Noah Gragson Reunited With Helmet After Leaving It on Airplane
NASCAR Cup Series full-timer Noah Gragson got his 2024 NASCAR off-season started with a little bit more excitement than was necessary.
The Las Vegas, Nevada-native was traveling back from Phoenix, Arizona – the site of NASCAR’s annual Championship Weekend – on Wednesday, to his home in Charlotte, North Carolina, when he left his helmet in the overhead compartment of the flight.
After realizing that his helmet was left on the airplane, and subsequently checking both with Lost and Found and American Airlines, Gragson put out a call-to-action post on social media, hoping that there was somebody who could assist him in locating the helmet.
“Does anyone work at the Charlotte airport? If so, can you message me,” Gragson said in a social media post. “I forgot my helmet on American [Airlines] flight AA2336 and need help getting it back. Lost and Found is closed and [nobody] at American Airlines is any help. Please DM me if you can help.”
Not long after making his original post, Gragson shared a picture of the lost helmet – for recognition purposes – displaying the black and chrome helmet with his ‘NG’ emblem/logo on the side.
This is the helmet. I landed at gate c6 https://t.co/EfjPDqaos6 pic.twitter.com/XLgFJKvzx6
— Noah Gragson (@NoahGragson) November 13, 2024
Ironically, that wasn’t the helmet Gragson used in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway. Instead, the 26-year-old driver was wearing a helmet honoring Tony Stewart, who brought him back into the Cup Series in 2024 to drive the No. 10 Ford Mustang.
Gragson finished P12 in Sunday’s 312-lap contest, the final NASCAR Cup Series event for Stewart-Haas Racing.
About five hours after making that initial post, Gragson was able to share an update on social media, letting everybody know that his helmet had been located and that the process of getting it back was underway.
“Been in touch with American Airlines as well as many of you. Thank you. The helmet has been located. Thank you for all the outpouring help! Legends! I will be working with American Airlines for the remainder of the process. I’ll let you know when I get it in my possession.”
As luck would have it, Gragson was reunited with his helmet on Thursday, thus ending a period of less than 24 hours filled with internal panic. It didn’t take very long for Gragson to get back on a plane, though, as he goes to participate in the 2.4 Hours of Le Mullets with Travis Pastrana this weekend at Freedom Factory in Bradenton, Florida.
I think it's safe to say that Gragson won't be using the overhead compartment this time.
