After finishing sixth on Sunday in Dover’s Cup Series race for his second consecutive top-10 finish and fourth of 2024, I wanted to take a little closer look at Noah Gragson and how the No. 10 car has stacked up against other competition through the first 11 races. Before I compared the Stewart-Haas Racing driver to the current field, I wanted to see how he measured up to his predecessor in the No. 10, Aric Almirola. Surprisingly, it’s not even close.
Through the first 11 races in 2023, the veteran had a single Top 10, 2 finishes in the teens and five finishes of 30th or worse for an average finishing position of 23.7. This season, Gragson has those four top 10s, one inside the top 5, and three finishes of 30th or worse for an average finishing position of 17.3. Definitely an improvement in the No. 10 car in 2024.
Against the rest of his SHR team, Gragson’s performance has been equally impressive. It’s arguable that the 25-year-old is the best in the four-car organization with Chase Briscoe his closest competition, recording four top 10s of his own but no top 5s, one finish higher than 30th, and an average finishing position of 14.7.
Noah Gragson vs. 2024 Cup Series Field
Through 11 races in 2023, Noah Gragson had struggled mightily, recording more finishes of 30th or worse than top 20s. To be exact, the Legacy Motor Club driver had six finishes worse than 30th, including a painful consecutive five-race stretch from Richmond to Dover, where his best finish was 30th at Martinsville. He had only a pair of top 20s, a 12th at Atlanta and a 20th at COTA.
This year, Gragson’s first at SHR, his dramatic turnaround is not only better than last year’s results through 11 races, but better than some of the bigger names in the Cup Series. His 17.3 average finishing position is tied with two-time champion Joey Logano and better than Bubba Wallace (17.9), Daniel Suarez (18.3), Christopher Bell (19.4), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (23.6) and Michael McDowell (25.0).
Just because the No. 10 has started strong in 2024 doesn’t mean there won’t be a few bumps in the road. That’s the case for every team each season. But based on Gragson’s results early in 2024, and more specifically, his attitude and the confidence he carries with him to the race track each weekend, those bumps will not turn into mountains because the SHR driver has matured inside and outside the race car.
The numbers clearly back it up.