After $110 Billion Setback, NASCAR Community Pinpoints Tony Stewart’s Blunders Leading to SHR’s Downfall

2023 has been nothing but a disaster for Tony Stewart and Stewart-Haas Racing. Their over-dependence on veteran Kevin Harvick has ascertained costly for the team, as the rest of the lineup is clearly struggling to hold on this season. With seven out of their 12 top-10 finishes coming from the veteran Harvick, Gene Haas certainly needs to make amends to stay afloat.

And adding fuel to the fire is their primary sponsor’s switch to Trackhouse Racing, leaving the team in dire straits. While Stewart has found a worthy replacement for “happy” Harvick in Xfinity sensation Josh Berry, things still don’t look good for SHR, as they just lost Anheuser-Busch to Ross Chastain.

Moreover, their run-in with NASCAR, Aric Almirola‘s skeptical stance, and their underperforming drivers have added to the misery of SHR. From being a competent team, winning three national touring divisions, and becoming one of five teams to do so, SHR’s downfall has brought nothing but despair for ardent fans.

Is this the downfall of Tony Stewart’s team?

Stewart-Haas Racing has been a top team in NASCAR for years. Though the combo of veteran Gene Haas and 3-time Cup Series champ Tony Stewart has complimented the team in several ways, its 2023 season has been far from great so far. With the sanctioning body strapping hefty penalties on Chase Briscoe‘s #14 team, issuing the first-ever L3 penalty, Briscoe went from being 17th to 31st.

Whereas their #41 driver Ryan Preece hasn’t been in form, constantly struggling to occupy a top 10 berth, Preece’s 2023 season has been a shaky one, to say the least, much like veteran Aric Almirola. While the #10 driver brought Smithfield on board as a major sponsor, his skeptical stance has left Stewart and the team on the lookout for a replacement.

Apart from the retiring 2014 Cup Series champ, Kevin Harvick, who is 9th in the standings, the rest of the drivers are in the fray, down the ladder. And adding more fuel is Harvick’s sponsor, Anheuser-Busch,’s switch to Trackhouse Racing, joining Chastain’s #1 team. With their $110 billion-worth primary sponsor’s partying ways and the drivers caught in a rut, things certainly look bleak for the team.

READ MORE: “There’s Gonna Be Some Guys Out of Jobs” – Brett Griffin Insinuates Tony Stewart’s Massive Driver Lineup Change Likely Misfired

From fielding the sport’s most successful female driver, Danica Patrick, to having exceptional talents like Clint Bowyer and Kurt Busch, it is indeed a sorry sight. NASCAR Nation speculated on a possible disparity between Stewart and Haas. There were others who urged Stewart to take charge and noted down valuable suggestions.

Fans urge Tony Stewart to take charge, suggesting to come back stronger

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Many in the community point fingers at veteran Stewart’s unfruitful decision to pick a driver or his inability to capitalize on talents, like when Kurt Busch left the team. Kurt left SHR after a 4-year contract wherein he brought Monster Energy to the Ford camp. While all this may prove to be true in some instances, the arrival of the super-sub-Josh Berry is most likely to boost the morale of the whole Ford camp.

With Darain Gilliam of the popular YouTube channel Black Flag Matters highlighting SHR’s downfall, the community quickly jumped on board with suggestions and speculations.

An ardent fan wrote, “I think they will rebound. But this season is a wash. Briscoe and Berry have talent. Almirola and Preece have definitely struggled. Tony needs to pay more attention to SHR if he wants to win another championship.”

Whereas another fan suggested that fielding 4 teams might be more than a handful for the struggling team,

“Possibly scale back to 2-3 cars. Theres too much to handle with not enough funds to cover it all. I know Gene & Tony have $$$ but they should be profiting, not losing out”

“Should have stayed with Chevrolet. Since then it’s been a slow, steady downfall.”

While another user commented, “That team has never been in my eyes a powerhouse other than the 4. I gotta think Tony is upset at Ford for the KL deal.”

On the other hand, another fan underlined the team’s critical situation explicitly,

“With SHR’s economy, they are in pretty deep sh*t. Losing Monster & Kurt hurt. Losing Bowyer & Rush Truck Centers hurt. Losing Harvick & Busch really hurt. Losing Almirola & Smithfield will be the last straw. SHR needs to go back to the drawing board.”

With Harvick leaving their side after this season, let us hope that Berry’s arrival can fuel the desire for Tony’s team and bring them to their former glory.

WATCH THIS STORY: This surprising contender could potentially replace Aric Almirola in Tony Stewart’s team