One year after Tony Stewart’s unexpected departure from NASCAR ownership, the fallout continues to challenge the once-dominant Stewart-Haas Racing. Since Stewart’s exit in May 2024, his former NASCAR team has faced intense operational difficulties while Stewart has shifted his focus to NHRA drag racing. The ongoing struggles highlight the complex realities behind the Tony Stewart NASCAR team exit and its impact on both the team and the sport.
Legacy of Stewart-Haas Racing and the Aftermath of Stewart’s Departure
Tony Stewart, a celebrated figure in NASCAR, co-founded Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in 2009 with Gene Haas. The partnership quickly transformed Haas CNC Racing’s struggling outfit into a formidable force, securing victories in its inaugural season and winning championships with Stewart in 2011 and Kevin Harvick in 2014. Over 15 years, the team expanded to four cars, amassing nearly 70 Cup Series wins with drivers like Harvick, Clint Bowyer, and Kurt Busch.
Despite years of success, by 2024 SHR’s performance declined amid dwindling sponsorships and challenging economics within NASCAR. In May 2024, Stewart announced his exit from Cup ownership, choosing instead to concentrate on NHRA drag racing and grassroots motorsports. This departure ended one of the sport’s most successful alliances, leaving Gene Haas to continue alone with a single charter under the newly branded Haas Factory Team for the 2025 season.
Haas Factory Team Faces Steep Challenges in Its First Year Alone
Joe Custer, President of the Haas Factory Team, recently spoke openly about the difficulties the team has encountered as a smaller, single-car operation. In an interview with SiriusXM, Custer said,
“We’re excited about a single car platform but we’ve got to get it right and the results speak for themselves. We’ve had some moments this year as a single car team. Daytona’s been very good to us so we take those moments and we understand what we’re capable of, but how do we get more consistent and it really starts in starting the weekend delivering a race car that has more potential in it on a consistent basis and that comes down to the shop and preparation and data and engineering relationships it can be done.” —Joe Custer, Haas Factory Team President
Custer highlighted how the transition from the four-car SHR powerhouse to a leaner operation has been a tough adjustment. After Stewart’s exit, Gene Haas retained one Cup charter, and with Custer at the helm, the team aimed to maintain relevance. Bright spots have appeared at superspeedway events, such as top-10 finishes in the 2025 Daytona 500 and the Coke Zero Sugar 400, showing potential akin to smaller teams like Front Row Motorsports and JTG Daugherty.
However, the team has faced significant challenges on intermediate and short tracks, where the lack of data-sharing and engineering support from a multi-car setup has hampered consistency and progress. Custer also emphasized this point through social media, stating,
“Gene, he is a patient man, but he demands improvement.” —Joe Custer, Haas Factory Team President
He urged fans to reconsider the strengths of smaller teams, saying,
“I would encourage the fans and folks to take a close look at smaller teams because they have the potential. They just have to look at it differently and that’s what we’re doing. We’re trying to evolve from a large organization mindset to a nimble smaller organization that takes advantages of its strengths and looks for solutions for the areas it needs to plot us into this sport.” —Joe Custer, Haas Factory Team President
By adopting a more agile approach, the team hopes to emulate the success of smaller outfits like JTG Daugherty, which stunned the racing world with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s 2023 Daytona 500 victory, and Front Row Motorsports, which has continued to find wins on superspeedways and road courses. Despite these intentions, the results have been mixed, and pressure from Gene Haas remains intense.
Custer stated forcefully about the team’s expectations,
“Gene, he’s a patient man and so we’re not here to do the same thing over next year without addressing these queer issues we have and he made that known to our organization that he won’t tolerate. Not improving and not having a trajectory that can get to winning. So we’ve made some tough decisions and they are tough decision.” —Joe Custer, Haas Factory Team President
Gene Haas continues to back the team through his CNC business, demanding visible progress and results. Recent offseason changes, including an overhaul of the pit crew following poor performance at Kansas in May 2025 and adjustments within the engineering staff, illustrate the team’s urgency to respond to this pressure. The Haas Factory Team’s current trajectory is marked by a frantic effort to regain its former competitiveness without Stewart’s leadership guiding it.
Tony Stewart’s Focus Shifts to NHRA Drag Racing and Family
While the Haas Factory Team struggles to regain stability, Tony Stewart has embraced a new chapter dedicated to NHRA drag racing and his family life. In a recent interview, Stewart shared candid thoughts about the future, placing emphasis on his wife, Leah Pruett, a celebrated NHRA Top Fuel competitor. He explained,
“Right now, we’re just trying to figure out what Leah’s going to do. After that, we’ll figure out what we’re going to do. So we just got to wait and see. My wife’s got to figure out what she wants to do before I do anything.” —Tony Stewart, Former NASCAR Owner and Driver
Leah Pruett, a 12-time NHRA Top Fuel winner, stepped away from driving after the 2023 season to focus on raising their son, Dominic, who was born in November 2024. Meanwhile, Stewart has been racing Pruett’s Dodge Direct Connection Dragster with notable success, winning events like the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas and securing the 2025 NHRA regular season title.
Stewart added,
“At the point that she decides that she wants her car back, I’m going to have to figure out what I’m going to do. We all know I can spectate for a little bit, but I’m not very good at standing around when there’s race cars around.” —Tony Stewart, Former NASCAR Owner and Driver
This statement reflects the restless spirit of “Smoke,” who captured three NASCAR Cup championships and an IndyCar title during his career. Despite stepping away from NASCAR ownership, Stewart’s competitive fire remains strong in NHRA racing, where he recently earned a $150,000 prize at the US Nationals in Indianapolis.
Implications of Stewart’s Exit on NASCAR’s Competitive Landscape
The absence of Tony Stewart’s leadership has left a notable gap within the NASCAR community. Stewart-Haas Racing’s transformation into the Haas Factory Team under Gene Haas and Joe Custer has revealed the challenges that come with downsizing and shifting management philosophies. The single-car model struggles to replicate the data synergies and resource depth that powered SHR’s success, illustrating the crucial role Stewart played beyond the driver’s seat.
Looking ahead, Haas’s impatience signals that more significant organizational changes may be forthcoming, with the expectation firmly set on returning to winning form. The team’s struggle also underscores a broader reality for mid-tier NASCAR teams, which must innovate and adapt rapidly to compete against better-funded rivals.
Meanwhile, Tony Stewart’s pivot to NHRA and willingness to embrace a more flexible, family-focused approach marks a significant personal and professional transition. As Stewart steps away from NASCAR’s pressure cooker, his continued success in drag racing adds a compelling new chapter to his storied racing career. The sporting community now watches closely to see whether Stewart will return to NASCAR in any capacity or fully immerse himself in NHRA and his evolving family priorities.
