How Tony Stewart & SHR’s NASCAR Exit Can Stem Newfound Interest in the Sport

The news of Tony Stewart’s NASCAR Cup Series team’s dissolution at the end of the 2024 season has become one of the sport’s highlights this year. While rumors regarding the same floated around for a while amongst the fraternity, the official announcement came as a blow to American stock car racing.

Stewart-Haas Racing constituted one of the three teams in the Cup Series with four charters along with Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing, and they are now shutting shop.

However, while the demise of Stewart-Haas Racing has dealt a huge blow to the community, there is a bigger picture for NASCAR at a time when stock car racing is regaining some of its lost traction. The availability of SHR’s charters could attract outside interest in the sport via investors and sponsors who once wanted to enter NASCAR but could not due to the current charter agreement.

Out of SHR’s four charters, it is speculated that only three remain on sale for existing teams and/or new entrants to purchase and pursue what could be the next team to win in stock car racing’s highest echelon.

Insider speculation also points to interest by existing teams to expand their operations with Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing and Justin Marks’ Trackhouse Racing while Tony Stewart focuses on his current NHRA drag racing career.

Anticipation surrounding Xfinity Series team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s plans to expand into the Cup Series also floated around. However, the rumors regarding that expansion have been shut down for the foreseeable future by the former driver himself. It remains to be seen how the volatile market evolves, with four drivers also looking for a drive in 2025 that could play a role in how things progress.

Josh Berry’s crew chief on how employees at SHR came to know of the organization’s demise

Kevin Harvick’s former crew chief Rodney Childers recently spoke on how the employees at Stewart-Haas Racing came to know of the organization’s future. Currently working as Josh Berry’s crew chief ever since Harvick’s retirement, Childers elaborated on how the message was relayed during a recent episode of the Dale Jr. Download Reloaded podcast and said, “They met with all the drivers first and then the crew chiefs second and then went and met with the whole company and basically it was short and sweet.”

It remains to be seen where SHR’s four drivers find themselves next year as the team’s closure brings a wave of uncertainty for Berry, Noah Gragson, Ryan Preece, and Chase Briscoe, along with a new curveball thrown into the driver’s silly season market.