Stewart-Haas Racing’s legacy screeched to a halt last year. In 2008, Tony Stewart and Gene Haas put their heads together and created a top-tier NASCAR Cup Series team. In 16 years, SHR achieved two championships and 70 race victories. During its prime, SHR hogged the spotlight, leaving Haas’ F1 endeavor that started in 2016 a tad bit in the shadows. However, from 2025 onwards, with SHR disbanded, that may change according to Cole Custer.

Tony Stewart has mentored the 2023 Xfinity Series champion earlier. Now the latter will resume his Cup Series career. Wheeling the No. 41 Ford, Cole Custer will be the sole face of the brand-new Haas Factory Team, pieced together from the remnants of the now-defunct SHR. Now this team may strike affable chords with its F1 branch.

Cole Custer hints at a dazzling crossover

What can be more sensational than two racing giants meeting? NASCAR and Formula One have crossed paths several times, stretching back to the 1960s. Nine-time F1 race winner Innes Ireland ran a career in Europe until 1966. Then, upon NASCAR founder Bill France’s insistence, he ran the 1967 Daytona 500 – his engine blew when he cracked the top ten. Most recently, we saw Jenson Button and Kimi Raikkonen make multiple Cup Series starts in the 2023 season. These instances show ample evidence of successful crossovers. And Gene Haas now has a chance to make it happen again – now that he is the sole owner of both NASCAR and F1 outfits.

2024 Xfinity Series regular-season winner Cole Custer believes that it is possible. In a recent interview ahead of the Daytona 500 Duels, Custer was asked if he interacts with his F1 teammates. “From time to time. We’re trying to have more crossovers now with it being the Haas Factory Team and Haas F1. Obviously, it’s really tough because they’re in Europe and we’re in the US base. It’s a little bit tough to see them every day and do that kind of stuff. But yeah, I think they want to try and bring them together a little bit.” Currently, Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman are the two racers of the Haas F1 team.

In 2023, 2009 F1 World Champion Jenson Button entered three road course races, clinching a best finish of 18th at Circuit of the Americas. 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen could finish 29th in the same race. Cole Custer tipped his hat to these previous drivers and was very positive about Haas’ own drivers coming to NASCAR. “I think it would be really cool. I don’t know if there are any plans to or anything right now. But I think a lot of the F1 guys who have been coming over to NASCAR and doing stuff has been really awesome. Whenever you have those crossovers, it’s cool to see everybody’s different opinions.”

On the NASCAR side, Cole Custer is pumped to kick off his Cup Series career. A long off-season of meticulous planning has helped.

Custer is gearing up for glory

Custer was a force to reckon with in the Xfinity Series. Holding 15 race victories, Custer narrowly fell short of winning back-to-back titles last season. Now, he is ready to continue that glorious trend into the Cup Series – with the help of good preparation. In addition to spending quality time with his 5-month-old son Cal, Custer spent the off-season preparing in the shop and getting to know the people he would work with. The No. 41 team, having a technical alliance with RFK Racing, welcomed first-year crew chief Aaron Kramer. He has already impressed Custer with the meticulous work ethic that he demonstrates in the race shop.

So Cole Custer cannot wait to get to the races and breathe fire alongside his new Cup Series rivals. He said, “I think everybody’s just excited to get going. There’s been so much work that’s gone in over this offseason organizing things and new people getting used to one another, and just going over all the little details. Now we actually get to go to the track and talk about race cars and how to go, how to be the best that we can be. So it’s exciting to just go to the racetrack and see what we can do.” Custer and the No. 41 clinched a commendable 12th-place finish at the Bowman Gray Cook Out Clash.

As Cole Custer prepares for his Cup Series stint, Gene Haas’ team gears up for another glorious journey. Who knows, maybe its F1 outfit will also chip in?