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Stewart-Haas Racing will not appeal penalties for roof air deflectors

JHby:Jonathan Howard•03/01/24•

Jondean25

Noah Gragson
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The time has come and gone for Stewart-Haas Racing to appeal the penalties NASCAR handed down for improper roof air deflectors. The No. 10 and No. 41 teams received a penalty of 35 driver and owner points as a result of the decision.

Good news for SHR, this wasn’t a single source supplier part. This is a part teams make in-house, but it did not meet specifications. It just feels like this organization can’t stop making mistakes like this.

Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports reported that Stewart-Haas Racing had not submitted an appeal.

Stewart-Haas Racing needs to have something go right for them. Just once. In the Next Gen era, it feels like they have become the most penalized team.

From the Cole Custer playoff penalty for potential race manipulation in 2022 to the Chase Briscoe counterfeit part in 2023, the Cole Custer illegal splitter in 2023 in the Xfinity Series, Kevin Harvick’s DQ at Talladega – there have been so many instances.

Stewart-Haas Racing continues to flounder

Now, let’s talk about everything else going on around Stewart-Haas Racing. They are still a Tier-1 Ford Performance team. Meaning, they are a key partner that receives a high level of support from their manufacturer.

However, this season, Front Row Motorsports has moved up to become a key partner. Chevy only has three key partner teams (Hendrick, RCR, Trackhouse), Toyota only has three (JGR, 23XI, Legacy), so why would Ford have four (SHR, Penske, RFK, Front Row)?

There are rumors that SHR and Ford are going to split. But where would that leave Stewart-Haas? Now, we’re getting into a lot of rumor talk here, but last year there were rumblings that the organization was shopping around a couple of charters.

While they kept those charters, for now, this is all something to keep an eye on. Stewart-Haas Racing needs good results sooner rather than later and they need to get out of their own way if they want to succeed.