Chase Briscoe had a tough day with his car on Sunday in Kansas. Stewart Haas Racing has shown signs of improvement in the last few Cup Series races, but their lead driver had a tough time. The only successful session Briscoe had throughout the 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 ten on Saturday, Briscoe had high hopes for a strong day, but unfortunately, the balance of his No. 16 Dark Horse Ford Mustang went downhill. What makes it even more disappointing for Briscoe is that his teammate did well, finishing 9th and 15th in Sunday’s race.
The former Xfinity Series champion understands that having such a bad day in points 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 performed well.
Unlike his teammates, Noah Gragson had a great weekend, starting the race among the top five. Despite some issues in the middle of the race, he is pleased with the day’s result and is optimistic about repeating such performances in the upcoming races.
While SHR is slowly recovering, 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 capable of winning races. Chase Briscoe, Josh Berry, and Noah Gragson are talented drivers who can bring wins if provided with the right cars.