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NASCAR: New Cup team set for 2025 driver announcement

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NASCAR: New Cup team set for 2025 driver announcement

As a lifelong NASCAR fan and avid gamer of racing simulations, I’m closely following the latest developments in the Cup Series scene. The news that Stewart-Haas Racing is shutting down at the end of 2024 has left many wondering about the future of their four drivers.

As a dedicated NASCAR gamer, I’ve got some unfortunate news to share: Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) has officially announced that they will be winding down their operations following the conclusion of the 2024 Cup Series season. This revelation leaves me, along with their current roster of drivers – Daniel Suarez, Aric Almirola, Cole Custer, and Kevin Harvick – scrambling to secure new racing contracts for the upcoming year.

Front Row Motorsports intends to buy one of their current charters and grow their team to include a third car. Similarly, 23Xi Racing and Trackhouse Racing Team are reportedly considering expanding their rosters as well.

Instead, Gene Haas, team co-owner, disclosed his intention to keep the other charter and field a single-car Haas Factory Racing team for the upcoming season.

Three of the Stewart-Haas Racing’s four Cup Series drivers have already found new rides for 2025.

Chase Briscoe is set to move to Joe Gibbs Racing to replace the retiring Martin Truex Jr., Josh Berry set to move to Wood Brothers Racing to replace Harrison Burton, and Noah Gragson set to move to Front Row Motorsports, either to replace the Spire Motorsports-bound Michael McDowell or to occupy the team’s new third entry.

Ryan Preece, another member of the racing team, hasn’t made public his decisions regarding the 2025 season and presently continues as a free agent.

As a dedicated fan, I’ve long anticipated Haas Factory Team making a change and bringing up Cole Custer from the Xfinity Series to race with them.

Custer, whose dad Joe holds an executive position at Stewart-Haas Racing and will head their new Haas Factory Team, raced for this team in the Xfinity Series for three consecutive years. In 2020, he advanced to their Cup Series squad.

After spending nearly three years fighting in the Cup Series with little success, he got demoted to the Xfinity Series in 2023. Yet, he seized the opportunity and clinched the championship title that year, currently holding the lead in points. A promotion back to the higher league is strongly considered due to his recent achievements, and this moment seems ideal for it.

The 26-year-old driver from Ladera Ranch, California has had Haas’s companies sponsoring him for a long time. Since Haas expressed his intention to further promote Haas Automation and Haas Tooling in NASCAR, it is logical that he would keep one of Stewart-Haas Racing’s four charters for Custer, allowing him to return to the Cup Series.

On Saturday morning, Custer will unveil his plans prior to the inaugural Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This marks the first Xfinity Series event at the historic 4-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) oval in Indiana since its last race in 2019.

Either No. 00, which is Custer’s Xfinity Series number, or No. 41, currently driven by Preece in the Cup Series and primarily sponsored by Haas, is anticipated to be used for the entry.

As a gamer, I’ve heard the buzz that Riley Herbst from Stewart-Haas Racing could potentially join 23XI Racing as their third Xfinity Series driver next season. If this expansion actually happens, then I’ll be rooting for Riley!

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2024-07-20 15:02

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