For over two decades, Stewart-Haas Racing was one of the premier names in auto racing.
Founded by Gene Haas and Tony Stewart in 2002, the NASCAR racing team has won two Cup Series titles (2011, 2014) and claimed the Xfinity Series championship last year.
That impressive run is set to come to an end after the team announced in May that it would shutter operations after the season. But it’ll have one last shot at a championship thanks to a daring move by one of its only remaining employees.
Chase Briscoe clinches final NASCAR playoff spot
After Kevin Harvick retired last fall, Stewart-Haas employed four full-time drivers this year in the Cup Series: Josh Berry, Noah Gragson, Ryan Preece, and Chase Briscoe.
None of them had won a race all season until Sunday’s Southern 500, when Briscoe made a stunning move to pass Kyle Larson and eventually held off Kyle Busch for his second career win at Darlington and first in the Cup Series.
The victory snapped a 73-race winless streak for Briscoe – who called the Southern 500 a “crown jewel” for his career resume – and secured the final spot in the playoffs for the No. 14 team and Stewart-Haas Racing, which laid off most of its employees earlier this season.
That makes it even more improbable that Briscoe won Sunday’s race. He had a 0.06% chance of making the playoffs heading into the regular-season finale, per NASCAR, but ran near the front all day and led 29 laps (including the final one) to take the checkered flag.
Briscoe also made the postseason in 2022, when he advanced to the Round of 8 before a 10th-place finish at Martinsville ended his chances at a title.
What’s the future for Briscoe, SHR?
Sunday’s win will net a nice payday for Stewart-Haas, which has already filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and jettisoned most of its employees.
The racing team has also sold two of its four charters to Front Row Motorsports and Trackhouse Racing, and it’s expected to sell a third to 23XI Racing.
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Haas has said he plans to keep one charter for his brand-new “Haas Factory Team” in 2025, but he hasn’t yet named a driver for the seat.
As for Briscoe, he’ll be taking over for Martin Truex Jr. in the No. 19 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing – an open secret for weeks before Christopher Bell accidentally spoiled it in late June, days before an announcement.
Briscoe will have 10 more races for Stewart-Haas beginning with Sunday’s playoff opener at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He’ll likely need to win one of the next three races if he hopes to advance to the Round of 12.