Stewart-Haas Racing: Is Contraction Coming?

With news that two of their cars are in need of sponsorship, and a lawsuit now filed against an old partner, could Stewart-Haas Racing shrink in 2018?

The sport of stock car auto racing requires two key pieces for teams to push forward – cars and sponsors. Without cars, racing would not be possible. But without sponsors, the cars needed to race would likely be parked. Recent developments in the sport have seen partners exiting more than entering, and the Cup Series field dropping below 40 entries.

Could Stewart-Haas Racing be the next team to continue that unfortunate trend?

News broke on Friday that the race team was filing a lawsuit against now former team sponsor Nature’s Bakery for $31 million owed on Danica Patrick’s #10 car. The granola bar manufacturer signed a long-term deal to appear on the machine, leaving a large void of up to twenty races to fill on her ride. This comes in addition to possible empty slots on the #14 Ford of Clint Bowyer.

Two cars without major sponsorship in a four-car team are concerning, but there are other factors at play as well. