Kevin Harvick expresses confusion with Haas Factory Team, Sheldon Creed, Sam Mayer

Haas Factory Team’s announcement that it will have Sam Mayer and Sheldon Creed driving two full-time cars in the Xfinity Series next season caught at least some by surprise, including Kevin Harvick.

Harvick was perplexed by the nature of the announcement and what it means following the closure of Stewart-Haas Racing.

“I’m so confused. I am so confused. I thought Stewart Haas Racing was shutting down,” Harvick said on the Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast. “It sure seems like a restructure, to me. And just a restructure of ownership, because it’s very interesting to me that you would keep two Xfinity teams and not keep your two Cup teams.

“You’re going to make money, or at least have a chance to make money on your Cup teams. There’s not very many opportunities to make a great business out of having two Xfinity teams. But I mean we went from shutting Stewart Haas Racing down to now we’re Haas Factory Team. So I’m not sure what’s going on, but it sure seems like a breakup, not a shutdown.”

With the charter situation still unclear in NASCAR, it’s also hard to know exactly what Haas Factor Team’s plans are for the Cup Series. We do know that Cole Custer will drive a car for the Haas Factory Team.

So is the current restructuring simply a way to allow Tony Stewart to distance himself from the responsibilities of being a team owner?

“It sure seems that way. It sure seems like Gene (Haas) is not done and Tony was done,” Harvick said. “That’s what it appears to the public eye as, is this was, ‘Hey, I’m done, but Gene’s not.’ Which is totally fine.

“Every time I see Tony Stewart climbing out of a dragster and doing an interview over there he’s smiling and he’s having a great time. So I don’t think anybody on this earth would fault him for doing the things that he’s done, because he sure seems happy.”

Still, it leaves the situation unclear for Haas Factory Team.

Harvick pointed out his major concern, which is the development of the team once the season really gets underway.

“Who had Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer on your Haas Factory Team Xfinity bingo card?” Harvick said. “I don’t see them being anywhere as good as they are now. Even if they don’t have anybody leave from the Xfinity shop, you’re never going to be as good without all the Cup resources, because you can bury so many resources into that Cup program financially, and I just, I don’t see those guys, they might take the first half of the year and be as good, but once that next step of evolution starts to evolve there’s no way they’re as good as they are now.”

Perhaps the more veteran driver in the group can help keep things rolling along at a competitive level.

“I view Cole as a guy that can help you go forward,” Harvick said. “I think he fills a lot of holes on that Xfinity team from an experience standpoint in putting those cars where they need to be and keep them progressing from a performance side. And I just don’t see that happening. Those other two guys are going to do; Sam’s won some races, Sheldon’s not won a race. I just don’t see them being able to do what Cole is able to do from a leadership standpoint with his experience.”