Stewart-Haas Racing has been through a lot recently. The once-champion team failed to earn a single win in the NASCAR Cup Series last year and with Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola’s departures, some big-name sponsors have also left the time. But there was a glimmer of hope in the #14 of Chase Briscoe, who was running in the top 5 with a few laps to go. However, it’s going to take Tony Stewart longer before he can taste Cup Series success again.

It was a tough day at the office for Stewart-Haas Racing in Atlanta as 3 of its 4 cars failed to finish the race. Meanwhile, Ryan Preece could only manage a P16 finish. All in all, not a day to remember at all for the Ford team.

Tangle with Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace cost Chase Briscoe

Their spirits were high when the driver of the #14 car managed to drive within the top 5 with just over 20 laps to go in the race. Chase Briscoe was aggressive and seemed confident as he made several moves past cars in tight situations. But his luck ran out the last time he tried it and completely ruined his race.

With just 21 laps to go, Briscoe found himself fighting with Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin in a three-wide situation. He parked his car in front of the #23 and behind the #8 but the former was running too fast to slow down in time. There was a bit of pushing, but Tony Stewart’s driver decided to take the gap between the #11, which was on the inside and the #23. Unfortunately, he lost control of his car and spun out, damaging Hamlin’s car and his chances of winning the race as well.

“I really don’t know what happened. I know I kind of got shuffled…didn’t get shuffled but I got put in a bad spot on the back straightaway. Somebody was on my right rear, kind of shuffled me to the left and I think we were 3 or 4 wide and I think somebody hit me in the rear getting into 3 but I could have just gotten loose from the air, I’m not really sure. Like I said, I haven’t seen it yet so yeah. Sucks how good our car was, we were able to be at the front all day and be super aggressive, making moves and thought we were going to be in a really good spot there, and just…part of it when you’re racing that tight and everybody’s going for it at the end, we were just on the unfortunate side of today,” the 29-year-old said.

It’s certainly not the result that the team would have wanted, especially after the stern warning laid out by team co-owner Tony Stewart before the 2024 season started at the Daytona International Speedway.

Tony Stewart has laid down an ultimatum for his team

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The last couple of years have been disastrous for the team and, as per ESPN, the 3-time Cup Series champion has given sort of an ultimatum to everyone working at SHR. The NASCAR legend said that there would be major changes if results don’t improve and that could mean even the drivers. And Chase Briscoe has won only once in 108 races.

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“We’re going to have to get some races into it. but if we’re not having the results we’re looking for, we’re going to start making some major changes. Everybody knows that. Everybody understands that,” the 52-year-old NHRA race car driver reportedly said ahead of the season opener.

Tony Stewart is a proven winner, a man who is used to winning championships and considers anything less not good enough. Well, Stewart-Haas Racing has been mediocre at best since NASCAR brought the Next-Gen car into the picture. There needs to be a big shift in the results, otherwise SHR may look drastically different from what it does today in the near future.

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