Stewart-Haas Racing, Team Penske delivers Ford strong start to the season

Ever since Stewart-Haas Racing shockingly announced 12 months ago it would end its longtime association with Chevrolet and align itself with Ford beginning this season, some conventional theories took hold on how the changeover would go.

First, there would be obvious challenges and initial setbacks. Although one of NASCAR’s top-tier teams, SHR would still need time to familiarize itself with a new manufacturer and, most significantly, to build up its own fleet of chassis now that Hendrick Motorsports wouldn’t be supplying it with cars and other parts and pieces.

Coinciding with the transition was speculation how SHR would coexist with Team Penske, which had been Ford’s flagship organization for the past few seasons and carries a well-deserved reputation for maintaining a frosty relationship with teams of similar manufacturer affiliation. Many within the garage presumed Penske would offer SHR little assistance, preferring the status quo of operating on its own proverbial manufacturer island.

Wanting another championship-caliber organization beyond Team Penske that could win races consistently, Ford began recruiting SHR away from General Motors in 2015. After long deliberations, SHR co-owners Tony Stewart and Gene Haas signed on and the union was announced just days after the 2016 Daytona 500, though the team would continue to race Chevrolets for the duration of last season.

So two weeks into the season, how is SHR’s conversion going and how is Penske adjusting to sharing equal billing within the Ford camp?

Exceptionally well.

SHR has shown none of the expected bumpiness a high-profile manufacturer change entails. Kurt Busch opened the 2017 season by winning the Daytona 500, while Kevin Harvick led 90 percent of the laps the following week at Atlanta Motor Speedway with only a speeding penalty during his final pit stop keeping him out of victory lane.

“It is a major undertaking to do the things we did,” Harvick said. “Stewart-Haas has obviously done a great job with the work, but Ford has been a very big part of giving us the resources and manpower and support that we need to do the things that we do. You line that up with Gene and Tony and the resources we have at SHR and it hopefully is to the point where we have a baseline.

“It was a big gamble, but so far it seems to be working out OK.”

And when Harvick stumbled, who capitalized to win at Atlanta? Penske’s Brad Keselowski, giving Ford consecutive wins to start the season for the first time since 2009.

But it was what occurred afterward as Keselowski took part in the duties required of a race winner that the new dynamic within the Ford camp came to light. Car owner Roger Penske not only disclosed his team had helped SHR out during the offseason, but he credited SHR for making Team Penske better.

“We knew coming in with Stewart-Haas that they were going to be guys that could set a bar for us,” Penske said. “In fact, we built some chassis for them before Daytona, some center sections, and we had our cars in the wind tunnel and compared them. So we know what they have and they know what we have.

“The camaraderie at Daytona was something we haven’t had for a number of years because we pretty much played by ourselves, and I think that that’s made us much stronger.”

Inevitably there will be trials and tribulations. It’s unavoidable.

SHR still has a steep adjustment process. The car Harvick drove to lead 292 of 325 laps at Atlanta was essentially a repurposed chassis from last year when it enjoyed an alliance with Hendrick. Eventually the team will have to rely solely on chassis it constructs, and of course there are myriad little things that will unexpectedly pop up.

As for Team Penske, the comradery it enjoys with SHR could easily splinter if Harvick continually dominates similar to how he blistered the field at Atlanta. Take away the speeding penalty, and the 2014 Cup Series champion would’ve won going away and SHR would be 2-for-2 on the year.

Playing second fiddle isn’t going to sit well with Penske, a man whose legendary career is synonymous with finding the unfair advantage. Team Penske circling ranks and limiting the information exchange with SHR wouldn’t be uncharacteristic.

In the immediate, though, everything is idyllic. SHR is more than comfortable in its new home, while Team Penske has been more than welcoming. And that both organizations already have a victory only increases the glow.

Given the feel that Ford could finally snap its championship drought that’s seen the carmaker not win the Manufacturers Championship since 2002 and the Cup driving title since 2004, a victory by a Ford driver Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway would mark the first time in 25 years Ford started a season with three consecutive wins.

“For Ford it’s terrific that we kick off the season certainly with Kurt’s win last week and the win this week for us,” Penske said. “... You know how strong the Toyotas have been and the Chevys have been, this gives us at least a chance to say we’re on par with those guys.

“Now with a couple of wins I’d have to say we might be an inch or two ahead.”