“A hell of a journey”: Tony Stewart looks back fondly on SHR’s run in NASCAR after recent closure

Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Tony Stewart's co-owned Stewart Haas Racing closed its charter with a win at the Xfinity Series Championship race. The co-owners Gene Haas and Stewart were recently featured on SiriusXM FM Ch. 90 NASCAR sharing their final moments after a long run.

Stewart Haas Racing announced earlier this year that it would shut down operations after the wrap of the 2024 season. The team was founded in 2002 by Gene Haas, and Tony Stewart joined the team as a driver and co-owner in 2008.

SHR has three championship victories, including two Cup Series wins in 2011 and 2014 and one Xfinity Series win in 2023. The first Cup Series championship was won by none other than the co-owner in 2011. Followed by NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick in 2014 and Cole Custer in the Xfinity Series in 2023.

In the interview, Tony Stewart encapsulated all his memories at SHR and said:

"When you think of how it started and where we ended up at the end of the day, I mean, we did some pretty remarkable things as a group and had some great people that just all they care about was winter races. That's all it boiled down to. So it's nice to nice to have a group like that do the things we did, and just a hell of a journey." [00:00]

In its 22-year career, SHR has competed in 1,178 races in all three NASCAR series, winning 70 in the Cup Series and 30 in the Xfinity Series. The team's last race was held at the Phoenix Raceway on November 10, 2024, and Noah Gragson finished in the best position among his teammates in P12.

---

Fire Department's water salute Tony Stewart at the airport after his return from Phoenix

After the conclusion of the 2024 Cup Series, Stewart Haas Racing officially ceased its operation, and Tony Stewart returned to North Carolina, where he received an unexpected warm welcome from the Concord Fire Department.

The former NASCAR driver shared a clip on his account showcasing the water salute given by the fire department as the team plane recorded his final flight after the Phoenix race. He wrote:

"Final flight. Thank you to the Concord Fire Department for welcoming us back from Phoenix with an incredible send-off."

Gene Haas, co-owner of Stewart Haas Racing, rebranded the team for the 2025 season as Haas Factory Racing Racing with one charter. Xfinity Series driver Cole Custer will drive the #41 Ford Mustang for Haas Factory Racing.

Custer's Stewart Haas Racing teammate Chase Briscoe will race for Joe Gibbs Racing in the next season. Josh Bery and Noah Gragson secured their spots in Front Row Motorsports and Wood Brothers Racing. Ryan Preece and Riley Herbst haven't made any official announcements about their future teams.