Noah Gragson is carrying a heavy heart into Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. The driver of the No. 4 sadly announced the passing of his grandfather, Ken, in a social media post on Friday.
Gragson will roll off 21st for Sunday’s race. The starting lineup for the Cup Series was set by the metric after the single-car qualifying session was canceled due to rain.
Noah Gragson reveals the passing of his grandfather
In a touching social media post, Gragson shared numerous photos of himself and his grandfather, commemorating the great times they had.
Gragson said he has many fond memories of being around his grandfather, such as attending University of Las Vegas basketball games, card games and times together at the racetrack. Those are memories that Gragson said will stick with him forever.
“Love you grandpa Ken ♥️ from UNLV basketball games, playing cards during the summers in Laguna, cheering me on at the race track and everything in between. It’s been a fun ride and memories I’ll never forget. I love you and will miss you. See you on the other side pal ♥️,” he wrote.
The sad family news comes on the heels of Gragson finishing 16th in last Saturday’s Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Although the Front Row Motorsports driver had a three-race string of finishes outside the top 20 entering Bristol, positive results came prior to that.
Gragson finished 17th in the Cup Series race at Iowa last August, then followed up with an 18th-place run at Richmond and a 10th-place result at New Hampshire. The 28-year-old recorded a season-best finish of ninth at Talladega last April.
Noah Gragson returning to Front Row Motorsports in 2027
It was announced last month that Gragson will return to the seat of the No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford in 2027 with options to extend beyond next year.
In a statement released by FRM at the time, Gragson expressed optimism in the direction of his team’s performance, adding that the chemistry with first-year crew chief Grant Hutchens is coming together.
“I feel like we’ve kind of been turning a page, and I’ve been seeing a little bit of uptick in our performance, which is good, and working with first-year crew chief Grant, learning each other, it takes time, and I’m starting to see that page kind of turn in a sense of, hey, we’re going back to race tracks for the second time now,” Gragson said.
“We know each other a little bit better now. I’m starting to see that progression these last couple weeks, and we’ve been working really hard behind the scenes to improve that team chemistry, that dynamic, the communication. This sport’s all about people and having the right people around you, and I feel like I’ve got a great group around me. It’s just we’re trying to find what’s the right direction we need to go in, and what will allow us to reach our full potential.”
After 29 races in 2026, Gragson ranks 31st in the points standings with two top-10 finishes and an average finish of 24.2.
Noah Gragson Shares Sad News of Grandfather’s Passing