Kevin Harvick and Stewart-Haas Racing have been intertwined for over a decade. Harvick’s arrival in 2014 marked the beginning of the team’s golden era. Together, they captured a Cup Series championship and racked up dozens of wins, establishing SHR as one of NASCAR’s premier organizations. But as quickly as the team rose, cracks began to show.
By the end of 2024, Stewart-Haas Racing had shut its doors for good.
For Harvick, watching his former team’s downfall has been bittersweet. The closure sent a wave of uncertainty through the garage. While some doubted whether these drivers could rebound, recent results have turned heads. They have reignited the conversation about SHR’s struggles in its final years. Now, Harvick isn’t holding back as he delivers a blunt assessment and a warning about the situation of Tony Stewart’s former protégés.
Kevin Harvick issues blunt warning as ex-SHR drivers shine
The NASCAR world was rocked in 2024 when Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) announced it would shut down operations at season’s end. It left drivers and hundreds of team members scrambling for new opportunities. Tony Stewart’s emotional meetings with Chase Briscoe, Josh Berry, Noah Gragson, and Ryan Preece marked the end of an era. Each driver was thrust into a crowded free-agent market, their futures suddenly uncertain. As the dust settled, all four found new homes for 2025, determined to prove their worth beyond the shadow of SHR’s decline.
Since the closure, SHR’s presence has faded from the Cup Series spotlight. As Kevin Harvick bluntly noted, “It also proves how far off SHR was last year.” The numbers back him up: in 2024, SHR cars were rarely seen near the front. The team managed to win just one race with an average finish of 20.5, their lowest since inception. The lack of competitiveness was glaring, especially as other organizations surged ahead.
Harvick didn’t mince words about the stakes for his former teammates, warning, “That could have very well ended their careers.” The timing of the shutdown was brutal! The poor performance of the drivers meant other teams were hesitant to onboard the drivers. However, the struggles weren’t just limited to on-track issues.
Briscoe revealed he wasn’t even allowed to start looking for a new ride until the day Tony Stewart broke the news. Josh Berry, a rookie, scrambled to land at Wood Brothers Racing, but his one-year SHR stint was cut short. Noah Gragson, who joined SHR hoping for stability after a turbulent 2023, found himself once again searching for a seat.
Yet, as Kevin Harvick’s co-host Mamba Smith pointed out, “When the car is right, these guys can get it done.” The 2025 season has offered proof: Briscoe, now at Joe Gibbs Racing, has five top-10s, four top-5s, and sits 13th in points. Preece has climbed to 16th in the standings with four top-10s and one top-5 at RFK Racing. Berry scored a breakthrough win for Wood Brothers Racing and has two top-5s. While Gragson’s results at Front Row Motorsports have been more modest, he’s still managed a top-10.
“Thank God, they got another opportunity,” Kevin Harvick concluded, underscoring just how close these drivers came to career jeopardy. As they continue to prove themselves in 2025, the question lingers. Will this new chapter cement their place in the Cup Series? Or will the pressure of past struggles continue to haunt Tony Stewart’s former protégés?
Cole Custer leads rebooted SHR outfit in 2025
On May 28, 2024, Stewart–Haas Racing announced it would wind down its Cup and Xfinity operations at the end of the season. Less than a month later, Gene Haas revealed he would retain one of SHR’s charters and relaunch the organization as Haas Factory Team, appointing Joe Custer as team president. This move marked a new chapter, focusing on a leaner, more concentrated effort in NASCAR’s top tiers.
For 2025, Haas Factory Team fields a single Cup car, the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, driven by Cole Custer. He returns to full-time Cup competition after a successful two-year stint in Xfinity, including a 2023 championship and 2024 runner-up finish. Rookie crew chief Aaron Kramer, formerly a lead race engineer at RFK Racing, leads the team. Haas benefits from a technical alliance with RFK and Roush-Yates Engines. This streamlined approach contrasts with SHR’s previous multi-car lineup, aiming to maximize resources and focus on Custer’s performance.
However, Cole Custer’s performance in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series has been underwhelming so far. Through the first 12 races, Custer has not recorded a single top-10 or top-5 finish, nor has he won a pole. He currently ranks 34th in the driver standings with just 139 points and sits 329 points behind the leader. Custer has also suffered two DNFs (Did Not Finish) and has led only two laps all year.
As the 2025 season progresses, pressure is mounting on Cole Custer and the Haas Factory Team to show signs of competitiveness. While growing pains are expected for a newly restructured outfit, the lack of pace and results has raised concerns. Will the second half of the season bring a turnaround, or is this just a rebuilding year masked by higher expectations?
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