Stewart-Haas Racing facing increased pressure in 2024 amid recent struggles
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Tony Stewart left no doubt in a recent satellite radio interview that the performance the past couple of years at Stewart-Haas Racing did not meet expectations.
But the drivers in his organization didn't need to hear it to know that the pressure is on them as they enter 2024. They have heard the stat over and over — they have one Cup win among them thanks to Chase Briscoe's Phoenix victory in 2022. And SHR hasn't won a race in the past 84 Cup starts.
"Everyone in that building understands what we did the last two years isn't acceptable anymore," Stewart said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio last week. "That's not the standard this team is accustomed to. We have got a lot of banners hanging from the ceiling that show that we know how to do it right."
If hearing that and looking at the wins and championship banners that hang from the ceiling didn't bring enough pressure to the quartet of drivers, they can see the organization's situation unfolding in front of their eyes: The team's deal with Ford Motor Company ends after the 2024 season. And major sponsorship appears more scarce, headlined with the loss of sponsorship from Anheuser-Busch and Smithfield.
Whether Ford renews at the same level to help support the four-car Cup organization remains to be seen, especially considering it will enter Formula 1 racing in 2026 and is diversifying its motorsports portfolio.
So when looking at a team that needs something good to happen, SHR tops the list.
"From a sponsor standpoint, it's super important to run good," Briscoe said. "It's a contract year for a lot of our sponsors, so definitely I feel like there's more pressure on me this year than any other season I've ever had in the Cup Series.
"But my entire career, I feel like I've always just ran better when I have a ton of pressure on myself. I'm kind of looking forward to it."
Josh Berry and Noah Gragson talk about being the two newcomers to Stewart-Haas Racing
SHR, formed in 2009 when Gene Haas gave half of Haas CNC Racing to Stewart in order to take advantage of his ability to bring in not only drivers but also crew members and executives, did a rebrand this year. It highlighted Stewart's vibe of authenticity and racer grit.
Typically that hype video would be for the team and the fans, but this appeared to be as much of a statement to potential sponsors (and manufacturers?) to emphasize that this team has the ingredients to turn the corner.
To do so, it will rely on Briscoe (one win in 108 total career starts, the most starts with SHR of any of the team's drivers), Ryan Preece (0-for-151), Noah Gragson (0-for-39) and Josh Berry (0-for-12).
"I definitely feel like in my Cup career, this is the most pressure-packed season or just the most pressure in general that I'm going to have on myself," Briscoe said.
"From a performance standpoint, I need to pick it up to kind of what I did the sophomore year. Last year was not acceptable by any means. And with having new younger drivers coming in, I feel like I have to definitely prove my worth and prove that I can be that top guy."
Briscoe talking about new, younger drivers in some ways shows a misconception about the SHR lineup. Gragson is 25 but the other two drivers who have joined the team in the last two years — Berry and Preece — are 33 years old while Briscoe is only 29.
While these drivers don't have the Cup-winning experience and less than nine years combined of Cup racing, they do, for the most part, have maturity. It's not the maturity they had last year with Kevin Harvick (who retired at age 47 with 60 wins in 826 starts) and Aric Almirola (who at age 39 will now drive part-time in Xfinity following a Cup career with three wins in 460 starts).
But Stewart said he likes the energy in the shop from his four drivers. All of them have winning pedigrees. Gragson has 15 combined wins in Xfinity and trucks, Briscoe has 13, Berry has five and Preece has four.
If they can win and win early, the narrative around SHR likely would turn quickly into a team that has re-joined the sport's elite (much like RFK did last year during the summer).
"I do feel a little pressure to where we do need to run good — not for a reason in particular but as a whole everything gets better when you run good," Gragson said.
Chase Briscoe on whether he is the new team leader at Stewart-Haas Racing
If they seem worried that they won't get long to prove their winning ways, they aren't showing it.
"You always feel pressure to perform," said Berry, who comes from JR Motorsports. "From my side of things, this is the most certainty I've had in actually having a two-year deal in my entire career.
"It's a fresh start. ... We all know we've got to step up. We all know we've got to perform and run well. It's no different anywhere you go."
Teams typically field the number of cars based on support from their manufacturer and sponsors. And while NASCAR teams hope to get more revenue from NASCAR as part of a still-to-be-negotiated agreement to extend their charters (NASCAR's version of a franchise) beyond 2024, whether SHR has enough projected revenue to continue as a four-car organization remains to be seen.
Obviously, Haas could support the organization thanks to his successful CNC machine business but he already is pouring money into his Formula 1 and NASCAR programs.
"We as drivers need to step up as leaders," Preece said. "I think it's an important time at Stewart-Haas Racing to show leadership and I feel like that's what we're all trying to do as well as going out and performing.
"When you go out and perform and you win races, typically the other things come."
Sounds so easy. And yet so hard.
"We all hated the fact that we didn't win last year, and it was time to change things," Preece said. "There's been a lot of internal changes and all for the good. ... The first five or six races [this year], they kind of fall into our wheelhouse.
"Hopefully, all of us can execute and establish ourselves as contenders."
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
