Last week, on May 28, it was announced that Stewart-Haas Racing would be shutting down its NASCAR operations at the end of the 2024 season.
About Stewart-Haas Racing
Tony Stewart, a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation, co-founded Stewart-Haas Racing in 2002.
Stewart-Haas Racing currently has a four-car Cup team with drivers Josh Berry (No. 4), Noah Gragson (No. 10), Chase Briscoe (No. 14), and Ryan Preece (No. 41). The team also has two Xfinity Series teams led by Cole Custer and Riley Herbst.
Stewart-Haas Racing’s Closure Announcement
NASCAR revealed that co-owner Tony Stewart met with drivers Chase Briscoe, Josh Berry, Noah Gragson, and Ryan Preece to inform them about the decision to close the team. He then met with the team’s crew chiefs before addressing the entire company to announce the news.
The drivers described the week as “emotional.”
Stewart-Haas Racing shared the official statement regarding the decision to close down the team on social media and NASCAR’s official website.
Driver Cole Custer shared the original post, calling the news “heartbreaking.”
Pretty heart breaking to see. The stretch that Tony, Gene, and everyone at SHR had was extremely impressive. We’re gonna fight the rest of the year to finish strong👊🏻 https://t.co/F7uGWraVbc
— Cole Custer (@ColeCuster) May 28, 2024
“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….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.”
In the statement, Stewart and Haas also emphasized their commitment to assisting their employees during the transition to find new opportunities beyond the 2024 race season.
“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.”
A sad end to an era for Stewart-Haas Racing fans. Learn more in the video below!