One of the biggest names in racing will close its doors at the end of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Season. After a successful stint as a Team Owner and Driver, winning 26 races in 5 years, retiree and 3-time Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart and his partner Gene Haas have decided to close Stewart-Haas Racing.
The Rise and Fall of Stewart-Haas Racing
Founded in 2009 in Kannapolis, North Carolina, Stewart-Haas gave birth to several household names, including Danica Patrick, Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, Chase Briscoe, Ryan Newman, Daniel Suarez, Cole Custer, Aric Almirola, Carl Edwards, until his move to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015, Ryan Preece, and more recently Noah Gragson from Legacy Motor Club in 2023 and Josh Berry at the beginning of the 2024 season.
Bringing home 69 checkered flags and two championships and opening the doors for women everywhere to step out of their comfort zone and into the seat of a NASCAR stock car, this team made a memorable mark on the NASCAR community.
However, Stewart-Haas Racing has not always been successful. The team has experienced several hiccups over its 22-year stint in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Much of the reason Stewart-Haas Racing has experienced a decline in recent years is because the owners, Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, have focused their attention elsewhere. Stewart has become more focused on his National Hotrod Association (NHRA) racing team. At the same time, Haas discovered more of a knack for supporting his career as a Formula 1 racing team and CNC Machine Business Owner.
While both are racing genres just as popular as NASCAR, it is hard to understand why team owners who have invested 22 years in making a name for themselves would suddenly halt operations.
This is perhaps attributed to much of the struggle they have experienced in the past decade and their lack of public presence compared to other teams. Particularly when shifting from Generation 6 cars to the Next Generation, the constant change in manufacturers, and shuffling drivers.
But could it ultimately be that Stewart-Haas Racing has met its end because it has only had four cup series victories since 2021 and no success to be spoken of since Kevin Harvick’s regular run win in 2014? This is what a lot of fans seem to think.
What Will Happen to Stewart-Haas Drivers?
It must be frustrating for a team owner to see their team go in the opposite direction of success and see their counterparts outperforming and claiming the spotlight that was once theirs.
With an even mix of frustration and consideration of the successful production of drivers and iconic career wins, Stewart-Haas Racing has gained from 1996 until now. One question remains after learning about the team’s speedy closure.
“What happens to the drivers career-wise, and where do they go from here?” Chase Briscoe, Rookie driver of the #14 for Stewart-Haas Racing, feels that all good things come to an end, but ideally, he never expected that this team’s closure would be a reality and has no idea where he stands after seven years.
Josh Berry, who began at the beginning of the 2024 season, is confident he can continue racing. Fellow driver Noah Gragson, who has been racing with the team for less than half a year, is grateful for the experience and has taken the team to new heights, ranking in the top 5 in the Cup Series. He remains optimistic about his future.
On the other hand, Ryan Preece, the driver of #41, is not sure where he will go at the end of the 2024 Season. One thing is apparent, however: none of these drivers will experience any issues finding their spot on a comparably successful team.
About the Author
Sarah a resident of Canton, Georgia holds a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU), and a Master of Science in Management from Colorado Technical University (CTU) with concentrations in Project Management and Information Technology.
She is currently working on her Doctor of Computer Science degree with concentrations in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance at Colorado Technical University (CTU).
She comes to us with experience in both Standard and Technical Writing. In her free time, she enjoys reading books, roller skating, watching NASCAR, spending time outdoors, and educating herself on any and everything she has not learned already.
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