December 13, 2023, marked the day Noah Gragson was officially tapped to join Tony Stewart‘s team, taking the helm of the No. 10 car. This shift came on the heels of Aric Almirola‘s move to Joe Gibbs Racing, where he’ll be part-time in the Xfinity Series come the 2024 season. It’s been a bumpy road for SHR in 2023, with major sponsors like Busch Beer heading over to Trackhouse, Smithfield following Almirola out the door, and Hunt Brothers Pizza teaming up with Joey Logano and Team Penske. As of now, the sponsorship puzzle for 2024 is still being pieced together.

Despite these challenges, Drew Blickensderfer, the crew chief for Noah Gragson, is brimming with optimism for the new season. Recently, he took to Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, where he delved into some exciting details about their Daytona plans, offering a glimpse into what promises to be an intriguing season ahead.

Noah Gragson’s crew chief is focused on internal growth, not rival Ford teams

Last season, Noah Gragson had quite a ride with Legacy Motor Club, parting ways mid-year. Despite Gragson not cracking the top 10 this year, his crew chief, Drew Blickensderfer, is bullish on his potential.

Speaking candidly, Blickensderfer expressed, “Ryan Preece and Josh Berry are great race car drivers that can win races and I know Noah Gragson is. We just gotta get as a company, we have to perform better. And that goes for all the fords. You say that and it’s like, “I want the championship.” Well… We needed to be better all year long as a group, especially at Stewart-Hoss. We’re not competing at the level with the other Fords or the other teams our size that we need to be so. Improve race cars which I think we’ve done slightly.”

He then added, “Hopefully, this dark course is the next step for us. And, we’ll see probably a day tone, I’m sure we’ll be pretty good. We’ll see when we go under that West Coast Wing Tower, how much better we are, but hopefully quite a bit.”

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Interestingly, Drew Blickensderfer isn’t the only one singing Noah Gragson’s praises. Amidst a suspension for a NASCAR rule infringement, ironically, Gragson received unexpected acclaim from a law enforcement officer for his easy-going nature.

Noah wins praise from a Law Enforcement Officer

Noah Gragson, set to join the Stewart-Haas Racing team, recently earned high praise from a U.S. law enforcement officer. During a meet-up with the Las Vegas-born NASCAR driver, the two hit it off splendidly. Officer Torrance “TJ” Jackson captured their time together in a collage of photos and videos, showcasing their camaraderie.

Taking to Twitter, Officer Jackson shared, “Had a great time hanging out with my boy @NoahGragson all day today in Vegas and the hospitality he showed us. You won’t find a more laid back, down to earth guy than this dude. Can’t wait to see him wheeling it again in the nascar cup series next year.”

This nod from a law enforcement officer, especially after Gragson’s suspension for rule-breaking, paints an interesting picture. It seems Noah Gragson’s easy-going nature has won him fans in unexpected places. With such support, the road ahead in NASCAR could most likely be lined with enthusiastic cheers from a growing fan base.

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