Ford’s Refusal to Step in Amidst Tony Stewart’s NASCAR Disbandment Has Fans Debating the OEM Genius

If you follow the behind-the-scenes actions in NASCAR, you know about the rumors that are making the rounds right now – Stewart-Haas Racing selling their charters. Well, it’s even worse than what it seemed earlier, and rumor mills are now suggesting that SHR might not just sell one or two charters but all of it and cease to exist after the 2024 season. Furthermore, Ford has remained silent in their stance regarding the Stewart-Haas Racing situation.

According to many, their supposed lack of support for Tony Stewart’s SHR team is noticeable. The silence from both the team owners and partners is raising eyebrows among NASCAR fans. Fans are puzzled and rightly so – because SHR is significant to Ford. It is one of Ford’s leading teams, even bigger than RFK. So it is puzzling to most why Ford has not stepped in the conversation.

If Tony Stewart’s team sells their charter, Toyota-led teams might be ready for a purchase. Hence, the question remains: Why would Ford remain silent when the stakes are this high? Moreover, Toyota has a robust pipeline of promising talents, like Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell. On the other hand, Ford drivers have been visibly struggling with a low number of top finishes and even lower Victory Lane visits.  

The season was going even worse for Tony Stewart’s team. Jordan Bianchi on the Dirty Mo Media’s teardown podcast mentioned that soon SHR might announce that they will cease Cup operations after 2024. The podcast also shed light on the fact that restructuring may be part of the new charter agreement. 

Ford is already struggling with the next-gen vehicles and now, with SHR’s uncertain future, the OEM’s presence in the NASCAR Cup Series can weaken. The lack of a clear stance from Ford is leading to fans getting frustrated and an entire debate unraveling on socials. Right now fans are divided about what exactly Ford’s stance is.

Ford’s inaction puzzles NASCAR fans amid SHR’s turmoil!

The rumors that SHR is selling most of its charters have the fans talking. Recently, many were left wondering why Ford is just letting SHR downsize, and some even went all out with their opinions. One fan mentioned the contractual status. Ford’s contract with Stewart Haas Racing is coming to an end. In fact, SHR’s lack of good sponsorship might have had something to do with the charter sales since there is less financial stability. On Reddit, the user wrote, “SHR’s contract with Ford also ends this year.” Could this mean that Ford has no obligation towards SHR and thus is not invested in advice or help? 

Another fan mentioned the ‘missing owners’ of the SHR team. Commenting on how investing in a team where the leadership is mostly absent is of less benefit to Ford, the Redditor said, “Personally, if I were Ford, I’m not sure if I’d even offer SHR a contract extension. I’d much rather invest in RFK, FRM, and hell, even RWR has shown more commitment to the sport than the leadership at SHR.” 

Another fan took the brutal approach and pointed out, “Ford can’t do anything about it and SHR’s unhappiness with Ford is probably part of why they are selling anyway.”

Further, a fan opined, “Have you looked at Ford’s numbers lately? Their sales are hurting. It’s probably better for them to support fewer teams.” Ford’s performance this season has been lackluster, to say the least. With only one win (with Brad Keselowski at Darlington) in points races so far, there is a palpable difference between them and the other OEMs, Chevrolet, and Toyota’s performances.

On the other hand, Chevrolet is dominating the manufacturer’s standings with seven races, while Toyota is closely following behind with six. To add insult to injury, even their business side of things has taken a hit. According to an article by The New York Post, Ford lost $526 million in the final quarter of 2023 alone. However, on the contrary, their global sales also grew by 182,000 units between 2022 and 2023.

Right now Toyota is leading the pack and following the less is more strategy. Maybe Ford wants to mimic that. And why wouldn’t Ford want what Toyota has? They have drivers like Christopher Bell who recently won the prestigious Coca-Cola 600. Denny Hamlin, an icon, Tyler Reddick, and more are present in the lineup. One user said, “In all honesty, it’s a similar strategy to Toyota. Less is more.” 

However, at the end of the day, everything right now is rumored. What do you think will happen? Will SHR cease to exist as a team? Let us know your thoughts.

UPDATE: As reported by NASCAR, Stewart-Haas Racing will close operation at the end of the 2024 season. Currently, SHR has No. 4, 10, 14, and 41 Fords for drivers Josh Berry, Noah Gragson, Chase Briscoe, and Ryan Preece.

“We have made the difficult decision to close Stewart-Haas Racing at the conclusion of 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,” the team’s statement read.