nevada native was scheduled to run full-time for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB in the No. 42 Chevrolet, but was suspended by the organization – and eventually NASCAR – after 21 events for liking a racially insensitive meme on social media.
Gragson would eventually be released from his contract with LEGACY M.C. early – at his request – after a season that only included a pair of top-20 finishes at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Circuit of The Americas, and a 28.2 average finish.
While his tenure in the NASCAR Cup Series hasn’t been stellar, by any means, Gragson has collected booming stats in the Xfinity Series, scoring 13 victories for JR Motorsports, and earning three consecutive top-five points finishes in the No. 9 Chevrolet.
When the season gets underway at Daytona in February, Gragson will be joined on Stewart-Haas Racing’s driver roster by Josh Berry, a former teammate at JR Motorsports, along with Chase Briscoe and Ryan Preece, who returns to the team after a dismal 2023.
“I race to win and winning at the Cup level is what I’ve been working toward since I started racing Bandoleros as a 13-year-old at the Bullring in Las Vegas,” Gragson said. “To be with an established team with a history of winning is what every driver wants. I’ve got exactly that here at Stewart-Haas and I aim to make the most of it.”
Sponsorship details for Gragson’s tenure in the No. 10 Ford Mustang will be announced at a later date by Stewart-Haas Racing.
