When Gene Haas joined NASCAR 23 years ago, he did it with a Chevrolet. Despite a brief dalliance with Pontiac in the early years, Haas’ racing teams remained associated with the bowtie brand, even through the partnership with Tony Stewart.
At least until 2017. That year, the multi-time champion Stewart-Haas Racing announced a big partnership with Ford. The team continued to win with the new brand, though it never delivered a championship, and the partnership bore fruit until the 2020s.
As on-track performance suffered, Tony Stewart dramatically split with the team and left NASCAR ahead of the 2025 season, leaving Gene Haas to pick up the pieces. The result was scaling back to field one Mustang in Cup and two in Xfinity under the Haas Factory Team banner.
After all of that, though, Haas is finally back where it all began.
The team announced on Friday that Haas Factory Team will compete for Chevrolet in 2026 in the Cup Series and the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, as the Xfinity Series will then be named.
Most significantly, the move comes with a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, including using Hendrick engines in both series. It’s the same arrangement the team enjoyed until the partnership with Ford.
“Personally, I have a deep history with Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports,” Gene Haas said. “Both helped in establishing not only my presence as a team owner in NASCAR, but also the presence of Haas Automation.
“Together, we were able to build a race team that competed for wins and championships while growing the use of Haas CNC machinery throughout the racing and manufacturing industries.”
Hendrick is ready to welcome the team back into its folds, meaning it rejoins the ranks of Chevy teams using Hendrick engines.
“We have a long history with Gene and his organization, including winning championships together, so this feels almost like a homecoming,” said Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick.
“Our relationship started many years ago with Haas CNC machines in our facilities, and I’ve always admired the passion that he and Joe Custer have for the sport and their desire to win. We’re proud to support Haas Factory Team and thrilled to work together to deliver more victories for Chevrolet.”
It’s a big move for Haas. 2025 has been a clear rebuilding year after the downsizing and performance, at least in the Cup Series, has been a struggle. Now, though, Haas Factory Team is making bold moves again and getting the might of the most successful team in NASCAR history to build it up further.
It’s a clear indication of Gene Haas’ commitment to remain in the sport and stay competitive for years to come.
One thing that isn’t changing is the driver lineup, providing a stable platform to grow with. Haas confirmed that Cole Custer will remain in the team’s Cup Series entry for 2026 and Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer will continue to compete for the team in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
But don’t think that the team is writing off the rest of the season and waiting until it can put Chevrolet on the shop wall. At the time of the announcement, Custer sits a disappointing 33rd in the Cup Series points, but the Xfinity Series effort is more successful: Mayer sits third and in range of the regular season championship while Custer sits ninth in a comfortable top ten.
“First and foremost, we want to thank Ford for its partnership. Their support allowed us to establish Haas Factory Team and we remain dedicated to delivering results for them in Cup and Xfinity all the way through the season finale in Phoenix,” said Haas Factory Team President Joe Custer, father of driver Cole.
It’s a big step in the right direction for a team that’s seemed to have a lot of steps the other way in the past few years.
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