Noah Gragson has been medically cleared to return to action for the next NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday. NASCAR will also grant him a waiver that allows him to remain eligible for the playoffs should he qualify.
Gragson missed the most recent Cup race at Sonoma due to a concussion he sustained in a hard crash at Gateway. Craftsman Truck Series driver Grant Enfinger, who races for Legacy Motor Club‘s Truck satellite GMS Racing, made his Cup début and finished twenty-sixth in the #42.
He ultimately missed just a single race, somewhat aided by the Cup Series taking a week off on Father’s Day weekend.
Despite receiving a waiver, Gragson faces a massive uphill battle if he hopes to make the playoffs as a rookie. He and the team have struggled mightily in 2023, sitting thirty-third in points with a best finish of twelfth at Atlanta; prior to his injury, he was thirty-second.
Gragson has raced at Nashville twice in the Xfinity Series, finishing eighth in 2021 and thirteenth the following year.