Getty Joey Logano (left) & Paul Wolfe (right) celebrate a win at Phoenix Raceway.
The NASCAR offseason just began, and many drivers are taking a much-needed break. Joey Logano and Noah Gragson, however, are having fun with new roles on opposite ends of the country.
The reigning Cup Series champion and the Xfinity Series runner-up both kicked off the offseason by donning some headsets and serving as spotters. Logano headed to Hickory Motor Speedway for the Fall Brawl on November 12. He guided Coleman Pressley, who is his spotter in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Flipping roles tonight. Currently spotting for @ColemanPressley at @hickoryspeedway
Halfway through, Coleman’s is P6
Gragson, for comparison, headed to Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park to be the spotter for Black Rifle Coffee Company teammate Travis Pastrana during the Nitro Rallycross weekend.
Logano’s stint as a spotter was brief, but he and Pressley combined to achieve success. The veteran spotter made his first Late Model start in several years, and he pulled off the win after a late battle with Charlie Watson.
Gragson Guided Pastrana During Numerous Races
GettyNoah Gragson was Travis Pastrana’s spotter in Arizona.
The 25th running of the Fall Brawl was a shorter event; it only had a scheduled 200 laps around the .363-mile track. Though a Dylon Wilson spin set up a green-white-checkered finish at the short track.
The race weekend at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park was an entirely different matter. Gragson had to work as a spotter for multiple days as Pastrana took part in a Nitro Rallycross doubleheader.
🔥 @TravisPastrana takes Round 5 under the lights for his second win of the season 🏆
The first day, November 11, was a major success. Pastrana secured the top qualifier spot and won a heat race. He then started on the front row for the six-lap main event, which featured some outright chaos. Pastrana avoided the mess, built up a significant lead over runner-up Conner Martell, and then took the checkered flag to become the first repeat winner of the 2022 Nitro Rallycross season.
Gragson and Pastrana had an opportunity to continue achieving success on November 12, but some unexpected situations arose. The driver of the Power Plus FC1-X won the first heat race of the day, but he received a five-second penalty that dropped him into second place.
Won the main event for @NitroRallycross! Badass job by @TravisPastrana and team. First race as a spotter, first win!
Pastrana moved on to the battle brackets, where he faced off with rival Kris Meeke. He initially lost the head-to-head race, but the stewards penalized Meeke and gave Pastrana the win. This decision moved Pastrana to the next round, where he faced off with Oliver Eriksson. However, he received a five-second penalty of his own for “aggressive driving.”
The second day of racing did not play out as Gragson and Pastrana hoped, but they had one more opportunity. The action continued on November 13 with Round 6, which set up a potential third win of the season for Pastrana.
Gragson Will Compete Once Again
The Las Vegas native kicked off his offseason by testing out his spotting skills, but he will soon be back behind the wheel of a race car. Though it will be a Late Model instead of a Cup Series car.
Racing America revealed on November 9 that Gragson will head to Five Flags Speedway in early December for the 55th annual Snowball Derby. He will join Rette Jones Racing for the beloved short track race, and he will try to add another win to his resume.
Gragson won the iconic Tom Dawson Trophy back before becoming a championship contender in the Xfinity Series. He captured the 2018 race while driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports. He took the lead late after a caution for Kyle Bryant, but an incident involving Bubba Pollard quickly brought the yellow back out.
Gragson took the lead once again on the restart, and he proceeded to play defense against Ty Majeski. He went on to capture the checkered flag while Majeski finished second. Harrison Burton, who started on the front row, finished 10th overall.
Gragson also attempted to qualify for the Snowball Derby in 2020 while driving for Phoenix Racing. However, he did not secure a spot in the main event after time trials and the last-chance race.