Top Dog: Noah Gragson
This season has been abysmal for Noah Gragson. Heading into Iowa Speedway with only eight lead-lap finishes in 23 races, only four top 20s and an uncertain future in NASCAR, there has been pressure on Gragson as of late.
At Iowa on Sunday (Aug. 9), we saw many unexpected good runs from multiple drivers, including Ross Chastain, Zane Smith, Connor Zilisch and Josh Berry. But Gragson’s run stuck out the most. Entering the week 31st in points, Gragson impressed on Sunday, knocking on the door of the top 10 later in the race. Though a strategy gamble cost the Front Row Motorsports No. 4 team spots at the end, their 17th-place finish was a welcome result.
The Climb to the Top
Gragson’s weekend got off to a good start, qualifying 15th and nearly matching teammate Smith on time. The first stage was concerning for the No. 4 team, with Gragson dropping to 20th at stage end. The second stage was scattered with cautions, though Gragson survived the chaos and finished the stage in 14th. Once the race restarted, Gragson gained a handful of spots and settled into 11th.
Gragson remained in 11th until the final pit cycle began. The No. 4 was kept on track as cars pitted, eventually getting up to second. With around 20 laps to go, Gragson pitted for fuel to make it to the end of the race.
The Las Vegas, Nev. native re-entered the track in 18th before quickly passing Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to move into 17th, where he took the checkered flag.
Staying out on old tires for as long as they did almost certainly cost the No. 4 team time on track, but if the caution had come out before Gragson had to pit, they would have been in position for a great result. In the end, the gamble seemed justified.
Looking Ahead
Despite the decent result, Gragson’s points position remained unchanged. However, points are not too crucial for Gragson right now. After all, he was mathematically eliminated from Chase contention in this race. In order to advance his career, Gragson needs to impress. Days like today where he ran virtually mistake-free and maximized his team’s strategy will make him more appealing to other teams.
The No. 4 car visually looks slower than the other Front Row cars on car performance alone. To run with his teammates, Gragson needs to make as few mistakes as possible, and today showed that he can perform under pressure.
Top Dogs of the Lower Series
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series: Throughout the years, Ryan Sieg has been a regular resident of the O’Reilly Series. For many seasons, it has looked like the family-owned RSS Racing team was on the verge of becoming contenders, but without major funding, the organization hasn’t been able to take the next step.
In 2026, RSS has seen multiple solid races, and Sieg is putting together a decent season. On Saturday at Iowa, Sieg scored his first-ever pole in the O’Reilly Series. It is the most starts before a pole (423) in series history.
Sieg led for the entirety of the 60-lap first stage, but he lost the lead in the pits during the stage break. He then finished fourth in stage two. Late into the race, Sieg was charging to the lead. He battled side-by-side with Ross Chastain for the win but couldn’t get clear, eventually getting passed for second by eventual winner Carson Kvapil. During an overtime restart, Sieg got caught up in a wreck and finished 33rd. It was a disappointing result for sure, but Sieg made noise and drove one of the best races of his career.
Small Team Scheme of the Week
Black race cars almost always look great. A jet black base, especially on a stock car, gives the aggressive look every team owner wants from their car.
Add in some gold, and we have a fantastic livery. Costa Oil Filters’ color scheme fits perfectly with this. Sponsoring the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet, the car had a solid black base with a golden roof and a liquid gold design on the lower part of the vehicle.
Driven by Cody Ware, the scheme had a rough day at Iowa, finishing three laps down in 32nd. Still, it is a fantastic livery, and it looked good in the Midwest sun.
