Dale Earnhardt Jr. asks Noah Gragson to prove himself in the Xfinity or Truck series to save his NASCAR career
The lower divisions are the best shot at redemption for Noah Gregson.
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Noah Gragson (Credits: @LegacyMotorclub/Twitter) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Credits: IMAGO)
Two times NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. has advised his former driver Noah Gragson, to return to the lower divisions and prove himself ready for a second chance. Gregson, who drove for Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club in the 2023 seaosn, was realized by the team following a social media drama.
Ahead of the 2023 Michigan International Speedway Cup race, the team suddenly announced Gragson’s indefinite suspension and named Josh Berry as his replacement in the No:42 Chevy. It was soon revealed that the team had made this decision after the 2022 Xfinity Series runner-up was found validating a racially insensitive meme on social media by liking it.
Now Dale Jr’ his former boss at Junior Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, has advised the driver to avoid looking for a Cup seat and prove himself by winning races and maybe a championship by racing full-time in the Xfinity or Truck Series. He believes this can help him earn a second chance and relaunch his racing career.
“Where does he go from here? I think that he could actually go into either the Truck or the Xfinity Series. I don’t know what opportunities would even be available. I think what would be good for him would be to be able to get back to Victory Lane and rebuild his own confidence,” the two times Daytona 500 winner said in Dale Jr Download podcast.
“I hope he doesn’t give it up, and I hope there’s an opportunity for him to come back in the in either the truck or the Xfinity series and sort of, you know, and reinvent himself. That’d be the best-case scenario, I think,” he added at the end of the segment.
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Noah Gragson has some major challenges to make his comeback
NASCAR’s indefinite suspension still applies to him despite ending his contract with LMC. To make a comeback and race in any of the NASCAR-sanctioned events, he first has to complete sensitivity training, the length of which will be decided by the organization.
The second major challenge is navigating the bad PR and landing some solid sponsors that could help him chase redemption. It will be the hardest task for him as most firms or individuals will have to think twice before giving him a shot if it backfires, it’s bad publicity they can afford.
Another hurdle will be finding a suitable team that can give him cars capable of winning races and the championship. It will be a miracle if he gets that opportunity in the Cup series; Truck or Xfinity are the options. Even then, he needs to be with the A-Grade side, not some mid-field teams.
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Justin P Joy
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