Tony Stewarts Mentee Broaches the Grim Reality at SHR After Yet Another Disappointing End at Kansas

Tony Stewart had the time of his life at Cleetus McFarland’s Indy 800 this weekend. But the same cannot be said about Chase Briscoe and Stewart-Haas Racing at Kansas. At this point, it’s no secret that Briscoe has a lot of pressure on him as Kevin Harvick’s successor. That being said, the most experienced driver out of the team’s 2024 squad is not just falling behind the competition, but also his teammates.

Noah Gragson delivered a stellar top-ten finish at the AdventHealth 400 whilst Josh Berry closed out the top-fifteen. With both newcomers bringing in solid results, Chase Briscoe’s 21st finish leaves a lot to be desired from the driver trying to lead SHR. However, all the blame for SHR’s dismal performance isn’t down to Briscoe, as revealed by the issues he faced during the AdventHealth 400.

Chase Briscoe dissects what went wrong for the #14 SHR garage at Kansas

When Kevin Harvick left SHR at the end of 2023, Chase Briscoe was hailed by many to be his direct replacement as a team leader. Compared to Noah Gragson, Ryan Preece, and Josh Berry, only Briscoe has race-winning experience in the Cup Series. However, as of late, the 29-year-old has showcased none of that form. Despite a few good runs in the middle of the first leg, Briscoe’s momentum began to come undone at Dover last week.

Following a 19th-place finish, Briscoe and SHR’s target for Kansas was at least a top-fifteen finish. And when Briscoe set the tenth-best time in qualifying to secure a solid spot for the race, all bets were on. Unfortunately, things didn’t last that way for very long. As the laps of the AdventHealth 400 went by, Briscoe’s #14 Mustang Darkhorse dropped like a stone through the field.

Compared to his confidence after qualifying, the race unfolded miserably. Reflecting on what went wrong, Briscoe was quoted by RACER insider Kelly Crandall, “We just weren’t very good for whatever reason. Yesterday in practice, I thought our car was pretty good. I didn’t feel like it was a race-winning car per se, but I felt like it was going to be in the mix for the top 10. We qualified inside the top 10, but when the race started, our car didn’t drive anything like it did in practice.”

During qualifying, Briscoe had a tussle with the barriers which he believed could have caused some damage which was overlooked. Going over Briscoe’s previous result at Dover, such incidents could cost SHR heavily ahead of the playoffs. Fortunately, Briscoe still has confidence in the #14 garage ahead of Darlington. He concluded, “You can’t really have days like that when you’re in our position points-wise, but we have a couple of good racetracks for us coming up and, hopefully, we can capitalize.”

Although Chase Briscoe’s inconsistency may put his position as SHR’s leader in jeopardy, there is perhaps a bigger threat from his rookie teammate who is looking to make amends.

Noah Gragson could sideline Chase Briscoe as the Cup Series heads toward the playoffs

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After Noah Gragson’s suspension and ugly exit from Legacy Motor Club, the call-up from Stewart-Haas Racing was a golden opportunity. And evidently, Gragson is wasting no time making the most of his second chance. The 25-year-old started the year strong with a top ten at the Daytona 500 and topped that with a podium at Talladega Superspeedway.

At Kansas Speedway, Gragson managed to bring in a 9th-place finish, something Briscoe felt that his car should have been capable of. With the playoffs on the horizon, Gragson shared how focused the #10 garage is on bringing in stage points after Dover; “We’re building each and every week to have solid runs. Stage Points are extremely important, so that’s kind of our goal is to start getting Stage Points because they kind of rack up.”

Compared to Chase Briscoe’s troubles entering the top ten, Gragson was shaping up to be a regular visitor. That being said, Gragson found inspiration from Briscoe’s earlier run in the season. He was quoted by Racing America, “I think that’s where [Chase] Briscoe has done a really good job. He’s been able to have a good day qualifying, and run up front, and get some Stage Points.”

To give credit where it’s due, Chase Briscoe had been quite the formidable force during qualifying in a lot of the races. But when it matters the most, it seems like Noah Gragson and the #10 may be pulling ahead.