Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, co-owners of Stewart-Haas Racing, have announced the NASCAR team will close at the end of the 2024 season.
Stewart and Haas announced the news Tuesday with a press release, shortly after Stewart told the employees of the team at the Kannapolis, North Carolina, shop.
"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 said.
"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.
"We're proud of all the wins and championships we've earned since joining together in 2009, but even more special is the culture we built and the friendships we forged as we committed to a common cause - winning races and collecting trophies.
"That is the same commitment we made to our personnel, our partners, and our fans coming into this year, and that commitment will remain through the season finale at Phoenix. We have tremendous respect and appreciation for all of our employees, and we will work diligently to assist them during this transition to find new opportunities beyond the 2024 race season."
Stewart-Haas Racing currently field entries across Cup and Xfinity. Chase Briscoe, Noah Gragson, Ryan Preece, and Josh Berry drive full-time for the team in Cup. Riley Herbst and Cole Custer drive full-time in Xfinity.
Stewart Haas has been home to my family and I for the last 7 years and at the end of the year myself and the entire organization will be looking for a new home and new opportunities in the Cup series. I have amazing partners behind me and can’t wait to get them back in victory… pic.twitter.com/uXkPGN7pH7
— Chase Briscoe (@ChaseBriscoe_14) May 28, 2024
A history of success
Chase Briscoe celebrates a win at Phoenix Raceway.
The organization began as Haas CNC Racing in 2002 with Jack Sprague making three starts. The organization fielded entries for such drivers as John Andretti, Ward Burton, Johnny Sauter, Jeremy Mayfield, Mike Bliss, Jeff Green, and Jason Leffler. None won a Cup race for the organization.
Haas and Stewart joined forces ahead of the 2009 season. Stewart left Joe Gibbs Racing, the team with which he had won two Cup championships, and began driving for the team he co-owned.
Stewart scored the team's first win during the 2009 All-Star Race. He won his first points race as a driver-owner at Pocono later that season. Stewart won three more points-paying races before the end of SHR's inaugural campaign.
Stewart continued to deliver success in the No. 14. He won two races in 2010 and then he won five races and the Cup championship in 2011. Stewart ultimately celebrated 16 wins with SHR before retiring.
SHR, which began as a two-car operation, expanded to three teams in 2013 as Danica Patrick joined the fold. SHR expanded to four cars in 2014 as Kevin Harvick made the move from Richard Childress Racing.
This first season with Harvick was pivotal. The California native won five races and the Cup championship while showing that SHR could continue to be a perennial contender.
Harvick continued to deliver for SHR before he retired at the end of the 2023 season. Thirty-seven of Harvick's 60 wins were in an SHR entry. He finished top three in the championship standings five times in 10 seasons with the team.
1 championship, 37 wins, 25 poles, 151 top 5s, 235 top 10s since the 4 team came together at SHR. And we are just getting rolling with @joshberry .. But most of all, we have been a family. A family that truly cares and loves every person.. WE aren’t done! pic.twitter.com/VPRF9zGZUM
— Rodney Childers (@RodneyChilders4) May 28, 2024
Multiple others delivered Cup wins during SHR's tenure in NASCAR. Aric Almirola won two races, Clint Bowyer won two, Ryan Newman won four, Cole Custer won one, and Chase Briscoe won one. Kurt Busch won six times for SHR, including the 2017 Daytona 500.
SHR expanded into the Xfinity Series during the 2017 season and began a run marked by success. Custer took over as the full-time driver for the program and won a race in his first season. He won eight more races across 2018-19, finishing second in the championship standings both seasons.
Once Custer moved up to Cup, Briscoe took over as the full-time Xfinity driver. He won nine races in his lone season in the No. 98 and secured his spot in the Cup field. Herbst took over the No. 98 starting in 2021 and has remained there since while delivering a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Custer returned to the Xfinity program last season and delivered success once again. He won three races in his return to the No. 00, and he captured SHR's first Xfinity championship.