The Stewart-Haas Racing team has endured a saga and a half! It all started when they announced SHR’s end, and from the shadows, Gene Haas forged out Haas Factory Racing. The former organization is selling most of its charters and retaining just one Cup and two Xfinity Series rides. At the Xfinity Series level, Cole Custer is expected to stick around again in 2025. However, there is a massive question about who will be his teammate.

Let’s just say that the team is not short of options in 2025. Admittedly, some of their drivers, like Chase Briscoe, Noah Gragson, and others, have found seats elsewhere. Custer did have a Cup stint once upon a time but didn’t impress much, so he was demoted to the Xfinity Series. Since then, he has gone on to clinch the Xfinity Series title and proved his mettle. It wasn’t quite the Cup Series promotion he had hoped for, but the good news was that he survived the SHR purge.

Now that the organization has downsized a lot, the pressure will be on. After all, two Xfinity Series drivers will be vying for a solitary Cup Series seat in 2026, and the Cup driver will want to stay on. That being said, who is going to partner with Cole Custer in 2025 in the Xfinity Series?

What woes have plagued Haas Factory Racing?

Ever since the advent of the Next Gen car, Stewart-Haas Racing seems to have been hit the worst. Between Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota, Ford was slower in terms of adapting to the new generation of race cars.

Sure, most teams have recovered, but Stewart-Haas Racing has been one of the last to get up to speed. Last year, Kevin Harvick was a bit of a one-man army, single-handedly getting SHR into the Playoffs, in his final season. Now that he has retired, the other drivers have to try and step up to the plate as the team leader. Unfortunately, the team is letting go of most of their charters, retaining only one Cup charter for 2025, as well as both Xfinity charters.

Currently, Custer’s teammate is Riley Herbst, driving the #98 Ford. However, he is unlikely to return to the organization next year as he explores his options. This also means that there is a vacancy at Haas Factory Racing alongside Cole Custer. Frankly, there is no dearth of options, as Haas could dip into the Ford pool for a driver to promote. And fans are discussing all the possible options.

Some hints about Cole Custer’s teammate and fans have started speculating

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The team’s impending announcement has really set the cat among the pigeons. To be precise, many fans have begun to make predictions on who would be Cole Custer’s partner. There was a rumor of Sheldon Creed jumping ship from Joe Gibbs Racing to Haas. One fan said, “Haas welcoming Creed with arms wide open,” though that makes little sense. This is because he had only just moved from Richard Childress Racing to JGR, and wouldn’t abandon them so quickly.

There were other names thrown in the hat. Some guessed, “Harry Burton?” or, “Burton or Dye.” Finally, someone said, “Ben Rhodes, would be nice, if Ford actually cares about keeping and moving drivers up the ladder.” Some NASCAR fans thought that they were being awfully clever with some wordplay. Someone said on Twitter, “it’s hilarious how many people MaY or may not be getting this.”

Another person elected to not beat around the bush and be direct. They mused, “Could be mayer, heard he’s out at JRM.. unfortunately.” If that is the case, then it is a bit of a shame, because Sam Mayer is talented. Would Dale Earnhardt Jr really want to let someone of his talent, walk away and join a rival team? One thing is for sure, all will be revealed very soon. All that everyone can do for now, is to be patient and wait for Haas Racing to announce the driver and put everyone out of their misery.