Stewart-Hass Racing’s fate is sealed. While the official announcement about the team shutting down its operation by the end of this season shocked people, was it a surprise? Since February this year, the future of Tony Stewart’s team and the open charters have been hot topics. Let’s not forget how the team hosted a stellar lineup of champion drivers like Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, and even Newman and Bowyer. So, thinking about SHR not existing in the near future is difficult for the fans and its current drivers.
In fact, it is worse for the drivers. They have no seats for the next season! But that’s a concern for next season. Right now, there’s a more pressing issue: the uncertainty of what lies ahead this season. Recently, Chase Briscoe revealed the harsh reality that the team is facing in the immediate future.
Chase Briscoe thinks SHR won’t get cars on the racetrack!
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SHR is going down and taking a ship full of people (drivers, engineers, and pit crew) with it. According to Chase Briscoe, they heard rumors swirling around, but hearing them upfront makes it all too real. But here’s the bigger problem. Half the season is still left. So how long will they exactly stick around? Some of the crew members have been with the team right from the beginning, but is their loyalty to the team strong enough to keep them from applying to other teams right away?
Chase Briscoe said to Frontstretch that it’s only some time before this starts happening. He said, “It might really be hard for us to get cars to the racetrack. You know, people are leaving, and it’s not like you’re gonna get somebody to start coming to work there, even on a short-term basis. I mean, once people leave, there’s nobody coming back. So we already do it on way less people than the other four-car teams. So it is kind of scary just knowing the position that we’re in right now.”
This is not a far-fetched thought because employees will look for opportunities and if they get it, they will grab it! And what Briscoe fears the most could indeed come true.
“Being right there on the cut line and knowing that, you know, all of our employees essentially are taking job interviews at other places and if those people want them to start, you know, there’s nothing saying that they can’t just go start working there. So it’s going to be difficult.”
However, he mentioned that he is at ease because his team 14 is pretty committed and will stick around. But believe it or not, crew members of a team like SHR are wanted by many teams in the grid. And right now some teams are already poaching for the best pick!
Tony Stewart’s SHR employees are already getting attention!
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Up until the week, everything was just rumors, but now that it’s official, several teams are geared up to purchase the coveted charters. Front Row Motorsports, according to rumors, is in for the deal. But it’s not charters they are after; they are even targeting the employees at SHR.
Bob Pockrass revealed on his X post: “Talked to several people yesterday and today who confirmed Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins was at Stewart-Haas Racing earlier this week to talk to employees about job opportunities. FRM didn’t say where its charter is coming from but obvious it is SHR.”
As for the expansion from a two-cup race team to a three-cup race team, it would probably have to wait until the 2025 NASCAR charter agreement. But as far as rumors go, the team is interested in purchasing one charter and, potentially, even has a confirmed charter. But that’s not the only information Pockrass had to give.
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The reporter also mentioned that Front Row will need a new building for a three-cup team and a truck. And since the SHR facility will be empty, the Front Row team can take it on a lease basis. On a similar note, SHR drivers are also potentially being pursued by other teams.
What do you think? Will the drivers and other employees of the SHR stick around or just join another company soon?