When Stewart-Haas Racing announced in late May that the organization would cease operations following the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season, one of the most immediate questions was where and how SHR’s four drivers would land.
Thankfully for Chase Briscoe, Noah Gragson, Ryan Preece and Josh Berry, they’ve all landed softly. That is, they’ve found work with other Cup Series teams and will compete on a full-time basis in 2025.
In case you missed the initial memo, here’s a quick look at where Briscoe, Gragson, Preece and Berry will be racing.
Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing
For Briscoe, the demise of SHR could be fairly characterized as a blessing in disguise. That’s because, as a free agent, he was at the top of Joe Gibbs Racing’s wishlist for filling the seat of the No. 19 JGR Toyota vacated by retiring Martin Truex Jr. at the end of 2024.
Not surprisingly, Briscoe gladly accepted JGR’s offer to replace the 2017 Cup Series champion in a car that should be capable of competing for wins right out of the gate in 2025.
No more coveted seat than this came available during the 2024-2025 “Silly Season,” and Briscoe just happened to be the driver fortunate enough to snatch it up.
Even though I think everyone knew, super excited to finally make it official! Can’t wait to join the @JoeGibbsRacing family and get to do it with the iconic @BassProShops on the hood! Can’t wait to get to work! pic.twitter.com/iCBo1P6K5v
— Chase Briscoe (@chasebriscoe) June 25, 2024
Noah Gragson, Front Row Motorsports
Far more competitive with SHR than in his rookie Cup Series season of 2023 with Legacy Motor Club, Gragson initially appeared to be the driver who might have the most to lose with SHR’s demise.
But he’s signed a multi-year agreement with Front Row Motorsports, where he’ll campaign the No. 4 — the number Kevin Harvick enjoyed great success with at SHR from 2014-2023. Gragson gets to keep his crew chief from SHR, teaming up for a second season with veteran pit boss Drew Blickensderfer.
And Blickensderfer won’t be the only familiar face for Gragson. Four other members of his former team at SHR have also made the move to Front Row.
“This gives us a strong foundation to hit the ground running in the 2025 season,” Gragson said.
NEWS: @Team_FRM announces @NoahGragson has signed a multiyear contract to drive for the team starting in 2025. pic.twitter.com/lEuwHSsfDW
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 10, 2024
Ryan Preece, RFK Racing
Based on Preece’s performance at SHR the past two years and over five full seasons of NASCAR Cup Series competition, it was doubtful whether he would secure a job for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.
But Preece — who’s recored no wins and only four top-fives while never finishing better than 23rd in the Cup Series standings — convinced the powers that be at RFK Racing that he was the driver for the organization’s new third team.
It was certainly no coincidence that on the same day RFK added Preece to its 2025 driver roster, the company also announced it had new primary sponsorship from Kroger, a primary sponsor of Preece’s from 2019-2021 at JTG Daugherty Racing.
Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing
After learning a third of the way into his first season as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver that SHR was disbanding at season’s end, Berry found himself in a less-than-ideal position for the future.
However, rather than having to potentially drop back to the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Berry managed to keep his Cup Series status in tact when the seat of Wood Brothers Racing’s iconic No. 21 car became available.
Even though the car struggled badly over most of the last three seasons with Harrison Burton behind the wheel, the move to the Wood Brothers allows Berry to stay in the Ford family. It also keeps him in the NASCAR Cup Series. That’s significant, given that a Cup Series ride seemed like a longshot for Berry while he toiled away for several years in JR Motorsports Late Models before finally being promoted to JRM’s Xfinity Series team full time in 2022.
