“This is how Gene tells everyone this is all Tony Stewart’s fault”: NASCAR fans react as Gene Haas announces 1 Cup charter retention 

Fans did not appreciate Stewart-Haas Racing's plans to retain one of its four charters. When renowned journalist Bob Pockrass updated the same through a post on X, they also noticed that Tony Stewart's name was nowhere.

Not long ago, team owners Tony Stewart and Gene Haas announced that Stewart-Haas Racing would withdraw from the NASCAR Cup Series arena in 2025. SHR has sold one of its four charters to Front Row Motorsports already. Therefore, three Cup charters are yet to be sold.

Pockrass said that Gene Haas would keep one of the remaining three charters to grow a new entity; the Haas Factory Team. Besides that, SHR will field two cars in the Xfinity Series, which will operate out of Stewart-Haas Racing's current facility in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Vice President of SHR, Joe Custer will look after the operation. There are no updates regarding drivers or the manufacturer for the Haas Factory Team as of now.

Here is what Gene Haas had to say about his newest endeavor:

“My commitment to motorsports hasn’t changed, just the scope of my involvement. Operating a four-car Cup Series team has become too arduous but, at the same time, I still need a platform to promote Haas Automation and grow HaasTooling .com”

Several fans reacted to the post, with one suggesting that Haas was subtly blaming Tony Stewart for the team's current situation.

"This is how Gene tells everyone this is all Tony's fault," the fan said.

Another fan wondered if Tony Stewart will play a role in this at all.

"Will it be just Gene Haas or will Tony have any involvement?" the fan commented.

Here are a few other reactions to the post about Gene Haas retaining one charter and operating a two-car Xfinity team out of SHR's 200,000-square-foot building:

"So he just wants to promote his other companies? Brutal to cheer for a team like that," a fan said.

"He really sounds happy to be her," another added.

"Thinking out loud, does this mean FRM got the SHR shop and this team will run out of it?" a fan wrote.

"Maybe Gene will pull his head out of @F1's rear and show up at some @NASCAR races. @ColeCuster is absolutely going in this ride, if not Cole, it'll be @RyanPreece_" added another.

Before joining hands with Tony Stewart in 2009, Gene Haas operated Haas CNC Racing from 2002 to 2008. The team amassed one top-5 and 14 top-10 finishes from 284 starts.

However, with Tony Stewart as the co-owner since 2009, the team has recorded 69 wins and two NASCAR Cup Series championships. They also have a championship and 22 wins in the Xfinity Series.

Tony Stewart's NASCAR exit could benefit NHRA

Top Fuel driver Justin Ashley is optimistic about Tony Stewart's investment in his NHRA team. He said that the former Cup Series champion was getting something out of drag racing that he never got as a NASCAR driver.

"It seems to me like Tony is really enjoying his experience with NHRA drag racing, and he's getting something with NHRA drag racing that he wasn't getting before in the other motorsports that he raced," Ashley said. "So I would love to see him expand his program within the sport."

“I was really sorry for him and obviously that whole team on the NASCAR side, we never want to see anything like that happen. But certainly, I'm happy that he's involved with NHRA," he added.

Ashley further explained that Stewart's popularity as a NASCAR driver could help attract fans to the NHRA.

"He’s helped to raise the popularity of the sport. I think there's some people that came to see him that wouldn't have otherwise come to a drag race before," Ashley said.

Tony Stewart is a regular in the NHRA Top Fuel category. He is also the owner of Tony Stewart Racing, which fields two cars; one in the Top Fuel category, which he and his wife Leah Pruett drive, and one in the Funny Car division with reigning Funny Car champion, Matt Hagan, behind the wheels.