Nine races into the 2025 season, and we still can’t get over missing Stewart-Haas Racing. How Tony Stewart took ownership of a struggling team, leaving a successful seat in Joe Gibbs Racing, and taking SHR to two championships, one as an owner/driver (2011) and one as just the boss man, when Kevin Harvick won it in 2014. Well, after Tony called it quits, Gene Haas kept one charter to start the Haas Factory Team. This was a relief for SHR fans, but the one-man team hasn’t looked anything like SHR so far. Well, outside the stats, an old sponsor returning has it feeling like the old days.

“Racing is a labor-intensive, humbling sport. It requires unwavering commitment and vast resources,” This is what SHR wrote in their exit statement. Tony Stewart and Gene Haas did not have it in them anymore to continue. However, the team did not report having any financial struggles. Given their history and Tony Stewart’s appeal in the sport, they always found sponsors and partners. And now, even with Tony gone, one sponsor is still coming back to partner with HFT.

Texas A&M is making its NASCAR comeback with the Haas Factory team

If you recall, Texas A&M University sponsored two SHR cars in 2024, the #14 of Chase Briscoe and the #4 of Josh Berry. In fact, the university was the primary sponsor for the teams in one race each last season. Las Vegas for Chase Briscoe, Phoenix for Josh Berry. The wraps were in A&M’s staple maroon color, and they even spent $160,000 on this deal! Which was them still showing big trust in a team that wasn’t running its best season.

And that’s something they have had with the Haas Brand and now are continuing it with HFT. The $19.2 billion worth university has announced a season-long partnership with the team. And the NASCAR partnership will also include a full sponsorship of Cole Custer‘s No. 41 car in the Coca-Cola 600. This race, taking place during Memorial Day, is the reason why A&M chose it, as they are always honoring the United States Military. And what makes this extra special is that Custer will carry the name of Captain Ronald Forrester on his car that weekend. Forrester was an American hero who sacrificed his life in a combat mission to North Vietnam.

And Custer is honored for this partnership. In a recent statement, he said, “I’m proud to carry the Texas A&M branding on our No. 41 Ford Mustang this season. It was a productive partnership in 2024, so we look forward to expanding the relationship and raising awareness around Texas A&M’s commitment to our country’s military personnel. The Aggie Core Values align well with our philosophy at Haas and resonate with the NASCAR fanbase.”

Also, A&M is hitting it big this season; they are also partnering with NTT IndyCar Series driver Felix Rosenqvist. And they are pumped to kick these off. Ethan Braden, vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at Texas A&M, said, “Motorsports are especially well-positioned to deliver cost-effective and efficient national reach with millions, deep fan engagement and loyalty, and a values-aligned audience for Texas A&M University. In the end, you may only see the driver in the winner’s circle, but propelling every lap is a car, a team, a community of supporters, as well as strategy, innovation, and creativity at the highest levels. That’s Texas A&M University; that’s how Texas A&M Aggies think and act, and that’s the kind of country we are working to shape.”

However, what is the reason for Texas A&M’s return? Well, NASCAR’s ratings have seen a boost! And more so, 31% of NASCAR fans are currently serving in the military, making the tribute on Memorial Day all the more special for the audience. The Cup Series audience has seen a 12% year-over-year increase through the first four races of 2025, while the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ season debut on FOX (network) experienced a 45% year-over-year increase, attracting 1.42 million viewers. This adds major marketing incentive to their return, as they can proudly display the mission of Texas A&M on the national stage.

While it’s good to have a veteran sponsor on the car, HFT doesn’t have much else to celebrate. They haven’t had the best of seasons after all the elaborate plans they had!

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HFT is struggling in 2025

If you recall, Joe Custer was big on how the Haas Factory Team is all set to compete for bagging wins in 2025. “Taking all the resources that we bring to the table and combining it with their success and the resources they have, we look forward to RFK and Haas Factory Team competing for wins and championships shoulder to shoulder. Along with Ford as a partner, we’re lacking no resources going into next year. People-wise, human capital, I’m happy to say we’re well on the way there to putting together the team capable of competing for wins.”

But so far, Joe Custer’s son, the 2023 Xfinity Series champion, hasn’t had the success he’d hoped. Well, Cole Custer was looking good in the season’s Daytona 500. In fact, he even tried to leap to take the win, but rather ended up wrecking race leader Denny Hamlin and Austin Cindric, causing a pileup upfront, with William Byron getting an opportunity to win the race. And ever since that, Custer hasn’t been able to make a comeback! He is currently 35th in points, not having scored a single top 20 finish.

Look, we know, one-driver teams have often struggled in NASCAR, but with the talent of Custer, there were high hopes. And look at Josh Berry and the Wood Brothers Racing. They, too, are a one-driver team, but have bagged a win at Las Vegas and multiple top 10s, putting them 17th in the points standings! But folks, for HFT, it’s pretty much the same story from last season: the revamped team hasn’t had any success in the Cup, but their Xfinity program is successful.

Sam Mayer is currently 2nd in the points table, and Sheldon Creed is 8th! While they have shown consistency, the first wins are yet to come. What do you think, folks? How would the Haas Factory Team fare in 2025? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.