NASCAR is a tough sport and a tougher business. It is a sport that depends on not just the consumer to have disposable income but corporations as well for sponsorship. When you struggle for years on end and tag on a tough economy along with a disgruntled car owner, the team will inevitably cease to exist. It may be exciting for some fans to see change in the sport, but what gets lost in large teams shutting down is that there are hundreds of people who have sacrificed so much to a team that will be out of a job and unable to feed their families and may not be able to land another job in NASCAR.
Stewart-HAAS Racing Shuts Down
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In a joint statement between the co-owners of Stewart-HAAS Racing, three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas announced they are closing their doors at the end of 2024. The statement said:
“We have made the difficult decision to close Stewart-Haas Racing after the 2024 season. It is a decision that did not come easily, nor was it made quickly. 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.”
With the lack of success, Stewart owns several race tracks around the country, including the famous dirt track Eldora Speedway, along with a team in NHRA. Dale Earnhardt Jr., an owner of an Xfinity Series team (the series below the cup series) and former driver, said on his podcast The Dale Jr. Download before the news broke and was just speculation at the time:
“I don’t want to speculate. But I hope that Tony Stewart doesn’t leave NASCAR entirely. That would suck. I just think he’s an icon. He’s a motorsports icon. Done it all.”
What About the NASCAR Charters?
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With the closing of Stewart-HAAS that leaves four charters up for grabs. FOX’s NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass has reported that 2311, Trackhouse Racing, and Front Row Motorsports are buying a charter. The fourth one is still unclear who will buy the charter, rumors speculate who the buyers may be. Many hope that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will buy it and move his team to the Cup series. Pockrass has said Jr. is not in the market. Dale Jr. said on his podcast about the possibility of buying a charter:
“I heard that their range is $20 million to $30 million, for a charter, One of the last ones that sold was for $40 million, and so now they’re kind of going through a bit of a reset. I mean, I know one sold for $40 million, but from everything that I’ve learned, and all the things that we’ve dug up over the last three or four years, the true value is not near $40 million. So yeah, $20 million to $25 million is more in the ballpark of what I think they should be going for.”
Fans have also speculated that Roush-Fenway-Keselowski Racing (RFK Racing) may be in the market. RFK Racing, at one time, fielded five teams and got all in the Chase. It has since downsized to two cars after the departures of Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, and Greg Biffle, along with struggling over the past decade, But has resurged since Keselowski signed came in, winning five races since 2022 (four with Chris Buescher).
JTG Daugherty is rumored to be another potential buyer. Brad Daugherty, the owner, is a former NBA player for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Currently, a one-car operation with the number 47 driven by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. once was a two-car operation but downsized after struggles in recent years, but with more consistent success from Stenhouse since downsizing JTG Daugherty could expand and learn from past mistakes and have success the second time around.
Drivers’ Potential Landing Spots
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With Stewart-HAAS shutting down there are four drivers added to the market. Two drivers who are likely to land in the Cup Series are Chase Briscoe and Noah Gregson. Both are talented drivers and have sponsorship backing. The other two drivers Josh Berry and Ryan Preece are good drivers but lack sponsorship making it difficult to find a Cup ride.
Josh Berry has driven for Dale Jr. in NASCAR’s late-model series and the Xfinity Series. Berry, 33 years old, in his first full season in the Cup Series, has fought and clawed his way, having the talent but struggling to make it to the Cup Series. The rest of this year will be an audition to try to stay in the cup series; in the worst-case scenario, he will land in a good Xfinity ride.
Another NASCAR free agent who will most certainly land in the Cup Series is Crew Chief Rodney Childers. Chew Chief for Kevin Harvick and now Josh Berry. Childers has won 36 races and won the 2014 Cup Series Championship with Kevin Harvick. Childers will most certainly make an instant impact wherever he lands.
About The Author
Dillon Hildreth is a writer for Total Apex and a lifelong fan of Football with his favorite teams being the New England Patriots and the Georgia Bulldogs. Dillon is also a fan of Motorsports Red Bull in Formula One and William Byron in NASCAR. You can catch Dillon Stream F1, NASCAR, and other video games and sidecasts on Kick or Twitch.
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