Dale Earnhardt Jr Confirms Tony Stewart’s Dark Horse “Will Be in Cup Next Year” as Silly Season Heats Up

NASCAR reached the peak of the 2024 Silly Season when Tony Stewart dropped a bombshell. After 25 years of stellar Cup racing, Stewart and Gene Haas decided to call it quits. The team will exit the Cup garage after 2024, grinding to a painful halt after hustling for 15 years. But its drivers are putting on a great show in the team’s final year.

One of these young racers joined SHR just last year. Even though no one expected much from him, the 25-year-old has been thrilling SHR fans. Dale Earnhardt Jr thinks this talented wheelman has a bright future ahead next year.

The reason why Dale Earnhardt Jr has high hopes for Gragson

Among all the Stewart-Haas Racing drivers, Chase Briscoe has the brightest prospects. With a career-best average finish of 16.5 after 17 races this year, Silly Season rumors are buzzing about potential offers for him. Next, close behind him is Noah Gragson, who bailed from Legacy Motor Club last year under less-than-ideal circumstances. Despite a lukewarm reception when he joined SHR, Gragson is already turning heads with his performance.

With 5 top-ten finishes and 1 top-five finish this year, Gragson is proving his mettle. He also posted the fastest speed at the Iowa practice session. That is why his main sponsor, Bass Pro Shops, is clinging to him. Dale Earnhardt Jr reflected on this as he declared Gragson’s glittering prospect for 2025. “Noah Gragson will probably be in Cup next year again…Because Noah too has created partnerships that love him. They want to go take their millions to where Noah goes. So I think that Noah ends up in a pretty decent spot.”

The same applies to Chase Briscoe, as his top-notch sponsor, Mahindra Tractors, makes him a sure-fire shot for Joe Gibbs Racing. Martin Truex Jr’s retirement also works in his favor. Hence, Dale Earnhardt Jr also believes in Briscoe’s good fortune. “I think Joe Gibbs Racing is…they have had a couple of tough things happen in terms of partnerships and sponsors over the last couple of years. And they’re looking to stabilize financially. A driver like Briscoe who has got great talent but also has great partners, it’s a hard deal to turn down.”

Although Stewart-Haas Racing is shutting down soon, the two drivers cultivated a healthy work environment this season. Gragson’s crew chief talked about their remarkable teamwork, which worked wonders.

SHR teammates live up to their jobs

Last year, Noah Gragson was in trainer and former NASCAR driver Josh Wise’s fitness program. He confessed that the program spoonfed him a clear-cut plan. But upon joining SHR, the young student struggled to prepare for races on his own. Gragson’s crew chief, Drew Blickensderfer, saw immense potential in him and devised a plan. He united with Briscoe’s crew chief, Richard Boswell.

The No. 10 and the No. 14 teams put their heads together for joint meetings. Crew chief Blickensderfer confessed that this strategy helped them run well in races, which eventually caught the attention of veterans like Dale Earnhardt Jr. He said, “It’s helped us be more efficient throughout the weekend…They did a lot of their homework by themselves. Noah likes to do it in a group setting. So, it was kind of new for us as well. We’ve kind of adapted and figured it out. It’s really helped speed up some of our communication from Saturday to Saturday night and then on Sunday as well.”

Unfortunately, this compatible teamwork will be short-lived. We have our fingers crossed for the future rides where the SHR drivers will land.