Las Vegas drivers affected as Stewart-Haas Racing to close NASCAR teams

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Stewart-Haas Racing, a two-time NASCAR championship team with 69 Cup Series victories since its 2009 formation, will close its organization at the end of this season.

The move means Las Vegas drivers Noah Gragson and Riley Herbst, who drives in the Xfinity Series, will be looking for new rides in 2025.

Co-owners Tony Stewart and Gene Haas announced the decision after nearly a year of rumors that their four-car Cup team was looking to sell its charters and either scale back or exit the stock car series completely.

“It is a decision that did not come easily, nor was it made quickly,” the owners said Tuesday. “Racing is a labor-intensive, humbling sport. It requires unwavering commitment and vast resources, with a 365-day mindset to be better than everyone else. It’s part of what makes success so rewarding. But the commitment needed to extract maximum performance while providing sustainability is incredibly demanding, and we’ve reached a point in our respective personal and business lives where it’s time to pass the torch.”

In addition to Gragson, SHR this year fields Cup cars for Josh Berry, Chase Briscoe and Ryan Preece. Berry and Gragson are in their first seasons with the team. SHR holds the 2025 option on Briscoe and he has not been permitted to discuss future employment options even as rumors have swirled that SHR would close.

The move will also shutter the SHR Xfinity Series team, whose two cars are driven by Herbst and Cole Custer.

Where SHR’s drivers land is unknown. Briscoe should be able to start talking to other teams now about his future. The team also held an option for next year on Berry, who doesn’t bring much personal sponsorship and got the break of his career when SHR hired him ahead of this season.

Gragson’s contract was announced as a multi-year deal and has backing from Bass Pro Shops to take to another team. Preece is in a contract year with SHR, so he was already free to shop around the series.

Custer could end up in a car in either Cup or the Xfinity Series with backing of Haas’ CNC Automation company, wile Herbst has significant financial backing from Monster Energy that should give him multiple options.

“Stewart Haas has been home to my family and I for the last seven years and at the end of the year myself and the entire organization will be looking for a new home and new opportunities in the Cup series,” Briscoe posted on social media. “I have amazing partners behind me and can’t wait to get them back in victory lane.”