As Tony Stewart’s Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) prepares to exit NASCAR following its shutdown after the 2024 season, renewed interest has emerged around designs that never reached the track. A graphic designer who worked with SHR early in 2023 unexpectedly shared a series of unused logos and car liveries for the team, prompting a fresh wave of debate within the NASCAR community about the team’s visual identity.
The designer posted these concepts on Instagram, explaining,
Grateful for the opportunity to design logo concepts for Tony Stewart’s NASCAR team, Stewart-Haas Racing. Custom typography, letter-marks, and icons. This project actually took place near the beginning of 2023 but I wasn’t able to share until now. Ultimately, these were not selected as finals, so they remain unused concepts.
—graphic designer
The displayed images ranged from bold reinterpretations of the familiar SHR emblem to forward-looking vehicle paint schemes. Although no official reason was provided for shelving these ideas, fans quickly engaged on platforms like Reddit, debating which concepts might have provided a stronger or fresher visual statement for the team during its final years.
Fan Reactions Highlight Mixed Feelings on the Proposed Designs
The resurfacing of these designs stirred a variety of opinions among NASCAR enthusiasts. Some expressed surprise at seeing unknown concepts, while others questioned their creativity and how effective they might have been in representing the team.
One fan simply remarked,
Never saw some of these… RIP.
—fan
Another commented on the concept of applying a new SHR logo to a car manufacturer’s design, saying,
Fantasy SHR logo on a Toyota is a look.
—fan
Others were more critical, with one Reddit user observing,
All looks super generic, their current one isn’t much better either.
—Reddit user
To this, another responded,
They don’t have a current one, considering they don’t exist,
—Reddit user
The Journey and Closure of Stewart-Haas Racing
Stewart-Haas Racing, co-owned by Tony Stewart, a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, and Gene Haas, an established motorsports executive, experienced significant success during its 15 seasons. The team celebrated highlights such as Kevin Harvick’s 2014 Cup championship and featured high-profile drivers including Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer, and Danica Patrick.
Despite its past triumphs, by 2024 SHR faced mounting challenges, including diminished performance, difficulty securing sponsorships, and reduced driver development effectiveness. These issues ultimately led to the team’s closure, with its charters redistributed to entities like Front Row Motorsports and Trackhouse Racing.
While active, SHR often attracted criticism for its branding, which some fans felt lagged behind more visually dynamic competitors. The newly revealed logo and design experiments reveal an effort that might have been made to modernize the team’s image if it had continued competing.
Significance of the Unused Designs as a Legacy Marker
Though these logo concepts never made it to the race track, their appearance now adds a digital chapter to Stewart-Haas Racing’s history. The mixed reception underscores the complicated nature of branding in a sport that demands both heritage and innovation. As the team steps away from NASCAR, these visuals invite reflection on what might have been and symbolize the unresolved tension between the team’s storied past and the challenges it faced near the end.
