Sheer domination. Those are the only words that can be used to describe what Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team has done to the competition in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series this year.
Stewart-Haas Racing showing why they’re the team to beat in 2018
Coming into the season, there was talk around the media about how Toyota was supposed to be the most superior manufacturer in the sport. It wasn’t supposed to be close. Toyota had it all figured out.
The gap was so distant, that a writer from the Charlotte Observer predicted Toyota would win a third championship with ease. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nascar-auto-racing/thatsracin/article193033214.html
However, through seven races this season, Stewart-Haas Racing, a Ford team, has been the topic of conversation. After a 31st place finish at Daytona, Kevin Harvick secured three trips to victory lane in a row. The results showed the team had some of the best all-around cars on the cookie cutter tracks.
Although, Clint Bowyer helped one-up that a week after Harvick’s run ended, breaking a 190-race winless streak of his own at Martinsville. SHR, putting a driver with that much of a lack of success recently in victory lane is more than impressive.
Stewart-Haas Racing has been one of, if not the best team on the circuit this season #MENCS #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/mtPEuTxD4Q
— Connor Ferguson (@cfchangs9) April 12, 2018
Not only has SHR’s Fords beaten Toyota, but at this point they have been far more dominant. Over the first seven races of the year, SHR has tallied four wins already, while Toyota has only scored two.
SHR and the other Fords are taking it to the Toyotas when it comes to top-10 finishes as well. While Toyota has gathered 20 top-10’s so far, the Fords have combined to earn 33. Even if you take away the 12 top-10’s that SHR contributed, the Fords still have the most.
All of the success comes just one year after SHR switched to Fords at the beginning of the 2017 season. With Harvick locked into the playoffs and Bowyer earning his trip to victory lane, SHR already looks to have at least half of its team in the playoffs.
The series will return to the track at Bristol Motor Speedway this Sunday for the Food City 500. The green flag will fly at 2:00 p.m. ET on FOX.
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