Chase Briscoe had a difficult day with his car on Sunday at Kansas. Stewart Haas Racing has been showing signs of improvement in recent races in the Cup Series, but their leading driver had a tough time. The only successful session Briscoe had all weekend was during Friday’s practice session, as the team struggled with the car’s balance in the other sessions.
After qualifying in the top-10 on Saturday, Briscoe had high hopes for a strong day, but unfortunately, the balance of his No:16 Ford Mustang Dark Horse went downhill. What makes it even more disappointing for Briscoe is that his teammate performed well, finishing in 9th and 15th place in Sunday’s race.
The former Xfinity Series champion understands that having such a poor points day is detrimental to the team’s playoff aspirations, especially since they are not yet contenders for wins and there are only 14 races left in the regular season. However, Briscoe remains hopeful that he can bounce back, as the upcoming races are on tracks where he has previously performed well.
Unlike his teammates, Noah Gragson had a great weekend, starting the race in the top-5. Despite some trouble midway through the race, he is satisfied with how the day ended and is optimistic about repeating such performances in the future races.
While SHR is slowly making a comeback, the team needs to pick up the pace. If they want to secure a spot in the playoffs, they must accelerate their current development path and field cars that are capable of winning races. Chase Briscoe, Josh Berry, and Noah Gragson are talented drivers who can bring them victories if provided with the right cars.