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The four-car Ford group went winless final season and noticed two of its veteran drivers – Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola – retire from full-time competitors within the offseason.
SHR added two inexperienced drivers to its lineup in Noah Gragson and Josh Berry, whereas Chase Briscoe and Ryan Preece returned within the Nos. 14 and 41 groups, respectively.
With a pair of unpredictable drafting tracks in Daytona and Atlanta opening the 2024 schedule, Sunday’s race at Las Vegas and the next week at Phoenix ought to supply an excellent gauge what groups have this season.
The 36-race schedule is dominated by intermediate tracks like Las Vegas and tracks using the short-track/highway course aero bundle which can debut at Phoenix.
“Yeah, undoubtedly Vegas is our first true check of the place we stack up,” mentioned Gragson, a Las Vegas native who drives SHR’s No. 10 Ford. “A majority of the schedule is mile-and-a-halves, quick tracks, you’ve obtained Vegas and Phoenix, these two particularly.
“However Vegas can be our first check as to the place we’re at as an organization, speed-wise.”
Noah Gragson, Stewart Haas Racing, Black Rifle Espresso / Ranger Boats Ford Mustang
Picture by: Rusty Jarrett / NKP / Motorsport Photographs
Since Tony Stewart joined as a co-owner in 2009, SHR has gained a pair of Cup Collection titles (2011 and 2014) and picked up 69 wins.
The group has struggled the final couple years, with solely Harvick advancing to the playoffs final yr whereas his three teammates all completed exterior the highest 20 within the sequence standings.
With an inflow of recent drivers and Ford’s introduction of its “Darkish Horse” Mustang physique, the subsequent two weeks might properly sign whether or not SHR is again heading in the right direction.
“Vegas goes to be the place you lastly work out, not solely as a producer however definitely as a race group, the place you’re going to stack up for the subsequent couple of months and the place you’ve obtained to get higher,” mentioned Briscoe.
“I’d say Vegas is definitely the race monitor the place 90 % of the storage has circled because the one they’re most wanting ahead to to be able to see if what they did within the offseason will come to fruition.”
Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing, HighPoint.com Ford Mustang
Picture by: Danny Hansen / NKP / Motorsport Photographs
For SHR, that work started nearly as quickly because the 2023 season got here to an finish.
“Actually, all the best way again in November I used to be already operating the sim stuff for what we’ve got for Vegas,” Briscoe mentioned. “We’ve put loads of emphasis on Vegas – Vegas and Phoenix, honestly – simply making an attempt to hit the bottom operating.
“From the simulator and even from what it says on paper, or after we have a look at the pc display after we have a look at the sim stuff, this Ford Mustang Darkish Horse physique ought to be dramatically higher than what we had final yr.”
As groups have discovered repeatedly, simulation work doesn’t all the time translate to the monitor.
Early season setback
Nevertheless, there have been indicators within the season’s first two races that the Ford physique will make a distinction this season.
Two Ford drivers – Joey Logano and Todd Gilliland – have led essentially the most laps thus far this season, though each have gotten concerned in on-track incidents and sit far down within the standings. Fords have additionally gained the primary two poles.
As for SHR, Gragson and Briscoe each had top-10 finishes at Daytona. All 4 groups have proven pace within the races, however all 4 drivers have been caught up in not less than one accident thus far.
Each Gragson and Preece have been additionally penalized 35 factors when NASCAR found their respective vehicles had unapproved roof deflectors at Atlanta.
A powerful displaying on the West Coast would do properly to assist SHR decide whether or not its highway forward can be a tough one.
“About 99 % of what we do at Vegas will come right down to how the producer did behind the scenes throughout the offseason, arising with the brand new physique and the way the groups did making use of the brand new offsets and deltas,” Briscoe mentioned.
“I’m simply excited for what we’ve got, what we expect we’ve got. You by no means know till you get there, so it’s going to be entertaining, for positive.”
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