HAMPTON, Ga.: Not even halfway into the NASCAR Xfinity Series season amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the discussion of 2021 is starting to become front and center for some.
After finishing second in Saturday afternoon’s EchoPark 250 at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway and winning the first round of Xfinity’s Dash4Cash Noah Gragson expressed the uncertainty of his future in the sport.
Gragson who drives the No. 9 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports started off his full-time Xfinity tenure with a two-year deal with the Mooresville, N.C.-based organization and while his results were mixed in 2019, his performance thus far in 2020 has been explosive.
Gragson, 21, already has two wins and is ranked second in the championship standings remains unsigned for 2021.
“I’m just super-fortunate to be able to run with (crew chief) Dave Elenz and this team, it’s quite the privilege. A lot of confidence, we’re just going to try to roll on week by week,” said Gragson after delivering his fifth top-five finish of the season Saturday.
“I’m fighting for a job. I don’t really know what I’m going to do next year. With that being said, I’m putting everything I got into it, both on and off the race track, trying to stay motivated and positive.”
Gragson who has been a mainstay in NASCAR’s top three national series since 2017 surprised some with comments – especially considering the elevation of his performance after eight races, but with sponsorship pivotal to long-term success in the sport, Gragson’s focus is in the present while not losing sight of the future.
After eight races last year, Gragson had only one top-five and three top-10 finishes and sat 10th in points.
“Everybody’s working really, really hard. I’m definitely very grateful to be driving these race cars. I’m just trying to keep everybody happy and do the best job possible.”
CATCHFENCE.com asked Gragson if he would be interested in returning to the Xfinity Series or even perhaps advancing his career to the NASCAR Cup Series, Gragson was modest.
“I want to race a race car. I have zero plans right now,” he said. “Ultimately, I’d like to race in the Xfinity Series but if the opportunity comes up to run in the Cup Series, it is what it is. There’s no talks about any of that right now.
The door is open for Gragson, a native of Las Vegas, Nev. to return to JR Motorsports in 2021 if the pieces can be puzzled together.
Kelley Earnhardt Miller, co-owner and general manager of JR Motorsports, told both CATCHFENCE.com and Motorsport.com Saturday night that the organization is having conversations with all of its drivers about next season.
She expressed that most of JRM’s deals are year-to-year and depend greatly on acquiring sponsorship, something that has made more difficult this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and NASCAR’s two-month stoppage of competition.
Third season or not, Gragson would welcome the opportunity to continue being apart of JRM’s lineup.
“I’m just hoping to run in the Xfinity Series again, Gragson added. “I’m not saying I am running in the Xfinity Series but it would be a goal of mine to be able to run a third year. I’d run anything, from Legends cars to Xfinity, it’s all a lot of fun.
“It’s something I really enjoy is racing, I put in a lot of time and effort. Just going to keep pushing. I don’t know what’s going to come. I’m just going to keep my head up and try my best and hopefully, I can keep doing good.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
