Stewart-Haas Racing has plenty of decisions to make before the 2024 NASCAR season. There are several situations taking place at the same time as the organization looks to rebound from a rough 2023 season that is not improving yet.
If that improvement does not take place until next season, it will have to be done without Kevin Harvick as he will be stepping away from the NASCAR Cup Series after the season finale at Phoenix Raceway. In Harvick’s place, Stewart-Haas Racing will hire Josh Berry.
There are even more situations surrounding the NASCAR team and they won’t be going away anytime soon. The next few months will be very important as Stewart-Haas Racing can drastically change its future with one wrong decision.
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Stewart-Haas Racing’s future becomes cloudy after Busch Light leaves the No. 4 team
The idea of losing Harvick is already bad enough as the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion represents the backbone of Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick is ninth in the point standings while the next highest driver is Ryan Preece in 25th place.
However, there was even more unfortunate news for Stewart-Haas Racing on Tuesday afternoon. It was announced that Busch Light, a primary sponsor on the No. 4 car, will join Ross Chastain and Trackhouse Racing on a multi-year deal starting in 2024.
The brand could have re-signed with Stewart-Haas Racing but it decided to move to Trackhouse Racing as the organization continues to bring NASCAR to new levels. This makes everything much more difficult for the NASCAR team.
Harvick and Busch Light will be on the way out which means Berry and the No. 4 car need to find some sponsorship. Meanwhile, the No. 4 car may not be the only entry that has to deal with sponsorship and driver woes during NASCAR silly season.
It has been previously reported that Aric Almirola, the driver of the No. 10 car, is “widely expected” to retire at the conclusion of the 2023 season. This would be another blow to Stewart-Haas Racing as they could lose both Almirola and his sponsor Smithfield Foods.
If this takes place, the struggling organization would lose two major drivers and sponsors. This would make the task of contending in 2024 even harder. Berry will take a while to truly compete and the No. 10 car’s status for next season is still uncertain.
On top of everything going on with the driver lineup, Stewart-Haas Racing’s future with Ford is not set in stone as their contract runs through 2024. If the NASCAR team does not perform well for the rest of the 2023 season and next year, it could affect those negotiations.
Needless to say, the future at Stewart-Haas Racing is very cloudy. Berry (No. 4) and Chase Briscoe (No. 14) will be with the team but Almirola (No. 10) and Ryan Preece (No. 41) are not confirmed yet. For the organization’s sake, it might be smart to keep Preece in the No. 41 car for some continuity.
The other option could be to tear the entire build down to Briscoe and Berry while reshaping the rest of the lineup. It will also come down to sponsorship as the possibility of losing Busch Light and Smithfield Foods has never looked more realistic than now.
There is not another organization in the Cup Series that has a murkier future than Stewart-Haas Racing and it needs to be cleared up soon. Harvick’s departure was the spark to this movement and while Berry will do well, it is hard to replace a Cup Series champion.
One thing is certain for the 2024 season. Stewart-Haas Racing will likely have plenty of new blood in the driver lineup as two of its full-time drivers could be gone. Berry will be one addition while the No. 10 and No. 41 cars might see the same fate.
If one of those two entries does not have the same driver in 2024, who would be among the contenders to take over the ride? Continue reading to find out three ideal candidates for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2024!
Related: Stewart-Haas Racing linked to rising NASCAR star to replace Aric Almirola in 2024
3 ideal candidates for Stewart-Haas Racing to consider for the 2024 NASCAR season
Stewart-Haas Racing might be tasked with reshaping its driver lineup in the NASCAR Cup Series. Luckily for the organization, there are several drivers available that would help its pursuit of returning to a race-winning contender every week.
Cole Custer is one driver that makes a lot of sense for Stewart-Haas Racing. Custer, 25, was replaced by Preece in the No. 41 car after he was demoted to the No. 00 car in the NASCAR Xfinity Series following the 2022 season.
The 25-year-old driver has been one of the best drivers in the Xfinity Series as he sits third in the point standings with two victories. Custer has the talent to be in the Cup Series and if he dominates the rest of the 2023 season, there’s no point to keep him in the Xfinity Series.
Zane Smith would be a perfect fit with Stewart-Haas Racing as he remains Ford’s best prospect in the lower ranks of NASCAR. Smith, 24, is the defending NASCAR Truck Series champion and has run well in 2023 with two victories.
The 24-year-old driver has a multi-year contract with Front Row Motorsports, which is the only issue for Stewart-Haas Racing. Would the organization be able to buy out Smith or could other options be more intriguing due to the cost?
Michael McDowell would be a much-needed veteran presence at Stewart-Haas Racing as he is entering his driver’s prime. McDowell, 38, drives the No. 34 car for Front Row Motorsports and currently sits in the NASCAR playoffs with seven races left in the regular season.
The 38-year-old driver could be competing on a weekly basis if he is given better equipment. If the NASCAR team believes it can provide McDowell with that opportunity, it would be a dream scenario for both parties as more wins could be on the horizon.
Stewart-Haas Racing needs new energy and all of these drivers would make sense overall. While the organization hopes that Almirola and Smithfield Foods decide to stay for another season, backup plans need to be in place moving forward.