Hendrick Motorsports Underdog Could Stop Ross Chastain From Gaining Out of Tony Stewart’s Loss

The scrambled puzzle pieces are finally getting to their designated places at the Stewart-Haas Racing garage. The larger picture is finally making sense as Cup Series nears its culmination in a few months’ time. While it is yet to be ascertained which drivers shall be entering the playoffs, Tony Stewart’s team is ready to make big changes within the team. 

The reason is Kevin Harvick. The #4 Ford Mustang driver is set to bow out at the end of the 2023 season. But before the dark horse bids adieu, the team has to find the next driver to fill in the big shoes of Harvick and also help his team retain the sponsors for the #4 car. And apparently, SHR might have the key to resolving all the voids that would have been created with Harvick gone from the team.

Is Tony Stewart’s Stewart-Haas Racing team on the verge of losing one of its biggest sponsors?

Before diving deep and revealing the key to solving SHR’s concerns, it is worth mentioning that Harvick’s primary sponsor is Anheuser-Busch. The iconic light blue shade has been an indispensable part of Harvick’s on-track persona and also of NASCAR itself. The beverage company has a long-standing history with the world of stock car racing and has sponsored multiple drivers. 

The beverage brand has also been a part of Stewart-Haas Racing since 2014 and has been sponsoring the 2014 Cup Series champion since he joined the team that year. But with Harvick leaving, the burning question is whether Anheuser-Busch will also be bidding farewell to SHR. 

Muffled speculations have been brewing within NASCAR that the iconic blue light sponsors might end up siding up with the Watermelon Man from Trackhouse Racing Team. Even the insiders from the brand, as reported by Sports Business Journal, have revealed the fact that Ross Chastain holds the highest potency to land sponsorship deals followed by Harvick’s retirement.

The beverage brand has also been in deep talks and initiated negotiations with Chastain and his team in order to sponsor his Chevrolet. Even the company spokesperson had fanned the speculations by commenting, “Busch Light has and always will be passionate about NASCAR,” a company spokesperson said. “We continue to be invested in the sport as an official sponsor and will always find ways to show up at races and provide new opportunities for our fans in 2023 and beyond. When it comes to sponsoring new drivers, nothing is off the table.”

However, the departure of Anheuser-Busch is the last thing that Tony Stewart and his team would want to come to fruition. There has already been precedence. In order to retain the sponsorship of Smithfield, SHR had extended the contract with Aric Almirola, who was on the verge of retiring from racing after the 2022 Cup Series season.

But negotiation regarding retaining Harvick is off the table, and this is where the key comes into play. The key being none other than JR Motorsports’ Xfinity driver, Josh Berry. It is an open secret that Berry has been in conversation with SHR and is to be announced to be the replacement for Kevin Harvick. 

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Can Josh Berry’s entry to SHR stop Anheuser-Busch from sponsoring Ross Chastain?

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Berry has played a pivotal role as a substitute for Hendrick Motorsports and delivered a stellar performance as a substitute for Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman. His impressive finishes catapulted him as a favorite for Tony Stewart and his team. With all the rumbling coming to fruition, SHR is set to announce the news officially in the “big announcement” as teased by Bob Pockrass.

However, there has not been any confirmation regarding any sponsorship deals for Berry. However, Josh Berry signed a contract with Kevin Harvick’s agency KHI Management, which helps negotiate deals and land sponsorships for athletes related to motorsports, golf, and mixed martial arts. By forging a connection with the veteran driver, the team is hoping to retain A-B as the primary sponsor, as the brand seems to have more allegiance to Harvick than the team itself. 

If A-B chooses to sponsor Josh Berry, it will surely be a jolt to Ross Chastain, who has been under the limelight for quite some time now. The #1 Chevrolet will be left with a consolidated five partners, including primary sponsor for Ross Chastain, Advent Health.

With Josh Berry slated to join the likes of Aric Almirola, Chase Briscoe, and Ryan Preece, it is to be seen what awaits the fate of Stewart-Haas Racing. The team would surely not want to lose a major chunk of its fund by losing Anheuser Busch. But if the stars are aligned for Berry, he may land the sponsorship of A-B and prove to be a good replacement for Harvick.

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