In a sense, Noah Gragson is much like his former boss, NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart. When he was racing, Stewart was known for speaking his mind. But at the same time, he also was cognizant of embarrassing his team or its sponsors. It was a fine line but, for the most part, Stewart toed that line well.
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Gragson is much the same way. The Front Row Motorsports driver will give a direct and transparent answer when asked a question. But if the situation calls for it, he’s not afraid to speak his mind.
And like Stewart, Gragson knows when to use a few choice words when he feels the need. It’s part of his DNA.
As Gragson and Front Row Motorsports prepare for this weekend’s high-speed race at Texas Motor Speedway, he was asked how he can be both edgy as well as toned down.
“I think (it’s) a little bit of both,” Gragson said. “It’s definitely one of those things where you answer to so many different partners that might have different views. Within the partners that you have, they have different views. You kind of just have to tone it down.
“I’m probably a little more edgier than most drivers, and I try to live every day like it’s my last, and I try to enjoy it, but at the same time there’s so many partners that you’ve kind of got to walk that middle road.”
In a sense, Gragson is somewhat the exception rather than the rule among most of his rivals in NASCAR’s highest division. His opponents oftentimes come across, particularly in media interviews, as putting their sponsors first, making sure they present them and speak about them in the best light.
After all, those same sponsors pay most of the bills, and if they weren’t around, Gragson might not be around in the Cup Series, as well.
But that’s where Gragson’s “edgy” personality sets him apart from his fellow drivers. While his rivals may be afraid to speak out, Gragson has no problem telling it like it is – but again, not in a way that will put his team or sponsors in a negative light.
For example, Gragson would likely never, ever call out a FRM teammate the way Joey Logano lashed out with a profanity-laden tirade over the Team Penske radio at teammate Austin Cindric at the end of Stage 2 of this past Sunday’s race at Talladega.
You likely won’t see that from Gragson. While he may call out a rival, especially someone who may have done him wrong on the racetrack, he knows better than to criticize his own teammates Todd Gilliland and Zane Smith.
But Gragson has had issues he’s learned from
For the most part, Noah Gragson is calm on the track, but he’s had a few instances where he’s gone toe-to-toe with a rival driver, perhaps most notably the brief physical skirmish he had with Ross Chastain after the May 7, 2023, Cup race at Kansas Speedway.
Gragson is with his third full-time team in as many seasons, Legacy Motor Club for about two-thirds of the 2023 season, the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing last year and FRM this year.
The Legacy Motor Club situation was particularly unpleasant as he was suspended by the team for “actions that do not represent the values of our team,” after it was discovered that Gragson had claimed he inadvertently “liked” a racially insensitive post on social media.
While Gragson claimed his actions were a mistake, he also took responsibility, taking to Twitter and saying, in part, “I am disappointed in myself for lack of attention and actions on social media. I understand the severity of this situation. … I try to treat everyone equally no matter who they are. I messed up plain and simple.”
Noah Gragson learned a valuable lesson, but not one he’ll soon make again anytime soon. It’s all about walking that middle road, after all.
