MADISON, Ill. – The speculation had been lingering about the future of Stewart-Haas Racing when this week began. On Tuesday (May 2) afternoon at the team’s headquarters, the organization announced it would cease operations at the end of the current NASCAR season, thrusting not just its drivers, but some couple of hundred employees into a future elsewhere.
It means that four drivers, two of which came to SHR to begin this season, are seeking new homes for 2025 with Chase Briscoe, Ryan Preece, Noah Gragson and Josh Berry now tasked with racing for a team for the rest of the season that will not exist in 2025.
“It was a tough week for us. We kind of knew it was coming for the last couple of months, but it’s another thing to finally hear it and see the impact on people’s lives and people that are close to me,” Briscoe said on Saturday (June 1) in his media bullpen session. “There’s a lot of guys on the 14 car who have been there for 15-plus years, so the reality is kind of setting in for them that ‘I’m not going to work here at the end of the year.’ It’s just a tough situation. There are incredible men and women over there, and they deserve to find a great home, and hope they can find it.”
Berry said that Stewart-Haas co-owner Tony Stewart met with the team’s drivers and crew chiefs before informing others at team headquarters.
“Tuesday was a tough day for all of us. From the drivers to every man and woman that works in the shop, it was most definitely a tough day,” Berry said. “Tony met with us, the crew chiefs, and obviously the entire company. Given the circumstances, I think he handled it as good as he could have. We’re going to race hard the rest of the season and see what happens.”
Gragson is tasked with the prospect of moving into a third full-time NASCAR Cup Series ride for 2025 depending on opportunities that present themselves. After moving into the No. 10 to begin this season, his success has included consecutive top-10 finishes at Talladega Superspeedway, Dover Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway.
“I told Tony, I’m extremely grateful to him for taking a chance on me to give me an opportunity to reinvent and improve myself,” Gragson said. “If it weren’t for him, I would not be in a position to be able to look for an opportunity. I’m extremely grateful to Stewart-Haas for giving me an opportunity to prove myself.”
Even still, there is the remainder of a NASCAR…
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