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#4: Noah Gragson, Front Row Motorsports, Rural King Ford Mustang
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The Underdog House: A Talladega Top 10 Is the Best Medicine for Noah Gragson

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Top Dog: Noah Gragson

With a quarter of the NASCAR Cup Series season in the books, teams returned to action following the series’ lone off week for Easter weekend.

From honeymoons, to endorsement appearances, to vacations, drivers took one last exhale before embarking on a stretch that will span 28 weeks when the checkered flag flies at Phoenix Raceway in November.

There was no gradual immersion back into the car for the drivers, as their first challenge back from break was the chaotic Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday (April 27).

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Austin Cindric Tops Ryan Preece in Photo Finish to Win at Talladega

For Noah Gragson, his break included both a vacation and a sick period, one he admittedly had not fully recovered from by the time race day arrived.

However, feeling ill elevates performance on certain occasions (cough, Michael Jordan flu game, cough). That proved true for Gragson, as a fourth-place finish was just what the doctor ordered.

The Front Row Motorsports driver closed out the opening stage in 22nd in what turned out to be the rowdiest segment of the race. That included a lap 43 crash during green flag pit stops that put Gragson’s reflexes on display, as he narrowly avoided the spinning cars of Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski.

Gragson turned on the afterburners in stage two, rocketing up to second at one point while running a large portion of the stage in the top 10. He ultimately finished the second leg in 14th.

Two stages down, one to go at Talladega, so that means the gloves are coming off, right?

Yes and no.

The intensity certainly picked up at times, with fuel saving virtually going out the rear windshield as drivers aimed to earn track position. However, with most of the field going full throttle, the limitations of the Next Gen car’s superspeedway package were put on display, as the pack spent most of the final run two by two.

Fortunately for Gragson, he methodically weaved his way through the tight confines to get into the top 10 once the final green flag pit stops cycled through, placing him in fourth. In a chess match between the inside and outside lanes, it appeared as drivers accepted the fate that they could either stay in line or get hung out to dry. That hindered any further progress for Gragson, but it still saw him earn his best finish of the season.

The Las Vegas native grabbed his first top five and second top 10 of the season after Ryan Preece and Joey Logano were disqualified. This comes on the heels of finishing outside the top 20 in four of the last six events, though a couple of those results were affected by external circumstances. Additionally, he earned his second consecutive top five result in the Talladega spring race after earning a career-best finish of third there in 2024.

Several drivers were in need of rejuvenation from the break despite the season still being relatively young, and even if it came at the wild card track of Talladega, a top 10 is the best medicine Gragson could have asked for to commence the long haul.

Notable Underdog Runs

Carson Hocevar told the media that he would not enter fuel saving mode as soon as the green flag dropped at Talladega, a promise he kept. Despite starting 28th, it took no time before the newly dubbed “Cowboy Carson” spurred into gear and entered the top 10.

However, stage one was just the start of what was a rather bizarre day for the 22-year-old. After slipping to 30th by the end of stage one, Hocevar pitted a second time to change helmets after complaining of his initial one being too tight. Then, later in the race, Hocevar’s tire carrier, Jarius Morehead, was struck by Josh Berry‘s car during pit stops. Fortunately, the former NC State safety was okay.

Outside of those peculiar instances, Hocevar displayed some of the qualities he flexed at Atlanta Motor Speedway earlier this year, where he finished second. The Portage, Mich., native was frequently aggressive on pushing, making bold moves, and racing his way to the front, which included a fifth-place stage two finish.

On the final wave of pit stops, the Spire Motorsports talent invaded Toyota’s parade off pit road, cycling ahead of them to lead the group. He entered a logjam as groups peeled back onto the track when Ross Chastain threw a block to slow the group’s momentum.

Nonetheless, Hocevar held it steady to the end to earn a strong sixth-place result, his second top 10 of the year.

Death, taxes, and another solid day for Michael McDowell, who finished 11th. Grinding days out while not being too flashy has been the theme for Spire’s newest driver this season, but that has positioned him as a model of consistency.

