When Ford announced its entry into Formula 1 from the 2026 season, who knew it would likely have direct consequences in NASCAR? Well, that’s what seems to have happened, considering Tony Stewart and Gene Haas announced in May that Stewart Haas Racing would be closing at the end of 2024. When the news came out, Stewart said, “Gene was going to have to write a check that I wasn’t willing to ask him to write, honestly.” But is it possible that Haas didn’t have the money to write the checks in the first place?

There were signs at the beginning of the season that the team was struggling to find sponsorships. And considering Ford is already preparing for its F1 entry, shelling out funds to SHR wasn’t entirely feasible. So, it came down to Tony Stewart and Gene Haas making a decision, which ended in the former leaving and the latter forming the Haas Factory Team.

That said, Gene Haas, who not only runs NASCAR teams but also owns the Haas F1 team, has always been a controversial figure in motorsports. Besides the huge tax evasion case that was filed on Gene back in 2006, there has been another issue where money has become a problem for the Haas F1 team, due to which the Haas F1 cannot leave Zandvoort following the Dutch GP.

In 2021, Uralkali began sponsoring the Haas F1 Team, which was part of a larger agreement to have Russian driver Nikita Mazepin drive for the team. The son of oligarch and Uralkali’s owner, Dmitry Mazepin, had his contract terminated following the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022. After the deal between Haas and Uralkali was over, the F1 team still had to pay back the sponsorship money, which was approximately 10 million euros.

Although this happened two years ago, Haas fell into some trouble for the outstanding amount in the Netherlands. However, per reports, Gene Haas already processed the remaining money back to Uralkali on Friday, which has yet to be credited into the former sponsors’ account. The money was processed through a Middle Eastern account on Friday, but Uralkali has yet to confirm receipt. Due to the unpaid debt, Haas’ F1 cars and equipment are being held by Uralkali’s Dutch legal representatives and authorities at the Zandvoort circuit.

Gene Haas and the team are barred from leaving the Netherlands until the payment is confirmed. Uralkali’s spokeswoman noted that while there has been progress, the funds have not arrived due to weekend bank closures. Looking at how Gene Haas has a controversial history with finances, fans connected this case to the closure of SHR, picking sides on who was the better partner in the venture.

After Haas’ F1 mix-up, Tony Stewart became the one with the clearer name. This was all reflected in the heated comments section on Reddit, where the news was announced, and fans did not leave any stone unturned in picking sides.

Fans stand by Tony Stewart as Haas goes through another financial trouble

Some fans are worried that the Haas Factory Team is going to struggle next year, with one saying, “RIP Cole Custer’s competitiveness. HFT is going to be awful next year.” They’re concerned that the financial mess will hurt the team’s performance and Cole Custer‘s chances of being competitive next year. When SHR announced its closure, it also meant the team’s Xfinity drivers, Custer and Riley Herbst, would be out of a seat next season.

However, seeing as Gene Haas is continuing his journey in stock-car racing, Cole Custer was promoted to the Cup Series for HFT, strengthened by a technical alliance with RFK Racing. At this point, fas believe RFK Racing’s alliance will be the only saving grace for Custer in the Cup Series in 2025.

Another fan commented, “lol sounds about right for Gene Haas,” which shows they’re not really shocked. Gene Haas has been in the center of drama for a while now and fans are catching up on his actions. Many believe that the fact that Haas F1 was stalled in the Netherlands was a fair decision by the authorities.

One fan wondered, “I know they are two separate legal entities, but imagine this somehow affects SHR.” They’re crossing their fingers that the troubles with the F1 team won’t trickle down and cause problems for SHR. The team was already in financial turmoil since the beginning of the season. The only thing that could be worse for SHR fans other than the team’s closure would be the case of even SHR’s cars being held back in Daytona (or Darlington next week).

In response to the above comment, this fan stated, “Maybe Tony [Stewart] isn’t the bad guy after all.” With all the drama around Gene Haas, some fans are starting to think better of Tony Stewart. It seems like Stewart’s decision to step back might be making him look better in contrast to Haas’s ongoing problems.