Noah Gragson Becoming A Drafting Specialist With Nothing To Lose
3 months agoWhile Noah Gragson hasn't really embarrassed himself in 2024 like he did the previous year, he hasn't really done much either and has been a very anonymous performer. The one exception came at Talladega, where he finished third and actually posted the best driver rating. Since he finished ninth in the Daytona 500 and also won his first Xfinity Series race there as well, he clearly has something of a knack for drafting. Additionally, the Fords clearly have speed as they have dominated qualifying all year, but they have pretty consistently faded through the races as the Toyotas and the Chevies have seemed to consistently have better strategy. Gragson's record suggests he may be one of the likelier dark horses to win his way into the playoffs, but Ford's recent history of late race fades on drafting tracks will probably prevent him from doing that.
Source: Racing Reference
Source: Racing Reference