For months, the rumors refused to feel real. Conversations lingered, speculation spread through the garage, yet doubt remained. This was Stewart-Haas Racing, a championship-winning organization backed by Haas Automation and Tony Stewart. It was a team that had thrived, endured setbacks, and grown into one of the Cup garage’s most formidable forces, especially during the dominant years of Kevin Harvick and Stewart. So when drivers walked into that conference room, few expected confirmation. Then it came, and in a moment, everything changed.

“You could hear a pin drop and you’re like, ‘Oh sh–.’ Like this is real. Immediately, you’re focused on what’s next and then it’s really distracting for the rest of the year.”

That was Noah Gragson, on the latest episode of the Racin’ With The Boys podcast, remembering the exact moment the future stopped being theoretical.

The drivers had been summoned to a meeting room the size of the team bus in the month of May, according to Chase Briscoe. Rumors had already been floating around the garage, but rumors are part of NASCAR life. However, nobody anticipated that Tony Stewart would enter and validate them.

Tony made it clear that the organization will close at the end of the year. Just like that, one of the dominant teams in NASCAR suddenly had an expiry date. Stewart-Haas Racing permanently closed its Cup and Xfinity operations following the 2024 season. The reasons piled up quietly for years.

There were declining results, sponsorship challenges, and the increasingly unsustainable cost of operating a four-car Cup program. At the same time, co-owner Gene Haas shifted more attention toward his Formula 1 operation. On the other hand, Tony Stewart’s focus increasingly moved toward racing and commitments outside NASCAR.

But hearing the explanation didn’t make it easier. In fact, everything was made worse by the timing. It wasn’t October. It was in the middle of May. Months of racing remained. Every weekend, drivers still had to get into their vehicles. Pit stops and setups still needed to be prepared by crew members. However, everyone had already begun packing in their minds.

“And it was very distracting because the whole rest of the year you’re still trying to go to the racetrack and race, but at the same time everybody’s looking for jobs on your team, and so their minds aren’t really in the right spot,” Gragson revealed.

As Gragson explained, people inside the building weren’t thinking about points anymore. Rather, they were thinking contracts, mortgages, and whether they would still be employed in six months. Briscoe knew right away what was most important. He did not inquire about competition when Tony Stewart invited questions. Instead, he asked:

“What’s this mean for us talking to other people?”

At the time, each of the four SHR drivers was under a contract. Tony Stewart’s answer changed everything. The drivers were free to speak. And according to Briscoe, he texted team executives right away from the meeting room. One of those messages led to breakfast with leadership at Joe Gibbs Racing the next morning. His future was guaranteed six days later. Gragson’s journey also came together. He recruited crew chief Drew Blickensderfer and key people to Front Row Motorsports to drive the No. 4 Ford after SHR’s closure, bringing continuity out of chaos.

The last several months of Stewart-Haas weren’t really about winning races for either driver (although Briscoe managed to make it to the playoffs). Rather, they were about making sure their careers survived the checkered flag. And luckily they did, but where are they now?

Where former SHR drivers stand after the closure

A year after Stewart-Haas Racing stunned NASCAR with its May 2024 shutdown, its drivers have charted sharply different courses. Chase Briscoe wasted no time, landing at Joe Gibbs Racing and making an immediate impact. He won his first race for JGR at Pocono in June 2025, outdueling teammate Denny Hamlin, then powered into the Championship 4 and secured a career-best third in the standings.

But 2026 has flipped the script for Briscoe. Three DNFs, six finishes outside the top 20, and a slide to 33rd in points have defined a frustrating campaign. Even a third-place run at Nashville in early June offered little relief after losing a late battle to his own teammates. The driver who finally felt he belonged among the elite is now wrestling with whether he can stay there.

Noah Gragson’s path has been far less glamorous. He brought SHR crew chief Drew Blickensderfer and key personnel to Front Row Motorsports for the No. 4 Ford, but 2025 yielded little reward. One top-5, three top-10s, and a 34th-place finish told the story, with a fourth at Talladega as his lone bright spot. The rebuild continues in 2026 with a new voice atop the pit box, as Blickensderfer moves into a competition director role and Grant Hutchens steps in as crew chief.