What is Stewart-Haas Racing?

Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) is an American racing group that contends across multiple NASCAR divisions including the Cup Series and the Xfinity Series. The team was established in 2002 as Haas CNC Racing. It was after Haas, the sponsor of Hendrick Motorsports at that time, chose to compete with their own group. In the NASCAR Cup Series, Stewart-Haas Racing handles four Ford Mustang Dark Horse teams. In the Xfinity Series, the group handles the No. 98 and No. 00 Ford Mustang.

The History of Stewart-Haas Racing

Stewart-Haas Racing was formed in 2022 and debuted in the 2003 Winston Cup. It is owned by CNC machine tools manufacturer Haas Automation's founder and president Gene Haas and former Cup Series driver Tony Stewart.

Why is the team named Stewart-Haas Racing?

When SHR debuted, it used to be known as Haas-CNC Racing. However, ahead of the 2009 season, then Joe Gibbs Racing driver Tony Stewart agreed to join the team as a driver/owner after receiving a 50% stake for it.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s Net Worth 2024

As a team that has been in the circuit for two decades, SHR has managed to build an empire. As per Forbes' February 2020 update, the team is said to be worth $165 million, out of which $27 million constitutes winnings and $103 million consists of revenue.

Stewart-Haas Racing Drivers

Currently, SHR has four full-time Cup Series drivers, namely, Josh Berry (#4), Chase Briscoe (#14), Noah Gragson (#10) and Ryan Preece (#41).

Josh Berry's inclusion to the team came ahead of the 2024 season as he stepped in to fill the position vacated by retired veteran Kevin Harvick. “I can’t imagine a better opportunity for me — to get in a car that’s been as successful and iconic as the No. 4. Kevin is a future NASCAR Hall of Famer, and it’s going to be a challenge trying to come after someone so successful. But I know I’m going to have an amazing group of people around me, led by Rodney Childers, to where we can hit the ground running,” Berry said, according to RACER.

Current driver of the #10 at SHR, Noah Gragson's transition to his new team, wasn't as smooth, perhaps. In mid-2023, a screenshot showing him liking a racially insensitive post went viral. Soon after, he was suspended by his then-team Legacy Motor Club for reportedly violating NASCAR's code of conduct. However, the driver was reinstated on the condition of completing a program conducted by RISE, the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality.

And then, a few months later, Gragson joined Stewart-Haas Racing. “Noah deserves to be in the NASCAR Cup Series and we’re very happy to have him as the driver of our No. 10 Ford Mustang. Noah has performed at every level where he’s competed and has regularly been in championship contention. That’s the kind of driver we need at Stewart-Haas and that’s why Noah is a part of our team, ” Tony Stewart shared.

As for Ryan Preece, he first joined the team in 2022 as a reserve driver who was to substitute for any of the team's full-time drivers in their absence. He was then promoted to a full-time role for the 2o23 season. The #41 that Preece drives used to be Kurt Busch and Daniel Suarez.

Currently, the team's longest-remaining driver is Chase Briscoe, who joined the team in 2021. He also clinched Rookie of the Year title with the team. Perhaps that explains why he drives the #14, which was once a part of Tony Stewart and Clint Bowyer's teams. After all, being the oldest member of the team has got to come with its own set of perks.

Team Penske Partnerships and Endorsements

As per Stewart-Haas Racing's official website, the team has more than two dozen official partners as of now. The list includes popular names such as Haas Automation, Sony, Mahindra Tractors, Ford Performance and Mobil 1, besides 3D Systems, Andy's Frozen Yogurt, Autodesk, Caymus Vineyards, Code 3 Associates, Cummins, Fanttik, Highpoint, Mohawk, Monster Energy, Morton Buildings, Production Alliance Group, Rinnai, Roushyates Engines, Rush Truck Centers, Sunny D, Terrible's and United Rentals.

Stewart-Haas Racing Major Achievements and Awards

The team has clinched two Cup Series championships till date. The first came in 2011 with Tony Stewart, who was also the team owner. The second was clinched by retired Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick in 2014. As for race wins in NASCAR's top division, the team has had 89 victories as compared to 26 in the Xfinity Series. Additionally, SHR has also won one race in the Camping World Truck Series.

And not just in real life, the Tony Stewart-owned team has also shown its dominance on virtual tracks. In the eNASCAR iRacing World Championship Series, Stewart-Haas Gaming won the inaugural eNASCAR Heat Pro League Championship in 2019.

Stewart-Haas Racing Sponsorship Woes

In motorsport, the relationship between a team and their sponsors is sacrosanct. It's common knowledge that sponsors play the backbone of racers and their teams and without the presence of a financier, the future prospects for a team might as well be over. And the situation is not new for SHR who have had to let go of multiple decorated sponsors and face a precarious situation in 2023.

When former SHR driver Kevin Harvick retired from the Cup Series at the end of the 2023 season, it not only marked the end of his journey but also pushed Harvick's longtime sponsor Anheuser-Busch out of the picture. The brewing company decided to quit from the team and move to Trackhouse Racing team's driver Ross Chastain.

And not just them, even Hunt Brothers Pizza took the same route when they parted ways with the team post Harvick's retirement. For the 2024 season, the pizza restaurant chain moved to Team Penske to sponsor the #22 of Joey Logano.

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Same for the case when another veteran racer and SHR driver, Aric Almirola, decided to hang up his helmet from NASCAR's top tourney. And with his exit, his longtime sponsor Smithfield also decided to close the curtain. However, unlike Anheuser-Busch, Smithfield decided to leave the stock car racing series altogether.

“Smithfield Foods congratulates Aric Almirola on his excellent run with Stewart-Haas Racing. With Aric’s decision to explore new opportunities, the time has come for Smithfield to end our NASCAR partnership. We’ve been with Aric since the beginning. We were his first sponsor in 2012, his first full year in the NASCAR Cup Series, and we’ve enjoyed great success with him over the years,” the brand said in a statement at the time, according to Motorsportswire.

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