McDowell wasted no time in getting to the front during the race, grabbing the lead on lap 6 and leading 10 circuits. The Phoenix, Ariz., native wrapped up both stages inside the top 20, where he was a fixture for most of the race.

With the field landlocked during the final run, it prevented drivers mid-pack from making significant gains, thus resulting in McDowell’s 11th-place showing. And though he is, incredibly, still in search of his first top 10 of 2025, McDowell has now racked up five top 15 finishes while sitting 29 points off the playoff cut line.

Behind McDowell in 12th was the defending Talladega winner, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. A two-time ‘Dega winner, Stenhouse had no intentions of hanging out in the basement after qualifying 35th, soaring to third by the end of stage one.

Following a 14th-place stage two finish, the superspeedway ace never quite got the opportunity to display his prowess, mired mid-pack in the closing laps. However, he continued his streak of 10 consecutive top 25s to start the year, and he sits just 21 points off the playoff cut line currently.

Cole Custer and the Haas Factory Team finally had fortunes go their way, as Custer secured the newly re-branded team’s first top 15 in 13th. With Andy’s Frozen Custard on the car, there was plenty to scream about for the No. 41, as the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion was a fixture in the front half of the field.

Custer ran in the top five on multiple occasions, and he was quietly a factor most of the afternoon. Similar to his performance in the Daytona 500 that nearly netted him a win, the 27-year-old has quietly turned into a solid superspeedway racer.

Stat to Chew On

McDowell’s speed was evident from the drop of the green flag, ultimately landing him the Xfinity fastest lap of the race. It is McDowell’s third time receiving the honor this season, which has also netted him three extra points as a result of the new incentive that the driver with the fastest lap receives an additional point. Through 10 races, McDowell leads the series in this category with fellow underdog AJ Allmendinger sitting in second with two fastest laps this season.

Underdog Power Rankings

1. McDowell (+1): McDowell returns to the top of the list with another solid showing. The No. 71 team appears to still be finding its groove, which could be threatening to the competition as the year progresses. That trend could continue at Texas Motor Speedway, where the veteran has finished 17th or better in five of the past seven races there.

2. Allmendinger (-1): A bit of cold water splashed on Allmendinger’s hot streak as of late, as he escaped Talladega in 26th. Texas has been average for the Kaulig Racing driver over the course of his career, though he did score a seventh-place finish in the All-Star Race in the Lone Star State in 2022.

3. Hocevar (–): To use the baseball term “papercuts,” Hocevar is slowly chipping away at regaining momentum after a dismal five-race stretch of finishing 19th or worse. His last two starts have produced results of 11th and sixth, and his two Texas appearances yielded finishes of 16th and 10th. Watch out for this cowboy next week.

4. Stenhouse Jr. (NR): Stenhouse remains one of only two drivers without a DNF, reflected by his consistent resume so far in 2025. A 12th-place finish at Talladega may be disappointing for the Olive Branch, Miss., native, but he still sits within striking distance of the playoffs. He only has two top 10s at Texas, but one of those came in 2023 (ninth).

5. Zane Smith (-1): Talladega saw Smith score his first career pole and pace the field for five laps, and he looked poised to score a top 10 before getting shuffled out on the final lap, sliding to 21st. The notebook is thin on his Texas experience, where he has finishes of 24th and 26th.

Honorable Mentions: Todd Gilliland, Justin Haley, Gragson

Small Team Scheme of the Week

I may have already gone with this scheme before, but it’s too “sweet” to pass up on, especially as we near the summertime.

Andy’s consistently impressed with their liveries, as this one stands out with its refreshing baby blue base, aided by warm colors on the doors and quarter panels. Of course, my ice cream obsession may make this pick partial.

Entering his fifth year with Frontstretch, Luken Glover is the author of The Underdog House, shedding light on the motivation and performance of NASCAR's dark horse teams as they strive to fight to the top. Additionally, Glover reports for the site at various events, and he contributes in the video editing department.

A 2023 graduate of the University of the Cumberlands, Glover is a middle school math and PE teacher, as well as a basketball coach. He is passionate about serving in his church, playing/coaching a wide variety of sports, and researching motorsports history.

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