Chase Briscoe and Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) have been trying to climb out of the pitfall they’ve seen in recent times, one race at a time. The #14 Ford Mustang driver is currently in his 4th year with the team and leads Tony Stewart’s four-driver line-up. Despite his experience with the outfit and his relatively impressive numbers, not everything is concrete about his future in SHR and NASCAR.
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Briscoe reportedly signed a multi-year agreement with the team in 2023 and was poised to retain his car for “many more” seasons to come. However, SHR’s recent troubles in regards to performance and sponsorship appear to have put a question mark on the validity of that. Pushed into a corner, the driver knows what he must do to ensure that he still has his seat come 2025.
He told NBC Sports in a recent interview that the pressure of uncertainty aids in helping him perform better. “If I struggle this year I could honestly… I feel like, fizz out of the Cup series or even NASCAR in general,” he said. “I’m not a rookie anymore. I’m not inexperienced. I need to go out there and show that I can run good on a weekend basis. So yeah, it’s an option year for them. It’s up to them if they want to keep me or not.”
As things stand, Briscoe stands highest on the points table for SHR in 18th place with 2 top-ten finishes. The most immediate opportunity he will get to take a step toward his purpose will come at Martinsville on Sunday. His previous best finish at the track is 5th place (April 2023). The upcoming race will be his 7th appearance at the short track.
Briscoe is happy with newfound unity and passion in Stewart-Haas Racing
Talking about the changes within his team from 2023 to 2024, Briscoe revealed how the drivers were a far more cohesive unit now than they were when Kevin Harvick was still among them. He said that the personalities and attitudes of everyone within the race shop were different now and that they were all working together toward taking SHR back to winning ways.
“As far as working with them guys, it’s been awesome. It’s probably been the most the four drivers have ever talked amongst each other at Stewart-Haas,” he said. With talks of a potential team downsizing being considered by Tony Stewart for 2025, Briscoe and his mates are all on the hot seat. Now, perhaps more than ever, they face the pressure to perform.
