![Leadership at Stewart-Haas Racing is the Root Cause of NASCAR Downfall Leadership at Stewart-Haas Racing is the Root Cause of NASCAR Downfall](https://i1.wp.com/cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2024/05/28172216/GettyImages-465475679-scaled.jpeg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1)
When Tony Stewart and Gene Haas shared the stage in July 2008 to announce the formation of Stewart-Haas Racing, it was clear that this had the makings of NASCAR’s next dynasty.
Stewart was an elite driver with two Cup championships whose star power would attract sponsors and key personnel to propel SHR upward. Stewart’s uncompromising, no-excuses mentality would become the underlying characteristic that defined SHR. The Haas billionaire was the money man willing to spend whatever it took to give his then-struggling Haas CNC Racing team the success he never found.
Almost instantly, Stewart and Haas delivered on their promises and quickly rose to powerhouse status. Stewart won four times in his first year as part-owner and then won the 2011 championship two years later. The team had a variety of high-profile sponsors and continued to make key free agent signings, including the signing of Kevin Harvick, who went on to win the team its second title in 2014.
Just as Stewart and Haas said the team would, SHR had worked its way into NASCAR’s penthouse alongside elite organizations like Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske. And like Hendrick, JGR and Penske, all of which have been NASCAR teams for more than 30 years, SHR had seemingly planted firm roots that ensured its continuity for decades.
Except SHR is not Hendrick, JGR or Penske. Not only is the SHR dynasty over, but their days as a Cup operating team have a definitive end date. On Tuesday, Stewart and Haas announced that their team will close at the end of the year.
NASCAR is better with teams like SHR, those committed to winning, on its grid. And SHR has achieved many victories since first hitting the track in 2009; Only Hendrick (six titles) and Penske (four) have accumulated more championships during that span.
But the key principle of most long-standing teams is strong leadership. That’s why Hendrick, JGR and Penske have experienced lasting success on the track. However, at SHR, the lack of leadership is the reason why SHR is no longer seen as a powerhouse within the garage. And why it will soon cease to exist.
Despite their public stance that they are heavily involved, Stewart and Haas have effectively become absentee owners in recent years. They are not regularly on the track. Everyone has other career ventures they prefer to spend their time on. Stewart is an NHRA owner and driver. Haas owns a Formula One team.
It’s their prerogative to choose where they spend their time, but while Stewart and Haas have focused on something else, their NASCAR dynasty has fallen apart. SHR has become a facsimile of the organization it once was. This is despite having a variety of drivers, crew chiefs, engineers and other talented people behind the scenes, who have been given little support in recent years but still achieve solid results.
A revealing look at why SHR has undergone a rapid downward spiral: Two weeks ago, Harvick, who retired after the 2023 season after 10 years with SHR, made a one-off return at the All-Star Race to practice and qualify for Kyle Larson. Car owned by Hendrick. With this being Harvick’s first opportunity to work closely with a Hendrick team and see how they operate, the 2014 Cup champion was asked to compare and contrast the two organizations.
Two years after forming Stewart-Haas Racing, Tony Stewart won the 2011 Cup title and the team’s future looked bright. It closed on Tuesday. (Chris Graythen//Keynote USA/Getty Images)
“I heard from the owner twice in two weeks, so that’s different,” Harvick said. “It’s interesting to see the race shop, the structure and the way everyone does it differently.
“There are a million different ways to do things. What stands out to me about Hendrick Motorsports in general is that it is really run like a business that is part of a real structure of how things flow and who you talk to. There’s just the depth of the business side and the racing side, it’s deep. That’s pretty telling: just the structure of the whole thing. And I like the structure. That’s something that’s been good to see. …
“(At SHR), I had a very special group of people who were successful in a structure that wasn’t as structured as what we have in this situation (at Hendrick). I had a lot of success at Stewart-Haas Racing, and I’m very proud of all the things we did and I love the relationships we have, but they are different cultures, very different.”
Harvick’s words speak volumes about why SHR did not reach its potential. Leadership, culture and structure are very important. That’s why great teams remain great.
These guiding principles define organizations like Hendrick. They once also defined SHR. But all this is in the past. Not the present, much less the future.
This was announced this Tuesday.
GO DEEPER
Stewart-Haas Racing to close at end of season
(Top photo of Gene Haas and Tony Stewart in 2014: Jared C. Tilton//Keynote USA/Getty Images)
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