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Tony Stewart Concedes Defeat to Brad Keselowski After Disappointment in Daytona

Published 08/30/2023, 10:55 AM EDT

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Looking at the playoff standings for this year, it is safe to say that the Fords have put on quite a show. However, even among the Fords, some have fared better than others. If we take RFK Racing, for example, their achievement is monumental. From being obsolete in the playoff rumble in 2022 to getting both their cars into the round of 16 this year, this team is perhaps the best of the Fords. Earlier in a podcast, Kyle Petty lashed out at other Ford teams like Team Penske and Tony Stewart-owned Stewart-Haas Racing for their mediocre performances.

While he praised Brad Keselowski and Michael McDowell with mellifluous words, the 63-year-old vehemently slammed Penske and Stewart-Haas. And after last week’s race at Daytona, indeed, Tony Stewart seemed to concede defeat to Brad Keselowski.

A day that could have been glorious for Tony Stewart and SHR ended fruitlessly!

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Tony Stewart owns 4 entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, and only one of them is in the playoffs. With just 20 laps to go for last weekend’s race, all four SHR cars ran in top-5 contention. But, after a series of diverse pit strategies, Chase Briscoe got caught up in Ryan Preece’s 10-flip accident. Earlier this year, his team suffered an L3 penalty for the use of a counterfeit part and lost 120 points. Hence, a win was absolutely necessary. But even after starting the race from the pole and leading a whopping 67 laps, he could not bag the win.

Aric Almirola finished third for sure, but at that point of the season, even a second-place finisher was not enough to make it to the playoffs. Considering the speed of his car and the equipment that he had, Almirola had expected a better finish. With that, only Kevin Harvick is in the 2023 playoffs for Tony Stewart’s Cup team.

Watch this story: Is Tony Stewart Responsible for Rick Hendrick’s Bitter Snub at Josh Berry Amid Chase Elliott Reprehension?

After leading the overtime restart after Preece’s crash, Kevin lost his speed to Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski, who were constantly tailing him. Getting no support from his teammates, he dropped back to 9th. According to The Podium Finish, Harvick said, “We knew we were in a bad spot with the two teammates, the Fords could just push so much better than the Chevys.”

Looking at all the external factors out there, Brad Keselowski’s team took the upper hand as he got both his cars into this season’s playoffs.

With this season being his last as a driver, Tony Stewart’s No. 4 receives his flowers from the fans

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Kevin Harvick has cruised down victory lane 60 times in NASCAR’s top tier, including wins at Daytona, the Coca-Cola 600, the Brickyard 400, and the Southern 500. The #4 Ford Mustang icon is also a two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion with almost 50 career wins in that series.

As the year ends, the 47-year-old California native will retire and put a glorious end to his long and eventful career.

And when Stewart-Haas Racing tweeted, “One of the most strategic, smart, and versatile racers, @KevinHarvick always finds a way to compete. #4EVER”, fans rained praise on the speedster and simultaneously urged Tony Stewart to give Harvick better facilities.

Someone commented, “We need the best cars y’all got to give him a chance! He’s got the team!! And he’s the best! Let’s CLOSE IT OUT!!! #4thecup #4ever”

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While another said, “Thankfully he can still get it done even when this organization gives him slow poor handling cars.”

A Kevin Harvick fan crossed his fingers, saying, “Hopefully our guy can get a win in the last 10 races. I’m hoping SHR is dumping all of their resources into @KevinHarvick for this playoff run.”

Controversial Insider U Turns on His “Zero Consequences” Rant After Brad Keselowski Shut Him Down

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One of the enthusiasts slammed SHR and exclaimed, “Yes, that’s right! His strategy, talent, and smarts are what landed him in the playoffs, despite the fact that your brain trusts at SHR seem hell-bent on giving him the biggest pieces of crap to drive. DO BETTER BY KEVIN HARVICK! He doesn’t deserve to go out like this!”

As Harvick moves on to Darlington next week, all eyes will be on his Ford Mustang. It is only a matter of time before NASCAR fans witness the last 10 races of this legend.

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Written by:

Soumyadeep Saha

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Soumyadeep is a NASCAR writer at EssentiallySports. He has done his Master's in English Literature and is a semi-professional bodybuilder. He has, in recent years, channelized his love and commitment for motorsports into a building career path.
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Edited by:

Ranvijay Singh