Rumors are swirling around the uncertain future of Stewart-Haas Racing, and Chase Briscoe is the first driver to publicly comment on them. In an interview with Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, Briscoe said he feels he’s done enough to stay at SHR, “If SHR is still around”. With this kind of uneasiness surrounding SHR, what does that mean for Briscoe and other SHR drivers?
Chase Briscoe’s comments are quite eye-opening. If he, a driver for SHR, is not 100% sure the team will be around next year, that says a lot about the future of the team. Here’s everything Briscoe had to say.
I just thinkhere’s just a lot of uncertainty. Nobody realy knows whet’s going on. I’m confident that if SHR is still around I feel like I’ve proven myself enough that they’ll keep me on here. Anytime there’s this many rumors going around, you start to get a little nervous, and that’s the big thing is not knowing and not really hearing anything. You just try to go out there and audition every week…I don’t know. I don’t know where I stand becuase I haven’t really heard anything.
Chase Briscoe
These are especially interesting comments considering who they’re coming from. Chase Briscoe is a homegrown SHR prospect. He joined the team part-time in the Xfinity Series in 2018 before coming in full-time in 2019 and jumping up to Cup in 2021.
Considering his recent performance, the general consensus has been that Chase Briscoe is the most likely driver to stay at SHR. He’s the only one with a Cup Series win, and he’s also the only one in provisional Playoff position halfway through the regular season. There’s also the strong sponsor relationship with Mahindra Tractors that Briscoe touts.
The bottom line is if Briscoe doesn’t feel safe at SHR, no one should. This means that every SHR driver currently needs to be looking at their other options for 2025.
Luckily for these drivers, there are a couple of potential open seats available in the Ford camp. One team even has been potentially linked to aligning with SHR.
Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports currently has one open seat for 2025, the No. 34 car. They are also a new Tier One Ford team that has been reportedly in the charter market, and Bob Pockrass even suggested they could acquire SHR shop space should downsizing occur. FRM does field the No. 36 car part-time, so, they have some of the resources to expand.
If FRM buys maybe one extra charter to field a third car, they could bring in one or two SHR drivers. Briscoe is a candidate, but, what about Noah Gragson with how he’s performed this season? Cole Custer is the 2023 Xfinity Series Champion. Josh Berry is only a rookie, but, he’s shown flashes of brilliance in the Cup Series in limited action.
The Wood Brothers
Bob Pockrass reported in early May that Harrison Burton is “Unlikely” to return to The Wood Brothers, which came as a surprise to no one. This opens up a Ford seat aligned with one of the sport’s top teams, Team Penske. While The Wood Brothers would probably be a step down in equipment compared to SHR, the Team Penske alliance makes it an intriguing spot.
All the same drivers are in the running for this ride. Spotter Freddie Kraft claimed on Door, Bumper, Clear that Briscoe is the “frontrunner” for this ride, but, no one else has corroborated that report. However, any SHR driver could end up here given the team’s alliance with Ford.
Rick Ware Racing
Rick Ware Racing has shown genuine improvement in 2024, even if their points position doesn’t show it. Their alliance with RFK Racing puts them in the same vain as The Wood Brothers, aligned with a Tier One Ford team. Justin Haley is with the team on a multi-year deal, but, that second car is still an All-Star Car for now.
Given the pedigree of RWR, this seems like a more likely landing spot for some of the other drivers at SHR. Maybe the Xfinity Series drivers Cole Custer and Riley Herbst, who both have starts for RWR, could slot in here. It’s also a possible landing spot for Josh Berry or Ryan Preece.
Who Could Get Left Out?
However, there are four drivers at SHR, and these SHR charters could disperse all across the sport’s landscape. Once these charters leave the Ford umbrella, things get hairy for the current SHR drivers. As of right now, only two Ford seats are guaranteed to open up in the Cup Series for 6 SHR drivers (4 Cup and 2 Xfinity).
Given performance, Ryan Preece feels most likely to be left out, as he sits an abysmal 28th in points. Josh Berry has shown flashes, but, he’s not nearly as young as Noah Gragson and doesn’t bring much funding. Both Custer and Herbst could be looking for rides elsewhere as well, and that could be in the Xfinity or even teh Truck Series.
Not only are the outsiders not sure what SHR will do, but so are the drivers. This will be the biggest story to watch throughout Silly Season
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