Stewart-Haas Racing‘s 15-year story in NASCAR will come to an end in just ten weeks, but after a miracle moment in Darlington, the team’s 323 employees have something fight for until that day comes: the Cup Series championship.
Those employees were at the forefront of Chase Briscoe‘s mind as he stood on the frontstretch, celebrating his improbable victory in the Southern 500.
“To get this 14 car back in victory lane — and for all 320-something employees, to be able to race for a championship in their final year, it’s unbelievable,” he said.
“The day that we found out that the team wasn’t gonna exist anymore, we went over to the shop floor, and we all looked at each other and said, ‘We’re in this until the end. We’re not gonna give up.’ We kept saying all week that we had one bullet left in the chamber — and that bullet hit.”
Watch: Chase Briscoe fends off Kyle Busch to win, clinch playoff spot at Darlington
Out of a job, but in the hunt for a title
Briscoe’s crew chief Richard Boswell gave a candid perspective on what it’s like inside the SHR shop as the clock nears midnight while still trying to compete at the highest level of the sport.
“For those of us that have been there for quite some time, it’s sad, right? It sucks. This is family. Every employee there I would have at Christmas dinner,” he said. “I think the struggle and the difficulty that’s come with it has been, we have a job to do, and that hasn’t changed.
“I can’t tell you how many guys I have in my office every week wondering, where should I go? I’m worried about my future.
“You have to have those conversations, just from an empathy standpoint. You have to take those guys in and let them know that you care. That’s just added more work and more hours. I would say that’s been the biggest difference — just trying to be mindful of what everybody is going through, but also know we have a job to do, [and to] try to do our best to bring the best cars we can every week.”
Watch: Boswell eyes Atlanta as Briscoe’s shot to advance into Round of 12
As Briscoe ends his seven years with Stewart-Haas on a high note, he’s one of the few with his future secure, having signed with Joe Gibbs Racing to drive the No. 19 Toyota Camry next year. But the future is not nearly as certain for many of those who work at SHR.
Making Tony proud
Stewart-Haas Racing, co-owned by Gene Haas and Tony Stewart, have won two championships in the…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Motorsport.com – NASCAR – Stories…