Coming from the dismal 2023 season is Tony Stewart’s Ford camp, Stewart-Haas Racing. The four-car team was at its lowest last season, with all its ace drivers failing to rack a win. Even its veteran champion, Kevin Harvick, couldn’t register one and barely made his way into the playoffs. Now, coming to the current way of things, despite roping in two worthy drivers to its stable, SHR still seems to be in a precarious position.

On a fair note, Noah Gragson has been the only driver who has lived up to expectations, delivering two top 10s, along with Chase Briscoe making the most of his outings. However, Josh Berry and Ryan Preece are caught in a whirlwind, struggling to get the right footing and take it forward. But as new reports come in, the plot thickens even further as we stumble across the internal struggles of SHR.

Are internal issues swaying Tony Stewart’s ship?

There has been a lot going on in Stewart-Haas Racing beyond the steep drop in performance over the years. A new fan who may not know the organization’s history might place SHR as a sub-par team, considering its current performance. But long-time enthusiasts certainly remember the glory days. From an elite tier 1 Ford partner to becoming a mere image of its former self, SHR’s fall from grace has been a sad affair.

Amidst rumors about the team’s future, analysts on GoPRNlive discussed the reported absence of Stewart and Gene Haas in the race shop. Kelly Crandall, from Racer Magazine, gave the benefit of the doubt to the team and said, “Those rumors have been around for the last couple of years, right? It seems like every year, there’s always a rumor about dumping charters, changing drivers. There’s rumors about, ‘Tony doesn’t care,’ ‘Gene’s not around,’ ‘What’s going on, who’s really running Stewart?’”

The rumors about SHR possibly dumping charters intensified last month when Front Row Motorsports signed a multi-year extension with Ford to become a Tier 1 program. While, as of now, SHR is locked into the four charters likely due to their existing contract with Ford, things could change if the contract changes or expires. And if they’re no longer a key Ford partner, that could entail a possible downsizing.

Reflecting on the SHR members’ state of mind, Crandall added, “I think, internally, it’s probably exhausting for all of them, to be honest. They’re human, right? Anybody who’s associated with Stewart-Haas Racing is human. It probably does wear on you.” However, she also painted a positive picture. While these distractions can make it tough for SHR, at the end of the day, it all depends on the driver’s performance, irrespective of the team owners’ presence.

“As far as talking about the drivers, I don’t think it affects the drivers. I think all of those outside distractions…maybe it wears on the people in the building. I think, for the drivers, I’m not so sure that really has much to do with performance,” Crandall explained. However, one major point in her conversation was Josh Berry.

The newly-inducted SHR driver wasn’t really able to make a lasting impression with his performance until the Bristol race, with only two top-20 finishes. However, last weekend’s run was a blessing as he finished P12, his first top-15 of the season. However, that doesn’t mean the racer can rest easy, as he revealed the aspects he’ll be looking to work on.

Josh Berry reflected on the importance of communication

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Fans were resting their hopes on Late Model legend Josh Berry when he was roped in as Harvick’s replacement. However, the former JRM speedster has yet to find a rhythm and showcase his true potential, essentially becoming the #4 car’s true heir. Talking about his shortcomings, Berry, according to RACER.com, said, “I had back-to-back speeding penalties at Atlanta, which was silly but just an honest mistake of understanding the car and everything there.” 

“I feel like when our car is balanced and driving pretty good, it’s fast. The speed is there, so, to me, it’s just about learning how to communicate those different pieces to Rodney [Childers],” Berry added. Driving home the point of important communication, he said, “When I go out to practice at Phoenix and feel like I’m tight, I don’t know how tight I really am. I don’t know what adjustments we need to make exactly. So just learning and understanding that stuff so I can give him better information is going to be important.”

It seems Josh Berry has found the root cause of his woes. But will he be able to work on it and help alleviate his and Stewart-Haas Racing’s miseries? Let us know what you think!

READ MORE: Tony Stewart Savagely Compares 86-Year-Old Racer Father With a Monkey, Shutting His NHRA Quick Rod Ambitions