Dale Earnhardt Jr (Left) -Image Credit-Randy Sartin-Imagn Images Richard Childress (Right) -Image Credit- Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Jun 21, 2026, 10:30 AM CUT

Richard Childress’ $8.5B worth partner could save Ford driver’s career as he remains contractless, says Dale Jr.

As NASCAR’s silly season continues to take shape, Ford driver Noah Gragson’s future in the sport has remained one of the biggest talking points. While there has been no certainty around the Front Row Motorsports driver's contract, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has floated a solution involving Gragson’s former sponsor that could aid a move to Richard Childress Racing

Bass Pro Shops, which currently sponsors Richard Childress Racing in NASCAR’s Cup Series, previously sponsored the Ford driver. The No. 4 driver secured the sponsorship back in 2020 but lost support of the organization, which is owned by $8.5 billion-worth John Morris, before the 2025 season.

However, Dale Jr. believes that the Front Row Motorsports driver could potentially revive his partnership with the sponsor and secure a seat with Richard Childress Racing, which is currently on the hunt for a driver for the 2027 Cup season after the untimely death of Kyle Busch.

On Wednesday's episode of the "Dale Jr Download" podcast, Dale Jr. said:

"Noah Gragson to the 33 because of the Bass Pro Shop connection. They love him. They always have. "

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 11: Noah Gragson 4 Front Row Motorsports Rush Truck Centers Ford walks down pit road during qualifying for the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Daytona 500 on February 11, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, FL. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 11 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2602114718500

Dale Jr wondered if their relationship is still strong and recalled how the brand reportedly wanted to bring Gragson over to Joe Gibbs Racing to take over the No. 19 car before the team signed Chase Briscoe in 2025.

"Way back when the No. 19 was open, Bass Pro Shops was like, ‘Hey, what about Noah?’ And JGR was like, "No, we’re going to do [Chase] Briscoe. And they [Bass Pro Shops] were like, ‘Oh, all right. I guess we’re doing Briscoe.'"

So far in the 2026 season, Gragson has somewhat struggled to put together a performance that will give him leverage in his contract negotiations. He has managed to score only one top 10, which came at Talladega Superspeedway in April.

However, amidst all of the buzz surrounding his contract, the Front Row Motorsports driver continues to grow his popularity.

Noah Gragson wins NASCAR fans’ hearts with a simple gesture

Noah Gragson has quickly gained popularity among NASCAR fans over the years. He continues to build on this popularity as he recently announced that fans don’t need to go the extra mile to meet him on race weekends.

Ahead of the San Diego race weekend, the Front Row Motorsports driver took to his X account to write:

"Reminder that you don’t need that wristband b******* at our merch hauler. I’ll sign for all of you. No purchase necessary."

This gesture came in after HMS driver Jimmie Johnson announced that fans would be required to purchase his Carvana San Diego die-cast, which would give them access to the exclusive wrist bands.

To add to this, no other items besides the die-cast would be signed. These rules weren't well-received by a lot of fans.

While his future in the sport remains uncertain, it is small gestures like these that still keep him in conversation in the NASCAR world.

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Yash Kotak