Certainly one of NASCAR’s largest groups is ceasing its Cup Sequence operations.
Stewart-Haas Racing introduced Tuesday that it’s shutting down its top-level NASCAR staff. The staff, shaped in 2009 when Tony Stewart grew to become a co-owner with Gene Haas, at present fields 4 vehicles within the Cup Sequence for Josh Berry, Chase Briscoe, Noah Gragson and Ryan Preece. It additionally runs a two-car operation within the Xfinity Sequence for Cole Custer and Riley Herbst.
“We’ve got made the troublesome selections to shut Stewart-Haas Racing on the conclusion of the 2024 season,” an announcement from Haas and Stewart mentioned. “It’s a resolution that didn’t come simply, nor was it made rapidly.”
“Racing is a labor-intensive, humbling sport. It requires unwavering dedication and huge assets, with a 365-day mindset to be higher than everybody else. It’s a part of what makes success so rewarding.”
“However the dedication wanted to extract most efficiency whereas offering sustainability is extremely demanding, and we’ve reached a degree in our respective private and enterprise lives the place it’s time to cross the torch.”
“We’re pleased with all of the wins and championships we’ve earned since becoming a member of collectively in 2009, however much more particular is the tradition we constructed and the friendships we solid as we dedicated for a typical trigger — profitable races and accumulating trophies.”
“That’s the identical dedication we made to our personnel, our companions and our followers coming into this 12 months and that dedication will stay by means of the season finale at Phoenix.”
“We’ve got great respect and appreciation for all of our staff, and we are going to work diligently to help them throughout this transition to seek out new alternatives past the 2024 race season.”
A joint assertion from Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, the co-owners of Stewart-Haas Racing, concerning the way forward for our staff following the 2024 season. pic.twitter.com/S9hkjnTNXi
— Stewart-Haas Racing (@StewartHaasRcng) Might 28, 2024
SHR’s closure comes because the staff misplaced two longtime sponsors on the finish of the 2023 season. Busch Gentle moved to Ross Chastain’s No. 1 automotive at Trackhouse Racing following Kevin Harvick’s retirement and Smithfield left NASCAR utterly when Aric Almirola retired from full-time competitors.
Stewart grew to become the primary driver-owner to win a NASCAR Cup Sequence title when he gained his third championship driving for SHR in 2011. Three years later, Harvick gained the Cup Sequence title.
Since then, issues have slowly trended downwards for the staff whilst Harvick was a stalwart. Harvick was thirteenth within the factors standings a season in the past whereas Almirola, Briscoe and Preece all completed exterior the highest 20. The group went winless throughout a complete Cup Sequence season for the primary time ever.
Rumors of a downsizing or whole shuttering have been floated for months as SHR didn’t have a contract with Ford past the 2024 season. Groups sometimes have their producers lined up years into the longer term.
4 charters accessible
The closure of Stewart-Haas signifies that groups trying to develop could not need to pay prime price for a constitution — basically NASCAR’s model of a franchise. The 36 vehicles with charters are assured entry into each single Cup Sequence race and likewise an even bigger share of prize cash.
The one constitution available on the market forward of the 2024 season bought for roughly $40 million when Spire bought Dwell Quick Racing’s constitution in September of 2023. With all 4 SHR charters now available on the market, it’ll be a shock if any of the staff’s assured entries promote for near that quantity.
Trackhouse could possibly be out there for one more constitution together with Entrance Row Motorsports. Trackhouse is loaning Zane Smith to Spire Motorsports in 2024 and a further constitution or two could make room on the two-car staff for him and/or Shane van Gisbergen.
The constitution settlement between NASCAR and groups at present limits groups to a most of 4 charters. Nonetheless, that settlement expires on the finish of the 2024 season and the sanctioning physique and its groups don’t appear near phrases on a brand new deal. Along with SHR, Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing additionally subject 4 vehicles.
