Stewart-Haas Racing has announced the upcoming closure of its NASCAR operations at the end of the 2024 season, marking the end of an era for the storied team. To commemorate their successful journey in the sport, the team released a heartfelt tribute video featuring testimonials from team members sharing their fondest memories.
SHR was founded in 2002 by Gene Haas and later rebranded in 2009 when NASCAR legend Tony Stewart became a co-owner. Since then, SHR has made a lasting imprint on NASCAR, securing more than 100 victories and winning multiple championships.
The video tribute shared on social media features various team members recounting their cherished moments. Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 car, reminisced about his triumphant 2024 win at Darlington. He reflected:
“Just the feeling of winning the Southern 500 in that following week
after. You know, coming into the shop on that Tuesday and doing the
celebration toast was probably the coolest thing I’ve ever experienced
here.”
Grant Halverson/Getty Images
Similarly, Rodney Childers, the crew chief of the 2014 championship-winning No. 4 Ford, commented:
“For me, it comes to friendship and people.”
Stewart-Haas Racing has become a second home, a place to prove yourself, and a family forged by the people who make it extraordinary. pic.twitter.com/cpwK6flFJ8
— Stewart-Haas Racing (@StewartHaasRcng) October 30, 2024
Stewart-Haas Racing confirmed the upcoming closure in an announcement earlier this year. The team stated, as previously reported by Newsweek Sports:
“We have made the difficult decision to close Stewart-Haas Racing at the conclusion of the 2024 season. It is a decision that did not come easily, nor was it made quickly.
“Racing is a labor-intensive, humbling sport. It requires unwavering commitment and vast resources, with a 365-day mindset to be better than everyone else. It’s part of what makes success so rewarding.
“But the commitment needed to extract maximum performance while providing sustainability is incredibly demanding, and we’ve reached a point in our respective personal and business lives where it’s time to pass the torch.”
During a recent appearance on the Harvick Happy Hour podcast, Stewart commented on the decision to close the team. He explained:
“I don’t know that it’s even bittersweet. It’s more bitter than sweet, I feel like,” Stewart said. “It’s a tough decision, but things in life change. Your priorities change, and variables outside of your control change as well.
“NASCAR… you and I have been around it for a long time.
“It is not what it used to be. It is drastically different than what it used to be. And that’s ok for some people, and for some people it’s not. I guess I’m one of those people.”
