[autotag]Stewart-Haas Racing[/autotag] might have to find a new driver for the No. 10 Cup car as Aric Almirola has yet to announce his determination on retirement. As of late October, there hasn’t been a firm decision on the matter; however, Almirola reportedly has a “very high chance” of retiring at the conclusion of the year. If so, which driver is Stewart-Haas Racing looking at for the entry?
[autotag]Noah Gragson[/autotag] is considered the top candidate for the No. 10 Cup car with Stewart-Haas Racing if Almirola steps away from the sport. Gragson was previously with Legacy Motor Club but parted ways with the team following his suspension for liking an offensive social media post. Ahead of the Round of 16 finale, Gragson was reinstated by NASCAR.
The 25-year-old driver would make sense for Stewart-Haas Racing as he could bring some sponsorship with Smithfield Foods likely leaving with Almirola. Also, Gragson has proven his talent in the lower ranks of NASCAR after winning a staggering eight Xfinity Series races during the 2022 season before coming up short to Ty Gibbs in the championship race.
Retweet to congratulate Noah Gragson on his NASCAR Xfinity Series WIN at Homestead-Miami Speedway (his ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ก of the season)!
He ๐ค๐๐๐ race for a championship in Phoenix. https://t.co/PQia59wSdn pic.twitter.com/IVx0ZGsj5G
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) October 22, 2022
Sure, Gragson definitely struggled with Legacy Motor Club and hasn’t been in the news for the right reasons lately; however, he still has the potential to be a good race car driver. Gragson is also pretty popular and would bring more fans and increased sales to Stewart-Haas Racing. It makes sense from a competitive and financial standpoint to hire the Las Vegas native.
This would be similar to when Kyle Larson was suspended for using a racial slur in an iRacing event during the 2020 season. Larson missed the remainder of the year and was hired by Hendrick Motorsports for the 2021 season. The driver of the No. 5 car used his mistake to make an impact on the community and has learned from his wrongdoings.
Gragson should strive to make a similar impact off the race track while trying to become the great driver he believes he can be for years to come. It appears that Stewart-Haas Racing believes that Gragson can take his suspension and use it to learn from his mistakes. For now, Almirola hasn’t made a decision but signing Gragson would be the right move if he truly makes changes to himself.
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