Gene Haas will continue to be in NASCAR next season under a new organization: the Haas factory team.
The news comes less than a month after Haas and Tony Stewart issued a joint statement saying Stewart-Haas Racing would close at the end of the season. Haas and Stewart have co-owned the team since 2009, having raced multiple cars in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Cup Series.
However, Haas will retain one of the charters from its four-car NASCAR Cup Series program. The two-car NASCAR Xfinity Series team that won the championship last season with Cole Custer will also continue.
“My commitment to motorsports has not changed, just the scope of my involvement,” Haas said. “Running a four-car Cup Series team has become very daunting, but at the same time, I still need a platform to promote Haas Automation and grow HaasTooling.com.
“Maintaining my presence in Cup allows Haas Automation to compete at the highest level in NASCAR, which is important for our customers and dealers. The Xfinity Series program provides a complete weekend experience for our guests, and it brings additional depth and scale to our overall operations.”
No drivers or team partners have been announced for the Haas Factory team. The manufacturer was not mentioned either.
Joe Custer will be president of the Haas Factory team, which will operate out of the existing Stewart-Haas Racing building. Custer currently serves as co-president of Stewart-Haas Racing.
Custer and Riley Herbst drive for Stewart-Haas Racing in the Xfinity Series. Josh Perry, Noah Gragson, Chase Briscoe and Ryan Brees compete for the organization in the Cup Series.
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