Noah Gragson's Antarctica adventure draws reaction from Kelley Earnhardt while NASCAR takes an offseason break

Noah Gragson was seen spending his NASCAR offseason in Antarctica, as he received a warm reaction from his former team owner, Kelley Earnhardt. The Front Row Motorsports driver headed to the South Pole with friends and shared a set of photos from the trip on social media, which drew the attention of NASCAR fans.

Gragson posted a carousel of snapshots on Instagram and captioned it:

“Trip of a lifetime. Antartica😊”

JR Motorsports co-owner, Kelley Earnhardt, wrote in the comments:

“Looks amazing!”

Kelley Earnhardt comments on Noah Gragson's post. Source: @noahgragson via Instagram

Before reaching the Cup Series full-time, Noah Gragson built his reputation at JR Motorsports. He became a full-time Xfinity Series driver with the team in 2020 and made Championship 4 appearances in 2022 and 2023. Under the leadership of Kelley Earnhardt Miller and Dale Earnhardt Jr., he became one of the most competitive young drivers in the garage.

Gragson's path since has not been as smooth. He made the jump to Cup with Legacy Motor Club in 2023, dealt with a turbulent rookie year that included a suspension, rebounded in 2024 at Stewart-Haas Racing, and then took on a new challenge in 2025 with Front Row Motorsports, driving full-time in the No. 4.

Gragson’s first year with FRM was difficult. For now, the offseason trip is a reset ahead of his second year.

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Kelley Earnhardt balances offseason with JRM duties and her son's racing schedule

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt Miller before the 'Earnhardt' premiere. Source: Getty

While Noah Gragson stepped away for some winter adventure, Kelley Earnhardt’s plate remains full both at home and at JR Motorsports. Her son Wyatt Miller will participate in the Winged Outlaw, Non-Wing Outlaw, Winged A-Class, and Stock Non-Wing divisions as the 2024 Restricted Micro champion, with heats set to begin on December 29.

On the other hand, the 2026 JRM lineup is largely set as the organization prepares for the rebranded O’Reilly Series with four entries and a fifth part-time No. 9 Chevy.

Rodney Childers will guide the No. 1 Chevrolet shared by Carson Kvapil and Connor Zilisch, Sammy Smith remains locked into the No. 8, Justin Allgaier continues to anchor the No. 7, the No. 88 stays flexible as a development car with Rajah Caruth among the confirmed drivers, and the new No. 9 will feature Cup cameos from Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen.

JRM also plans a one-off Cup Series return at the Daytona 500 with Allgaier after its most successful season in 2025. Off the track, Earnhardt spent Christmas at Bass Pro Base Camp with husband LW Miller and their son, Wyatt. The 13-year-old has had a busy year and now turns his attention to the 2026 Tulsa Shootout, chasing another Golden Driller.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam