NASCAR insider weighs in on Noah Gragson replacing Martin Truex Jr. at JGR
Now that Martin Truex Jr. has announced that he will retire at the end of the 2024 season, could Noah Gragson be his replacement? Many NASCAR fans feel like it would be a great choice for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Noah Gragson in the 19 car? Well, Bass Pro Shops and Tracker RVs and Boats are common sponsors. They supported Martin Truex Jr. for years and now they support Gragson. They both are drivers that fans love to support as well. Neither are your stereotypical NASCAR drivers.
Does that mean Gragson is a candidate? It’s not likely. At least, according to Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports.
I know fans would like to see it, but when you think about it, the move wouldn’t make much sense. Bass Pro Shops does not have to continue sponsoring Joe Gibbs Racing. They can keep supporting Gragson wherever he ends up.
That doesn’t even begin to get into the history between Noah Gragson and Ty Gibbs.
“Just voicing my opinion, I don’t like him,” Gragson said before the 2022 Xfinity Series championship. “Just speaking what everybody doesn’t want to say but they feel it.”
He went even further than that when asked to clarify.
“What is there to [like], you know? I’m excited to race with Justin, I’m excited to race with Josh, I’m excited to race with a lot of other guys out there in the field but I’m just over it.”
Noah also had a tough time with TRD when he was with Kyle Busch Motorsports. A lot of reasons why Gragson won’t end up in a JGR car any time soon.
Noah Gragson fastest in practice at Iowa Speedway
Speaking of Noah Gragson, he was great in practice at Iowa Speedway. Gragson shot to the top of the board during the 50-minute session that turned into a 63-minute session. It was chaos and confusion as tire issues plagued the field.
Gragson was able to best drivers like Ty Gibbs, Alex Bowman, Justin Haley, and Chase Elliott. This could be a very interesting weekend. Possibly a time for smaller teams to make some noise if there are widespread issues.
Tires blew out on the cars of Gibbs, Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, and Tyler Reddick. So, three Toyotas, a Chevy, and a Ford. Not a great sign for Toyota as they try to earn a win on Sunday.
Noah Gragson likely has a future in the NASCAR Cup Series after Stewart-Haas Racing closes. But it is not going to be with Joe Gibbs Racing.