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Stewart-Haas Racing BEFORE Tony Stewart

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Stewart-Haas Racing has turned into nothing short of a disaster since their peak at around the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season and many are focused (rightfully so) on the involvement of Tony Stewart. Smoke being one of the best drivers in NASCAR history with a personality to match that as well. But there is another side with this partnership with Gene Haas, and Haas had a NASCAR team for nearly a decade before Tony Stewart's name was the leading one on the logo. This is Stewart-Haas Racing before Tony Stewart.

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37 comments

The Iceberg July 20, 2023 at 9:31 pm

What do you think Haas would have been like had Tony Stewart not jumped on in 2009?

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JackCSports July 20, 2023 at 9:44 pm

Out of the sport entirely

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Tobi Ojo July 20, 2023 at 9:44 pm

I don’t know

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Jayce Campbell July 20, 2023 at 9:45 pm

Gone like all the teams like it it suck’s nascar has changed rules that put the end to that

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NASCARFAN93100 July 20, 2023 at 9:52 pm

Probably out of the sport

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Lego Penguin July 20, 2023 at 9:53 pm

Likely would have been a mediocre team for a few more years and probably disband around the start of the gen 6

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Rainbow Warrior July 20, 2023 at 9:45 pm

I remember Ward Burton in the 0 in NASCAR 2005

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Austin Emms July 20, 2023 at 9:47 pm

Say what you will about their performance, but they had some good schemes. Johnny Sauter’s Yellow COT scheme is underrated.

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Allyson_Lliara_16 July 20, 2023 at 10:51 pm

The Radioactive Energy Drink one was my favorite one

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NASCARFAN93100 July 20, 2023 at 9:58 pm

The Days when Tony Stewart was Joe Gibbs Racing’s Star Driver

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Evan Williams July 20, 2023 at 9:58 pm

It sucks they didn’t make a lot of diecast of that #0 Netzero car. I got one of Ward Burton as the driver for Racing Champions and that was all. I know they had Mike Bliss driving it as well as Jeff Green when it was sponsored by Best Buy and renumbered 66.

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KR_Diecasts July 20, 2023 at 10:32 pm

There is a Jack Sprague Netzero car from 03 that does exist, was made by racing champions

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Travis Escorcio July 20, 2023 at 10:03 pm

Ward Burton was an underrated driver. Always outperformed his equipment.

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trafficracer124 July 21, 2023 at 4:36 am

Oh yeah for sure

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MetalHead88x July 20, 2023 at 10:05 pm

When I would play Fight to The Top I would buy Haas racing to see how things pan out.

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Christian Russell July 21, 2023 at 12:12 am

same lol

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KR_Diecasts July 20, 2023 at 10:07 pm

The Netzero 0 car is forever an icon. Beautiful car.

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The Iceberg July 20, 2023 at 10:10 pm

Agreed, maybe one day they can bring it or a similar paint scheme back

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tech tko July 20, 2023 at 10:25 pm

​@TheIceberg they did cole custer throwback scheme last year

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Casey smith July 21, 2023 at 1:34 am

Nice marketing too with NetZero and the number 0

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SiltStridersFTW July 21, 2023 at 3:47 am

Yep, and I’ve got one signed by the man himself Ward Burton
Got it from my dad’s old neighbor who sadly passed away a few years ago

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IanPerez2000 July 20, 2023 at 10:17 pm

Therefore, Tony Stewart made the team better (at the time)

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NAPARacingFan 927 July 20, 2023 at 10:17 pm

SHR has recently missed out on signing Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch. Now it looks like they may miss their chance on SVG also with the Haley news today. Kaulig is better equipment than SHR right now.

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JSprague24 July 20, 2023 at 10:32 pm

Haas’ first race with two cars was the 2004 Brickyard 400. They brought the 60 back for Jason Leffler.

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Blue fire Mitchell July 21, 2023 at 6:09 am

I just watched that race funny enough lol

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Luis Perez July 21, 2023 at 2:54 pm

RIP Left Turn Leffler

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DiZzI CaT July 21, 2023 at 5:15 pm

Rip

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jokool_aid July 20, 2023 at 11:03 pm

There’s a reason why it’s called Stewart-Haas racing and not Haas-Stewart racing. Haas would not have lasted much longer in NASCAR if Tony hadn’t come in.

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theLongPigChef July 21, 2023 at 2:30 am

May not make it with him either

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SmokeyMcHaggis July 20, 2023 at 11:24 pm

I dont think Haas would even have their F1 team if it wasnt for Tony. He would have dumped so much into the stock car team I dont he would have been able to afford it.

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Ike Zaring July 21, 2023 at 12:17 am

So if people don’t remember Gene Haas went to prison in 2007 for tax fraud. In prison he has talked to Custer who was running the team in 2008 and told him make the team better or shut it down. So the Tony Stewart deal was the Hail Mary to save the team, no Stewart deal, that team would have most likely folded by end of 2009.

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metalandhalo2505 July 21, 2023 at 1:25 am

Lol I can’t believe Gene went to prison he always seemed like a shyster

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Stephen Robert July 21, 2023 at 4:37 am

Missing about Troy Cline who was HAAS first development driver running west series from 99-01 for HAAS. He made two Busch starts for Haas but disappearing
Believe he still works at SHR

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cadillacjohn1994 July 21, 2023 at 4:53 am

Jack Sprague, Mike Bliss, Jeff Green, and Ward Burton all did well with the equipment they were given. I wish Haas had been able to give them better. I’d say that they were relatively mid-pack at best, and field filler at worst. Flashes of potential, but largely way too inconsistent to be up front every week.

Since Tony came to the team, SHR has been a staple of both success and failure in our sport, just like it’s Ford predecessor, Robert Yates Racing. They’ve had successes with Tony, Ryan, Kevin, and Kurt, but also misses with others like Danica, Daniel, and Cole (All of which were rushed up too early). Like the organization before it, they have good drivers, and good sponsors, they just lack consistency, and the ability to make competitive equipment at the moment. Where they differ, is that SHR has the chance to rebuild, now that they have Josh Berry, and the possibility of hiring Shane van Gisbergen or Michael McDowell to replace Aric Almirola.

Regarding their situation now, I’d say that if Tony can pull his team together, and not leave everything up to Gene, Zippy, and Joe Custer, they’ll be back on track, but it will be slow.

PS, Fun Fact: Ward Burton could’ve had a completely different career. He was actually picked by Rick Hendrick to go to the 25 car in 1997, but Budweiser rejected him for Ricky Craven. An underrated driver could’ve been completely different, had things gone his way.

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TSholts July 21, 2023 at 8:17 am

If Haas can flounder for so long in F1, I think he would’ve been just fine without Stewart in NASCAR… Just without the results that at know now

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JBK353 July 21, 2023 at 2:48 pm

Actually the 39 was not rebranded as the number 4 car. The number 4 was a brand new car for Stewart-Hass Racing.

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JBK353 July 21, 2023 at 2:49 pm

And I believe it’s called Stewart-Hass because Tony owns 51% and Hass owns 49%. Not 50-50 I believe.

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