Noah Gragson stayed calm and collected all afternoon to score a fourth-place effort at Talladega. (Photo Credit: Hayden Hutchinson | The Podium Finish)
LINCOLN, Ala. — Noah Gragson plays the survival game to score his first top 5 finish of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series campaign, scoring fourth in Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Gragson climbed 23 positions during the 188-lap event, securing his third career top-five finish in the Cup Series, all of which have come at Daytona and Talladega combined across his 75 starts.
The driver from Las Vegas, Nevada, started his Sunday race from the 27th position, all the way back in row 14 for the 500-mile feat.
Gragson navigated the back half of the 39-car field and settled into 14th place after the first caution of the day. He narrowly avoided a collision involving the driver of the No. 4 Rural King Ford Mustang Dark Horse, as Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, and Ryan Blaney tangled while entering pit road during green flag pit stops.
After Gragson serviced his Ford, the 26-year-old driver drove home to a 30th-place finish after the conclusion of Stage 1.
During Stage 2, the third-year driver managed to glimpse inside the top 5 late in the stage, but ultimately fell back to 14th place as the caution flag was waved. Unfortunately, this left Gragson without any points for Stage 2 while the No. 4 crew prepared for the final push to the end of the race.
With 17 laps remaining, Gragson made his final green flag pit stop as the last 68 laps of the race were run under green flag conditions. The No. 4 crew, along with the other Ford’s that pitted with him, dumped a splash of fuel to make it to the checkered flag.
As the pit stops concluded, Gragson recycled inside the top 10 with just 12 laps to go in the race, pushing the Hendrick Motorsports duo of Alex Bowman and William Byron out front on the outside line for the lead.
Gragson stayed composed as eventual race winner Austin Cindric took the white flag, the No. 4 Ford stayed right in the tracks of Bowman before he stepped out of line, allowing Gragson to finish sixth unofficially.
Once the dust had settled at the 2.66-mile facility, NASCAR had disqualified both second and fifth place finishers, Ryan Preece and Joey Logano, respectively, which pushed Gragson into the top 5.
“We were in the third row on the outside and was trying to keep Cindric out front.” Said Gragson in a post-race interview, describing the last few laps of the race.
“I was in from getting there, and then the 60 was able to pull up and we had two Fords out front. I’m happy for Ford and Penske for the win, but this is a good reset and good points today after the first 10 races of the season. We haven’t had the results we want, so it’s a good reset after the off weekend and a good way to start the next part of the season.”
Gragson is currently ranked 31st in the NASCAR Cup Series standings as the tour returns to Texas for the Würth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway next Sunday.
