Four years ago, Noah Gragson was the toast of the then Xfinity Series, winning eight races and executing celebrations after each victory that delighted the fans, but then he moved to NASCAR’S Cup Series in 2024, and everything changed.
Gragson hasn’t been a victory contender since joining NASCAR’s primary series, first with Legacy Motor Club, then Stewart Haas Racing and now Front Row Motorsports. After 22 races with Legacy in 2023, Gragson was suspended indefinitely by the team and NASCAR for liking a racially insensitive meme on Instagram that mocked George Floyd’s death. Legacy stated Gragson’s action violated team values. Gragson requested his release from Legacy so he could focus on his NASCAR reinstatement process. His best finish that season was 12th in the first Atlanta race.
The following year, Gragson joined SHR. His lone top five occurred in the April Talladega race. In 36 races, he had only seven top 10s. Last year, his first season with Front Row Motorsports was even worse. Once again, his lone top five came in the spring Talladega race. However, he produced only three top 10s in the season’s 36 events. This year, in the first 10 races Gragson has only one top 10 and, again, it occurred in the April Talladega race.
It’s a change that Gragson says has taken a toll on his personality.
“I’ve learned to just not go out there and show my personality as much as I can because people have lost that privilege,” Gragson said. “Everybody has an opinion, and if you’re winning, you’re OK. It’s when you’re not winning that it’s a firestorm and people want to just point and say, ‘It’s this, this, and this.’ Well, you never said any of that stuff when I was winning races, so what’s the difference now?”
Gragson says those closest to him know his work ethic and his passion for the sport.
“It’s not like I’m just going out there and messing around,” Gragson said. “I do my work throughout the week and when I get to the race track I try to enjoy myself as much as I can.”
At Talladega this year, Gragson enjoyed spending time with former NFL player Marshawn Lynch and Kaulig Racing’s Brenden “Butterbean” Queen.
“We were just hanging out, smoking cigars and talking about life,” said Gragson, who noted he liked characters. “It was just three guys enjoying themselves.”
Gragson notes that partners Grillo’s Pickles, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and Rush Truck Centers have embraced him being himself. However, he realizes one must be smart about things.
“But there are the select people that also know and just have a problem with everything, and they ruin it for a majority of the people who enjoy my personality,” Gragson said. “I guess you just have to clean it up because that’s the way the world is these days. I’ve learned to just not go out there and show my personality as much as I can because people have lost that privilege.”
Gragson says he feels he’s had to relinquish all of his personality since he’s not winning.
“I just don’t really tweet much. I don’t really post a lot on Instagram anymore,” Gragson says. “I don’t really give the fans any ammunition because they’ve lost that privilege, unfortunately, because it takes one person to mess it up for everyone.”
When Gragson was asked if he felt the fans on social media were the problem, he responded, “It’s just the nature of where my career and life has gone the last five years.”
“It’s just not as enjoyable anymore to go on there and read the stuff,” Gragson continued. “There’s just a lot of different situations that present itself that I’m finally like, ‘Why do I even put in the effort if people aren’t gonna appreciate me?’”
About the Author
