The Next-Gen era introduced many changes into the NASCAR Cup garage, as more teams became competitive and the playing field became the fairest it has ever been in the sport’s history. While the big teams did struggle a bit initially, all the teams except Stewart Haas Racing were able to fight for wins as the season progressed consistently.
SHR, co-owned by Gene Haas and three-time Cup champion Tony Stewart, has experienced a massive performance slump in the last two seasons. The team that won 10 races in 2021 has only won four races since. Their most disastrous performance came in 2023, where they ended the year winless and failed to give Kevin Harvick, their most decorated driver, a car capable of winning races.
Stewart has received a lot of criticism for the team’s performance and the lack of leadership in the team. This criticism has doubled ahead of the 2024 season after the team refused to make any major changes in the team’s leadership roles despite losing veterans Harvick and Aric Almirola . Tony Stewart has now come forward, slamming the criticism he is getting for poor SHR runs.
We've had two miserable years in a row and I'm tired of taking the blame from everybody on why the cars are not running good. I think the fans need a reality check and reminder that I'm not the crew chief, the engineer, I don't dictate the setups on the cars. I give these guys the tools to do the job and we just haven't got it done the last couple of years. Stewart told NASCAR SiriusXM Radio.
Tony Stewart also addressed the criticism over his absence during SHR races
Stewart also addressed the criticism over the lack of presence on track during race weeks. Team owners such as Rick Hendrick, Justin Marks , Joe Gibbs, and even, to a certain extent, Michael Jordan are present during NASCAR races. But, regarding SHR, Stewart and Gene Haas often miss the races. This is because Stewart believes his presence at the track isn’t going to make a world of difference.
When I am at the racetrack, there's nothing I do. I just follow along and watch and cheerlead. That's my job on race weekends. It doesn't matter whether I'm there or not; the performance isn't going to change if I'm there or if I'm absent. Stewart said.
Unlike other bosses, Stewart is still a dedicated racer and has other priorities he should attend to, such as his race track, his racing series, and more. In 2024 the duties will be doubled with his NHRA Top Fuel entry replacing his wife, who is taking a break to have a child with the NASCAR legend.
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