Bristol, Tenn. — There is no panic at Stewart-Haas Racing despite a sub-par start to the season that is tarnishing Tony Stewart's comeback from a broken leg.

Stewart needed a provisional to make today's race at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he's scheduled to start 37th after an awful qualifying session for the four-car organization. Danica Patrick, who wrecked three minutes into Friday's first practice, was the last car to qualify on speed at 36th. Kevin Harvick, the lone bright spot for the organization this season, qualified 27th, and Kurt Busch had the best effort for SHR at 13th.

It's just been that kind of start for SHR, which is trying to figure out how to get all its cars running equally just months after replacing Ryan Newman with Harvick and adding Busch to become a four-car organization.

"Everywhere we go, we've got two cars that run pretty good. We haven't gotten a weekend where everybody's run great," vice president of competition Greg Zipadelli said Saturday. "It's hard to have four cars. I think you can get four cars running good, but it's harder to get them to all finish good."

The most glaring problems have been with Stewart, who returned Feb. 14 after missing the final 15 races last season with a broken right leg suffered in a sprint car crash at Iowa. His first time back in his No. 14 Chevrolet was a day before the first exhibition race at Daytona, and the race was cut short for him when he was caught in a multi-car accident.

Engine problems ruined the Daytona 500 for him, he was a mediocre 16th at Phoenix, and Stewart struggled with an awful car at Las Vegas last week and finished 33rd.

"He hasn't complained about his leg. His attitude, his effort, his spirits have been great," Zipadelli said. "We're just not giving him what he's comfortable with. We're dragging the racetrack. It's not little things. It's way off. Last week was a human error. He did an amazing job driving that car. I went down in the corner and watched it and most people would have wrecked that thing. We got it home and found some mechanical . human error. Shame on us. That stuff can't happen at this level. It certainly shouldn't happen to that caliber of driver. We owe him a lot more than that."

But Zipadelli insisted the temperamental Stewart has remained calm while trying to be part of the solution. Because Stewart was not cleared to drive until mid-February, he missed out on all preseason testing and wasn't able to work with new crew chief Chad Johnston until the start of Speedweeks. Zipadelli said the No. 14 team has a heavy upcoming test schedule and Stewart will be the driver.

"He's got all the right in the world to be screaming and calling them everything he wants because we have not done a good job for him this year, as far as this group," Zipadelli said. "But he has been more of a leader and trying to motivate and keep everyone in the game."

It's up to Johnston, though, to keep Stewart placated.

Johnston, who joined SHR in December from Michael Waltrip Racing, is Stewart's third crew chief since he left Zipadelli and Joe Gibbs Racing in 2009. Stewart and Zipadelli were together for 10 seasons and two championships, but he failed to find the same chemistry with Darian Grubb and Steve Addington and is now a month into Johnston.

"It's a no-win situation unless you win with Tony. Let's face it. If it's not, if your cars are not good enough, or if he's not running up front every week leading laps, well then it's your fault. I battled it for 10 years," Zipadelli said, adding that Johnston is "doing a good job. As a group, I feel they are closer as a group. They are working better together, their communication is better.

"It seems every week they start a little bit behind in trying to figure out what he wants. I feel like the group we have there will do a really good job once we find that platform that Tony wants. They're very detailed, understanding and will be able to tune and be able to bring him the same thing week in and week out once they find it."

• Kyle Busch got his 16th career win at Bristol Motor Speedway — more than any other NASCAR driver at any other track — by holding off Kyle Larson after a late restart in Saturday's Nationwide Series race.

Busch has now won three consecutive Nationwide Series races at Bristol since last March, when he and Larson also went 1-2 to the finish.

Of his 16 national wins at Bristol, five are in the Sprint Cup Series, seven are Nationwide and four are in the Truck Series.

"I definitely like coming to Bristol, I always have," said Busch, who made his first trip to the .533-mile bullring in 2004 testing with Hendrick Motorsports.

"I've definitely gone through some trials with the Cup cars. First couple times here was a rough go-around for me. Sort of got it figured out, was able to start leading laps, start winning races and that's been the biggest things. Why that is? I don't know. I just enjoy coming to racing. To the banked tracks. It takes guts to go fast."

Busch now has 65 career Nationwide Series wins.