The 2026 NASCAR silly season has delivered a majority of the top drivers re-signing with their respective teams. As we now approach the end of the regular season, it seems one of the final dominoes may fall with Noah Gragson.
During an appearance this week on Sirius XM NASCAR, Front Row Motorsports general manager Jerry Freee said the team is working through the final details on a new contract with Gragson and he will be with the team for the foreseeable future.
“We want Noah back at Front Row and I feel pretty good about it. We’re working through the last details in his agreement […] I look for something out of us in a few weeks on that. We believe in his talent…We believe in Noah and look for him to be at Front Row for the foreseeable future.
Related: Front Row Motorsports Announces New Deal for Cup Driver
It is a bit of a surprise given Gragson’s on-track results this season and his own comments about his future with the team. Gragson has publicly stated multiple times that he’s racing for a new contract and trying to secure a Cup Series seat for the 2027 season.
- Noah Gragson stats (2026): 253 points (31st), 1 top 10, 4 DNFs, 2 laps led, 28.95 average starting position, 25.14 average finishing position in 21 races
Gragson, 28, dominated in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2022. He finished that season second in points with 4,035 behind Ty Gibbs, leading the series in wins with eight and top fives with 21. However, that success has not translated to the Cup Series with Legacy Motor Club, Stewart-Haas Racing, or Front Row Motorsports.
He also seemed to be taking a step back in the last three seasons. After recording seven top-10 finishes with 13 laps led and a 19.56 average finishing position in 2024, followed by three top-10 finishes, seven laps led, and a 25.17 average finishing position in 2025, he is now on pace for his lowest totals in all three stats over that span.
Related: Layne Riggs Addresses Possibility of Racing Cup Series in 2027
However, the issue for Front Row Motorsports might be the absence of a Cup-ready driver who could replace Gragson in the No. 4 car. Chandler Smith has only raced three times in the Cup Series in a part-time role, and top prospect Layne Riggs has never raced in the Cup Series.
That factor and Gragson’s popularity with both sponsors and fans now have him well-positioned to remain with Front Row Motorsports in 2027. An official announcement is reportedly coming in a few weeks, leaving the No. 33 car with Richard Childress Racing as the top open Cup seat for 2027.
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