Noah Gragson in the hunt for full-time Cup Series ride in 2023?

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    Noah Gragson has been considered as a top candidate for a full-time NASCAR Cup Series ride for over a year, but nothing has yet come together for the young driver. That is, as of yet.

After a dominate start to the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, Gragson not only pulled away with the victory at Phoenix Raceway but added a 4th consecutive top-3 finish since the start of the year. If Gragson scores a top-3 finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series "Nalley Cars" 250, he will break the current record held by Kevin Harvick of 4 consecutive top-3 finishes from the start of the season schedule. Gragson tied the record with his win, but still has to break it. 

He is currently in his 4th full-time run in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, making just over 100 total starts up to date. In those starts, he has six total victories, 45 top-5's, and 74 top-10 finishes at this level of NASCAR competition; all of these are definitely something NASCAR Cup Series team owners look at when choosing drivers from the lower series.

Gragson made his first start in the NASCAR Cup Series in the 2022 "Daytona" 500 with Beard Motorsports. Due to an incident taking him out of a possible top-15 finish on lap 190, the driver would be accredited with a finish of 31st. That, however, will not be his only start for the 2022 season.

Coming into the race weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Noah Gragson will make his 2nd ever start on the NASCAR Cup Series level, this time driving for Kaulig Racing's operation. 

While veteran driver AJ Allmendinger and reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Daniel Hemric will have their fair share of starts in the Kaulig Racing "Star Car" of the NASCAR Cup Series, Gragson will pick up the remaining 14 races available in the No. 16 car, all listed below:

1. Atlanta Motor Speedway (March 20th)
2. Bristol Dirt Race (April 17th)
3. Kansas Speedway (May 15th)
4. Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 29th)
5. Atlanta Motor Speedway (July 10th)
6. Pocono Raceway (July 24th)
7. Michigan International Speedway (August 7th)
8. Richmond Raceway (August 14th)
9. Kansas Raceway (September 11th)
10. Texas Motor Speedway (September 25th)
11. Las Vegas Motor Speedway (October 16th)
12. Homestead-Miami Speedway (October 23rd)
13. Martinsville Raceway (October 30th)
14. Pheonix Raceway (November 6th)

Noah Gragson's time in the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro will help his NASCAR Cup Series driver development, and before he enters the scene as a full-time driver. Where he lands as a full-time driver could be interesting though.

Team JR Motorsports has stated previously that unless the cost of NASCAR charters is brought down (currently valued at around to over $12 Millon a piece), they will not be joining the NASCAR Cup Series. So that leaves out that option.

Let's look through the current NASCAR Cup Series teams to find a few possible options for Gragson:

• One team that has absolutely no room for a new driver is Hendrick Motorsports. With Kyle Larson locked into the No. 5 car, and Alex Bowman staying in the No. 48 machine, both signed through 2023 at the moment. William Byron is signed through the 2022 season. Chase Elliott appears to be going nowhere, his contract going through 2027. A contract extension for Byron would be very likely, but would be surprising if they drop Bowman, Byron or Larson for a rookie driver.

• Stewart-Haas Racing is fairly full, but there will be an opening soon than later. Kevin Harvick's contract in the No. 4 and with sponsor Busch Beer is up after 2023, and how much longer Harvick will race at this level is certainly unknown. Aric Almirola has announced his retirement for NASCAR, leaving a void in the No. 10 car. Chase Briscoe's contract status is not public knowledge, but there is a chance that he will get resigned by SHR. Cole Custer on the other hand, has just not had a good run in the NASCAR Cup Series in his first two years. A surprising victory at Kentucky Speedway, after the leaders tangled secured his first playoff seat at ROTY honors, but still very little results to show for it. The 2021 Season would be a disaster for Custer, and he will have to prove to the organization if he wants to return to the No. 41 past 2022.

• Joe Gibbs Racing is another unlikely team to find a ride sometime soon. Denny Hamlin could end up driving his own equipment at 23XI Racing, or Martin Truex, Jr. could hang up his helmet. JGR also has their NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers that could move up the ranks. Ty Gibbs would be an expected replacement for any open ride on the NASCAR Cup Series level for the team, as he is Joe Gibbs' grandson.

• Team Penske is completely out of the question. Austin Cindric isn't going anywhere, especially with his father Tim as the President of Team Penske. Ryan Blaney I would expect to stay for a few more years, and Joey Logano doesn't appear to be looking anywhere else for a ride.

• 23XI Racing is a 50/50 chance, as no one knows Kurt Busch's plans of retirement, but does team co-owner Denny Hamlin slide over from his current ride at JGR, to take a vacant No. 45 car? I wouldn't expect Bubba Wallace to be leaving this organization in the next few years, so a ride in the No. 23 is out of the question for now.

• Richard Childress Racing may have a seat in the No. 8 car if Tyler Reddick is offered a better ride and leaves the organization, but I wouldn't count on Austin Dillon leaving his grandfather's team. 

• Petty GMS Motorsports could be another option, whether Erik Jones or Ty Dillon leaves the organization first. 

• Spire Motorsports wouldn't be a bad, first-year ride for Gragson, but definitely would be a downgrade in equipment from his part-time rides in 2022.

• Trackhouse Racing may be an option but would think they keep their lineup of Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain for a few more years.

• RFK Racing is another big opportunity, whether Keselowski steps down as a driver in the next one or two seasons, or Chris Buescher leaves the team, there could be a slot in this part of the Ford camp.

• Kaulig Racing would one of the biggest opportunities for Gragson. The team already has two charters. One is being used by Justin Haley, while the other charter is being used for the part-time No. 16 for this season. Could Gragson's full-time ride with the team be already in the works? I really don't see AJ Allmendinger fighting for another full-time ride in the NASCAR Cup Series. Daniel Hemric or Landon Cassill could be a possibility, but neither have expressed that interest.

As anything can happen in the NASCAR Silly Season world, Noah Gragson could somehow windup driving for one of the more unexpected teams in the next few years. When a race car driver is hungry for wins, he will find any way possible of quenching his thirst. 

Looking at his schedule for the top-2 NASCAR racing series will certainly keep him busy for the 2022 season, but what does the 2023 season look like for Noah Gragson? Only time can answer that question.