It's been an uphill climb for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) recently, but Sunday at Darlington was a bright spot for both the No. 4 and No. 14 teams.
Two of their drivers earned their best results of the 2024 season with Berry finishing third and Briscoe fifth.
The podium result was also Berry's first top-ten of the year and the No. 4 car's best finish since Kevin Harvick runner-up finish at this very race one year ago. What made it even more impressive is the fact that Berry qualified 33rd.
“It was just a really good day," said Berry post-race. "We had a really good car yesterday in practice, but unfortunately didn’t qualify like we should have. There’s a lot to take from that, but, overall, the car was really strong. We feel like we’re capable of days like this. We just have to keep chipping away at it, keep learning, keep getting better week in and week out. I have a great group around me and this is a finish they deserve for sure.”
Berry is still 92 points outside the playoffs, but things are much closer for his team-mate in the No. 14 Ford Mustang. Briscoe is now just six points inside the playoffs, sitting on the bubble in 16th. The Darlington top-five was his best finish since Martinsville in October of last year.
“Our car was extremely good on the really, really long run, it was just the short run that we gave up too much time," explained Briscoe. "It would have been interesting to see how the race played out if it went green until the end, but, overall, it’s a really good weekend for the guys. I wish we could have been a few spots better, but after the last few weeks we needed a solid run.”
Darlington also marked just the second time in the last two years that multiple SHR cars finished inside the top-five in the same race. With uncertainty surrounding the team and countless rumors about the four-car organization's future, it was a much-needed result as they look to build momentum into the summer months.
