Tony Stewart gives a brutally honest verdict on SHR’s performance during the Next-Gen era
Tony Stewart has positive hopes for SHR’s future despite disappointing results.
Follow Us
Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick (Via IMAGO)
Stewart Haas Racing is going through a tough patch in the NASCAR Cup Series. The two-time Cup title-winning team has won just three races in the Next-Gen era that started in 2022. But all those wins came in the first season of the era, and in the 2023 season, they finished winless with just one driver making it into the playoffs.
Kevin Harvick, who scored the team’s last two wins, has retired in 2023 alongside another veteran, Aric Almirola. Going into the 2024 season with two new racers in the team, SHR has a big task at its hands. Team’s co-owner Tony Stewart, ahead of the 2024 season, has given his opinion on how the team has performed the last two seasons.
He admitted that in their race outings in the last two years, five different drivers behind the wheel have needed to catch up to the expectations they set for themselves. But he has positive hopes for the team’s future. Stewart claims that they have a team shop full of racers aspiring to win, and that will get them back on the right track.
I think the last couple of seasons, the performance has been way off from what we expected and what we strive for. But, again, this building is full of racers and because of that it gives me hope that we’re going to get the ship righted and get back on course.Stewart said, as reported by Heavy.com.
The Next-Gen car caught SHR off guard
When further discussing the team’s performance in the last two seasons, the Next-Gen car got them off guard as the car turned out to be way different from cars they have worked with over the years. But he reiterated that they have the right team to get back on track.
It’s not easy. It’s never easy. But the last two years, dealing with a brand new car that we’ve never seen before and never worked on has definitely caught us off guard. But when you have a building full of racers like this, there’s no better group you’d rather have on your side with them to figure this out and get us going in the right direction.
2024 will be an important year for Stewart Haas Racing as they have to secure a race win and announce their return to the top. They also have to prove to Ford Garage that they are still a big team because RFK Racing has made big strides in 2023, and Team Penske has already established itself as the big team by winning two back-to-back titles.
Discover:
Stay Updated!
Justin P Joy
(4859 Articles Published)