Stewart-Haas Racing announced via a joint statement from co-owners Tony Stewart and Gene Haas on Tuesday, May 28 that it will cease operations after the 2024 NASCAR season.
“We have made the difficult decision to close Stewart-Haas Racing at the conclusion of the 2024 season…It is a decision that did not come easily, nor was it made quickly.” The statement reads.
The statement goes on to say; “Racing is a labor-intensive, humbling sport…It requires unwavering commitment and vast resources, with a 365-day mindset to be better than everyone else. It’s part of what makes success so rewarding. But the commitment needed to extract maximum performance while providing sustainability is incredibly demanding, and we’ve reached a point in our respective personal and business lives where it’s time to pass the torch.”
Currently, Stewart-Haas Racing holds a four-car Cup team and two Xfinity Series teams, with a cumulative four victories since 2021. SHR’s drivers are as follows; Josh Berry (No. 4), Noah Gragson (No. 10), Chase Briscoe (No. 14), and Ryan Preece (No. 41) within the Cup series, and Cole Custer and Riley Herbst driving in the Xfinity Series.
GettyStewart-Haas Racing
A Brief History of Stewart-Haas Racing
In 2002, Gene Haas’ Haas CNC Racing hit the asphalt, although it wouldn’t be until 2008 when NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart joined forces with Haas to create Stewart-Haas Racing.
For its inaugural season in 2009, SHR had two drivers; Stewart, and Ryan Newman, with technical support provided by Hendrick Motorsports. Stewart won four races in their first season.
In 2011, Stewart secured Stewart-Haas Racing’s first NASCAR Cup Series championship in a title tiebreaker with Carl Edwards of Roush Fenway Racing. The team expanded to include a third car in 2013 with Danica Patrick, and then a fourth car in 2014. The team’s second championship also came in 2014, with driver Kevin Harvick.
In 2017 Stewart-Haas Racing entered the Xfinity Series, which includes 22 wins, 104 top fives, and 181 top 10s, alongside an Xfinity Series championship title from 2023, won by Custer.
GettyCole Custer, Xfinity Series
Current Drivers
As for the current drivers for Stewart-Haas Racing, an uncertain future could be ahead.
Briscoe currently sits at 16th in the Cup standings, but revealed in a video on X, previously known as Twitter, that he didn’t see the move coming.
“Crazy time…I never thought this day would come. … I just hope all of the guys and gals at this place finds a great opportunity because each and every single person here deserves it.” he said.
Berry, who is running 19th in the standings in what is becoming a very impressive rookie season for him, was under a contract with Stewart-Haas Racing for next season, a season that now, SHR will not be running in.
Berry also took to X to share his insight.
“Today was a tough day for all of us. It is pretty hard to find the right words. I’m proud of our team for how they have been handling this and will going forward. [Crew chief Rodney Childers] is a true leader. We will keep racing our hearts out every Sunday.”
Gragson is in his first season at SHR, and is 21st in the standings, while Preece, whose contract with SHR would have been expiring at the end of the year regardless, is in 28th.
When it comes to the Xfinity Series, Stewart-Haas Racing not only runs two drivers but also provides cars for other Ford teams. Custer, the defending Xfinity Series champion and 3rd in the standings, has long had close ties to Gene Haas. Custer was previously sponsored by Haas Automation, and his father is an executive within Stewart-Haas Racing.
Herbst is seventh in the Xfinity Series standings.
There are more questions besides where the drivers will land when it comes to the ending of Stewart-Haas Racing.
Stewart-Haas Racing lost two major sponsors in Anheuser-Busch and Smithfield and had yet to find another manufacturer for the 2025 season when their contract with Ford was set to retire at the end of this year. SHR still has four charters that are for sale, but acquisitions have yet to be finalized.
Stewart-Haas Racing leaves behind a strong legacy of 69 victories, which ranks 10th all-time in NASCAR, eight different driver winners, an Xfinity Series championship, and two NASCAR Cup championships. The team has also won two Southern 500s at Darlington in 2014 and 2020, three Brickyard 400s in 2013, 2019, and 2020, and the Daytona 500, in 2017.
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Stewart-Haas Racing Announces Operations Will Cease After 2024 Season