Not every driver who enters the Cup Series gets to become a legend like Dale Earnhardt or Jimmie Johnson. Nor does every driver gets to have as long a career as Richard Petty or Ricky Rudd. Becoming a Cup Series driver is never an easy journey. It requires an unwavering dedication to earn a place in NASCAR’s top tier. However, over the years, NASCAR has witnessed instances of favoritism in driver selection.

Some teams have been known to hire paid drivers—individuals who pay for the opportunity to drive. While there is nothing inherently wrong if a driver comes with the backing of sponsors, it does mean that talented drivers who have worked tirelessly to earn their spots may get overlooked. It is disheartening to acknowledge that such selections are made in NASCAR. However, Stewart-Haas Racing is an organization that can claim to be above such practices.

Following the decision to hire Josh Berry to replace Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart shared his frustrations during a press conference.

Tony Stewart opens up about the dark side of some NASCAR teams

The much-anticipated announcement, teased by SHR a week ago, was made by Tony Stewart in front of a room full of reporters. He was joined by Competition Director Greg Zipadelli, Kevin Harvick, Rodney Childers, and Josh Berry. He confirmed that Josh Berry will indeed be joining the #4 team, with Childers as the crew chief. He then shed light on the decision to pick Berry and indirectly criticized teams that prioritize giving opportunities to drivers of questionable racing talent.

During the press conference, Stewart emphasized his standpoint by stating, “I’m not interested in some kid’s father coming and buying their way in to the Cup Series. I have zero interest in that.

“We want guys that earn their way that work hard that understand the values that take to be a top-tier driver; not one that just got his high school diploma and now all of sudden he’s a Cup driver.”

“I’ve got zero interest in that,” he reiterated.

“Josh has put in the time, the effort, and every time he’s got an opportunity he’s made most of it. That’s the trait that championship drivers are built off of, not the easy ticket to get there.”

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However, signing Josh Berry means that SHR will need to have a closer look at their sponsorship options once Harvick retires. It has been rumored that SHR was on the brink of losing  Smithfield had Aric Almirola gone ahead with his retirement plans in 2022. Now, the team faces the same dilemma with Harvick’s primary Sponsor, Anheuser-Busch.

How does SHR plan to reignite its sponsorship appeal after Kevin Harvick’s retirement?

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The number of sponsorship deals with large conglomerates and medium-scale companies has declined in NASCAR, as compared to 15–20 years ago. The dwindling number of sponsors can pose challenges for teams as they rely on sponsorships to support their operations. Hence, the concept of paid drivers comes into play.

Joe Gibbs Racing hired Gibbs’s 20-year-old grandson Ty to drive the #54 Toyota, while Richard Childress Racing signed in Childress’s grandson, Austin Dillon, as a full-time Cup driver in 2014.

However, Tony Stewart and his team have hired Berry despite him not bringing in any sponsors. Stewart talked about Berry’s sponsorship in the conference, saying, “Right at this point, we are totally open. We’re having discussions internally with current sponsors, and then we have a lot of potential sponsors that are interested in this program as well. So, nothing to announce on that side yet, but there are a lot of conversations going on right now.”

Considering how well he has fared at JR Motorsports and the reputation of the team he is joining, it’s only a matter of time before Berry secures a sponsorship deal.

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