What Will the Future Hold for a Vegas-Born Driver After 2026?

A few years ago, Noah Gragson looked like one of the biggest future stars in NASCAR. He was competing for O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Championships each year and consistently staying toward the front. Now, he sits 31st in the standings going into the bye week, with the only drivers behind him being Josh Berry, Connor Zilisch, Ty Dillon, and Cody Ware. Front Row Motorsports has not yet revealed his future with the team, and the former rising star’s plans are uncertain after 2026.

The Las Vegas native is having the most miserable season he’s had since 2023, when he was fired from Legacy Motor Club in early August. Gragson has not recorded a top-10 finish since the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega, where he finished ninth. Since then, he has only finished in the top 20 in a race once, a 17th-place finish at Nashville. Meanwhile, his teammates have shown runs of speed on several occasions. Todd Gilliland just won the In-Season Challenge, and a million dollars, and the 38 of Zane Smith was a repeat top-10 finisher during April and May. With Gragson not up to par with his teammates, he could be the first one out.

So if he is removed from the four-car machine, what are some options for the 2022 O’Reilly Series runner-up? He has reportedly gotten interest to drive Richard Childress Racing’s second Cup Series car, left vacant after the tragic passing of Kyle Busch. The 28-year-old’s partnership with Bass Pro Shops sparked this interest, as Bass Pro Shops already runs with the team as a sponsor for Austin Dillon. Additionally, Gragson was one of the drivers that ‘KB’ helped develop in the Craftsman Truck Series, so taking over Busch’s ride would be fitting. He will likely have to compete with Austin Hill for the seat in 2027, as Hill races in it now and is seen as the favorite to take it as of July 28th.

There is a way that Gragson could remain at FRM, but in a different series. Owner Bob Jenkins announced that Chandler Smith will not be re-signing with the team in the Truck Series, meaning the 38 truck is open. This could lead to Gragson hitting a reset on his NASCAR career and stepping back to a lower series. In a year where Ford is struggling throughout all of NASCAR, the FRM Truck Series team has been the brightest spot, with their drivers being first and third in the standings. If Gragson goes back to a lower series, this could be his best option to compete again.

The Las Vegas native is at a difficult point in his career, but he is still young enough that he could turn it around. Drivers such as Alex Bowman have turned their careers around in their late 20’s before. With Gragson’s sponsors backing him, he could find rides to help him end up similar to Bowman. Whether it's stepping back for a little while or finding a mentor in the Richard Childress Racing stable, there are all the opportunities in the world for Gragson to become the star people once thought he’d become.