KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Stewart-Haas Racing, a championship-winning NASCAR team, will close down after the 2024 season after rumors surrounded the four-car operation's future.
The decision was announced on Tuesday in a joint statement from Tony Stewart, a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, and Gene Haas, a longtime NASCAR and Formula 1 team owner.
"[Racing] requires unwavering commitment and vast resources, with a 365-day mindset to be better than everyone else," the pair said in a statement. "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."
SHR is one of just three teams that fields four cars in the NASCAR Cup Series -- the others are Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing. Josh Berry, Chase Briscoe, Noah Gragson, and Ryan Preece field those four entries.
The team won 69 races from its start in 2009 to 2022 but poor performance in the last two seasons has left fans and those in the industry questioning the team's future.
Stewart faced increasing pressure for not being at the race track weekly like some of the sport's other prominent team owners. Haas typically spends the bulk of his time with his Formula 1 team.
Much of Stewart's attention in 2024 has been focused on his full-time efforts in NHRA. Superstar Racing Experience (SRX), the IROC-esque venture started by Stewart and Ray Evernham in 2021, announced it would not hold a 2024 season.
SHR began operations in 2009 after Stewart left his longtime ride with Gibbs to pursue a career as an owner-driver. Stewart won four races that first season and captured his third Cup Series championship in 2011 with the team, making him the first owner-driver to win a title since Alan Kulwicki accomplished the feat in 1992.
Kevin Harvick gave SHR a second title in 2014, his first year with the team. Harvick is the last driver to win a race with SHR with his win at Richmond in August 2022.
The only active driver on SHR's roster to even have a career win is Briscoe, who won his only career race at Phoenix in 2022.
Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, Aric Almirola, and Cole Custer are the other drivers to win races with the team. Custer won the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series title with SHR.
Tuesday's move opens the door for four charters in the Cup Series. It's not known if these will be bought by existing Cup Series teams or by a new team.