2023 has been a rather difficult season for Tony Stewart and Stewart-Haas Racing. While the on-track performances have been disappointing, it is the unpredictability of the future that has cast a giant shadow over the season. With veteran Kevin Harvick retiring at the end of the season, SHR recently confirmed Josh Berry as the replacement for the #4 for 2024.
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Incidentally, Stewart might have another such decision to make in the coming months, as reports widely suggest that Aric Almirola might also announce his retirement soon.
This will potentially open the door for another round of the ‘Talent vs Money’ debate that Tony Stewart stoked recently, and this time it may be a tricky situation to navigate.
Freddie Kraft believes Tony Stewart’s team might be in a tough spot
In a recent episode of Door Bumper Clear, spotters TJ Majors and Freddie Kraft talked about the struggles of SHR this season and how that sets them up for next year with the retirement of “A-Guy” Kevin Harvick.
Kraft said, “Now you’re losing your, we always say you got to have an A-guy on your team to know where’s the equipment at, well now (you are without him). So now you’re going into next year with you know you’re going to have Briscoe, Preece, Josh, and it seems more likely than not that Aric’s out so then, who’s gonna go in that? Is it another rookie, is it a guy like McDowell?”
The situation looks more precarious when comparing the performances of the drivers this season. Kevin Harvick has been head and shoulders above his teammates and when taking into account the sheer experience and knowledge of the 2014 Cup Series champion that will be missing in the garage, it does seem like it will not be an easy call for the SHR bosses.
Who can replace Aric Almirola if he retires at the end of the year?
Speaking on the possible replacement for Almirola, Kraft added, “If you’re just going it off talent, it seems likely to me that it’s maybe Zane Smith or Michael McDowell. Michael McDowell’s outperforming his equipment right now and he has probably for the last year and a half, two years.”
The Spotter also mentioned that all said and done, wherever you stand on the ‘Talent vs Money’ side of things, as a team owner, one cannot entirely ignore this aspect while making decisions.
Kraft concluded, “At the same time, you need money. Somebody’s got to have a sponsor like you know. I mean, Gene is probably one of the few guys that can afford to just fit the whole bill for everybody.”
However, the spotter added that Haas may not want to do that.
