Stewart-Haas Racing reportedly plans to lay off over 300 employees

Stewart-Haas Racing is set to lay off over 300 employees by the end of the year. According to Jenna Martin of the Charlotte Business Journal, Stewart-Haas Racing notified the North Carolina Department of Commerce on Monday that up to 323 employees will be laid off at the team’s facility in the Charlotte area. The layoffs will start on Nov. 11, one day after the NASCAR Cup Series season ends.

Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports said some employees will remain with the new company (Haas Factory Team) which will have around 90-100 employees. Some of the roles of the 323 employees that are being laid off are chief financial officer, crew chief, event marketing manager and executive vice president.

Martin said that the employees being laid off are not part of a union and were notified on May 28. The employees have attended informational meetings regarding severance, benefits and release agreements, and more meetings are scheduled for them.

Stewart-Haas is owned by Gene Haas and NASCAR legend Tony Stewart. The team launched in 2009 and won the Cup Series championship in 2011 with Stewart driving the No. 14 car. Stewart-Haas won the title again in 2014 with Kevin Harvick. On May 28, Stewart-Haas announced it’s shutting down operations at the end of the season. On June 20, Haas announced that he’s keeping one of the team’s four charters and will restructure the team as Haas Factory Team for next season.

Why Stewart-Haas Racing is shutting down

“My commitment to motorsports hasn’t changed, just the scope of my involvement,” Haas said in a release. “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.”

Stewart-Haas currently has Josh Berry, Noah Gragson, Chase Briscoe and Ryan Preece as its four drivers. For the 2025 season, Berry will drive for Wood Brothers Racing, Gragson signed a deal with Front Row Motorsports, Briscoe will drive for Joe Gibbs Racing, and Preece is still looking for a team.