Tony Stewart, Gene Haas release statement after announcing Stewart-Haas Racing closure

One of the premier racing teams in NASCAR will be shuttering its doors at the end of the year, with Stewart-Haas Racing coming to a close.

The organization announced the news on Tuesday afternoon with a joint press release from Tony Stewart and Gene Haas.

“We have made the difficult decision to close Stewart-Haas Racing at the conclusion of the 2024 season,” the statement read. “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.”

Stewart-Haas Racing as it currently exists came about in 2009. Originally Haas CNC Racing was formed in 2002, when Haas elected to form his own team. Stewart was later added to the mix in 2009 as a driver in a deal that gave him a 50% stake in the company.

Chevrolet provided the team’s engines and chassis until 2016, when the organization began using Ford engines and building chassis in-house.

All of it, though, proved quite taxing. And on Tuesday, an emotional Stewart informed the team that Stewart-Haas Racing would be closing down at year’s end.

“We’re proud of all the wins and championships we’ve earned since joining together in 2009, but even more special is the culture we built and the friendships we forged as we committed to a common cause — winning races and collecting trophies.

“That is the same commitment we made to our personnel, our partners and our fans coming into this year, and that commitment will remain through the season finale at Phoenix.

“We have tremendous respect and appreciation for all of our employees, and we will work diligently to assist them during this transition to find new opportunities beyond the 2024 race season.”