Gene Haas will continue to have a presence in NASCAR next season under a new enterprise: Haas Factory Team.
The news comes less than a month after Haas and Tony Stewart released a joint statement saying Stewart-Haas Racing will close its door at season’s end. Haas and Stewart have co-owned the team since 2009, fielding multiple cars in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Cup Series.
Haas, however, will keep one of the charters from the four-car NASCAR Cup Series program. The two-car NASCAR Xfinity Series team, which won the championship last season with Cole Custer, will also continue.
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“My commitment to motorsports hasn’t changed, just the scope of my involvement,” Haas said. “Operating a four-car Cup Series team has become too arduous 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 NASCAR’s highest level, which is important to our customers and distributors. The Xfinity Series program provides a full weekend experience for our guests, and it delivers added depth and scale to our overall operation.”
There were no drivers or team partners announced for Haas Factory Team. A manufacturer was also not mentioned.
Joe Custer will be the president of Haas Factory Team, which will operate out of the existing Stewart-Haas Racing building. Custer is currently the co-president of Stewart-Haas Racing.
Custer and Riley Herbst drive for Stewart-Haas Racing in the Xfinity Series. Josh Berry, Noah Gragson, Chase Briscoe and Ryan Preece compete for the organization in the Cup Series.