Noah Gragson admits there’s a lot to be said about and a lot to learn from having older teammates. The oldsters not only bring experience but also maturity to the mix that younger drivers can learn from and also learn to emulate.
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But now, in his first season with Front Row Motorsports, the 27-year-old Gragson is the elder statesman of the three-driver roster, which includes Zane Smith (26) and Todd Gilliland (25). This makes FRM the youngest collective driver lineup in the Cup Series.
While some observers may question the maturity of such a young trio of drivers, there’s also the benefit of being young and free and more open to things than veterans are.
Sure, younger drivers tend to make more mistakes than veterans, but what better way is there for a young driver to learn than from those mistakes? That’s why Gragson feels so at home with his fellow 20-somethings.
“We’re all friends and it’s not a forced relationship,” Gragson said heading into this weekend’s Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis. “Sometimes you have teammates where it’s a forced relationship. We naturally get along really well, so I think we all have each other’s best interest in mind.
“We want what’s best for the organization and we work together really well. I’ve been really pleased to see how Todd and Zane and I have been as teammates. We help each other on the track and we help each other off the track.”
There’s no older intimidating veteran
Gragson likes that he and his young teammates don’t have to be intimidated by older drivers who may have a lot more wins and championships.
“When you get a veteran in the room you almost become hesitant to talk,” Gragson said. “You more want to listen and take in all of the information.
“Now, I think we have really open dialogue conversations and we’re able to speak what we really feel, where sometimes you might be hesitant when there’s a veteran in the room and you really don’t want to open your mouth.
“So, I think that’s a positive. We’re all pretty honest with each other. We help each other grow and that’s probably the most important thing is having each other’s backs. I feel really good having Todd and Zane as teammates.”
There’s one other advantage to having young teammates: they can all grow older together and hopefully stay together with FRM for a long time to come.
“I think we can keep on growing Front Row Motorsports and build it up to an organization that just raises the standard each and every year,” Gragson said. “I’m really confident with what we’ve got right now and can’t wait to see what the future looks like.”
