Stewart-Haas Racing's Cinderella story continues at Bristol, rolls into Round of 12

Stewart-Haas Racing's glass slipper hasn't fallen off quite yet. 

With a win by Cole Custer in Friday's Xfinity Series race and an eighth-place finish from Chase Briscoe in Saturday's Cup Series race, the organization ensured that both of its programs will still be chasing championships in the team's final season before shutting down. 

Custer was already guaranteed a playoff spot going into Friday's Xfinity Series regular-season finale, but the win and a 53-point performance was enough to also grant him the regular-season championship, which carries 15 additional playoff points. 

Briscoe entered Saturday's race six points above the Round of 16 cut line and ended it 11 points clear of the elimination line — a five-point net gain in a race he desperately needed one in. 

The organization only has seven more weeks of competition left before all of its drivers, employees and assets go elsewhere, but one wouldn't know it by the speed under the hood of its cars. 

In fact, it almost seems like all of SHR is pushing harder, rather than lying down, with no future in sight. 

With any light at the end of the tunnel completely snuffed out by the grim reality of modern sports business, Custer, Riley Herbst and Briscoe are the team's final hopes of a championship trophy. 

The team's mini-run began in the Southern 500 at Darlington, where with a daring three-wide move, Briscoe took the lead late in the crown-jewel race, holding off Kyle Busch to earn a playoff berth (his second in four seasons with the team).

Custer and the No. 00 team came into 2024 as the defending Xfinity Series champions, and they looked the part in the regular season. Eleven top-fives and 18 top-10s were complemented by wins at Pocono and Bristol. Custer is seeded second in the Xfinity Series playoffs, 21 points above the cut line. 

Joining Custer above the cut line is Herbst, a fellow SHR Xfinity Series driver who clinched the second victory of his career with an incredible pass on Aric Almirola at Indianapolis. A year after missing the Xfinity Series playoffs entirely, Herbst is a legitimate title contender this time around. 

Playoff success may be the story around the shop at SHR, but that doesn't mean its other drivers should be forgotten. Ryan Preece earned his second consecutive Cup Series top-10 on Saturday and Noah Gragson put together his second consecutive top-12 effort. 

Of SHR's four Cup Series entries, only rookie Josh Berry lagged behind at Bristol, but the 34-year-old has still put together a decent season and is only 56 points back of rookie points leader Carson Hocevar. 

With momentum trending upward and playoff runs in full swing, there's no reason to think Stewart-Haas Racing will be forced to abandon its pumpkin carriage anytime soon.