Stewart-Haas Racing is closing up shop and its last race is this Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. Chase Briscoe qualified for the postseason with a win at Darlington but was eliminated from the Cup Series Playoffs, so this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship race is his swan song before joining Joe Gibbs Racing in 2025.
“May feels like it was just the other day, honestly, when we found out the news,” Briscoe said via a press release sent to Newsweek. “So it’s crazy that we’re at the very end, right? To know that it’s all coming to an end is definitely bittersweet. I was telling the guys last weekend at Martinsville, where we were eight days away from the company literally locking the doors, and we were still able to bring a car that, honestly, should’ve sat on the pole.
“That’s just a testament to everybody, and it’s just really, really cool and special that they’ve continued to put in that effort given the circumstances.”
Despite the solemn nature of SHR closing its doors after the culmination of the 2024 Cup Series season, Phoenix is a good opportunity for Briscoe and the No. 14 team to go out on top. In seven career Cup starts at Phoenix Briscoe has one victory and four top 10 finishes.
“But it’s going to be a tough weekend at Phoenix for a lot of different people and for a lot of different reasons,” Brisco said. “Hopefully, we can go out on top. That would be the coolest thing, if you could win the final race.”
Briscoe’s entire NASCAR Cup Series career has been with SHR and his 144th career Cup start this Sunday will mark the end of an era for the Mitchell, Indiana native. Since joining SHR in 2021, Briscoe has two race wins, qualified on the pole twice, led 525 laps, with 13 Top 5, and 30 Top 10 finishes. It’s been a bittersweet season for Briscoe; SHR is closing but he put the No. 14 in victory and currently, he is 14th in the NASCAR Cup Series Standings, highest amongst his SHR teammates.
“And for me, just this whole season’s been really cool, just to obviously get a win in the final season for SHR and to get the 14 car at least where it’s competitive in its final season. That was something that was really important to me. I can’t believe it’s coming to an end. It’s definitely a sad ending to it all, and it’s definitely going to be a tough weekend.”
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