“Isn’t Acceptable Anymore” – Tony Stewart Bluntly Sets Expectations for Stewart Haas Racing in 2024

Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner, Tony Stewart has had enough of his team’s slump in the NASCAR Cup Series. After the team’s poor outing in 2023, where they failed to even win a single race, Stewart was subjected to a lot of criticism which was even pointed to his involvement being less in the Cup. But the 52-year-old has had enough of that! Going into the 2024 season, Stewart wants SHR to find its feet and regain its spot as one of the best teams on the grid.

Ever since the introduction of the next-gen car, the Stewart’s Cup Series team has been facing consistent challenges to get any positive results. You can say it has been a fall from grace for SHR. In the past two years, they were not been able to put on a championship fight and had to rely on Kevin Harvick. And now, he’s gone too. Push has come to shove for Stewart’s team and going forward, he will not take any prisoners if they are to suffer a similar fate in the 2024 season.

Tony Stewart’s ultimatum for his team members at SHR

A team that has won 2 Cup Series championships and has 69 wins under their belt should be at least putting on a consistent display. But that has not been the case. In fact, in the last three seasons, the four-car teams have combined just added 4 wins, and they were winless in the entirety of the 2023 season. For a team like SHR, expectations are certainly high and this was reminded to them by their team’s co-owner.

Speaking on the Sirius XM NASCAR Radio show, Stewart said, “So everyone in the building understands what we did in last two years isn’t acceptable anymore, and that’s not the standard the team has been accustomed to (…) We are at the bottom of the table, in my opinion, and our performances are already in the tank. So we have nothing but everything in front of us. So, don’t look behind, don’t look over the shoulder and make sure every one of these people are all working for the same reasons and you’ve got each other’s backs.

“I think that resonated with our group and they realized that we gotta get our nose on the ground. Not that they have not been working hard but they are going to have to find something or we’ll find people who find it. Because we can’t perform at this level, it’s just not acceptable anymore.” These words might come across as harsh, but it’s about time the team pulls up its socks.

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The next-gen car certainly has proved to be a tough nut to crack for the team at SHR, but come 2024, Stewart wants results and not excuses.

SHR needs to move the needle in the right direction

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The next-gen car could prove to be a learning project in the first season. However, back-to-back disappointments in 2022 and 2023 have now led to questions about the ability of individuals working under the SHR banner. And this was rightly pointed out by Stewart, “Two years ago, first year with the new car, you might have an off-season trying to figure out a new product.

“But to have that bad of a season two years in a row, we will not stand for that and let that be the standard. If we’re not having the results we’re looking for, we’re gonna start making some major changes. Everybody knows that. Everybody understands that. It doesn’t mean we gotta go out there and win eight or ten races this season, but we need to see the needle move in the right direction. We need to make progress.”

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With the departures of Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola, the onus will be on young drivers like Chase Briscoe, Noah Gragson, and Josh Berry to guide the team toward progress in the 2024 season.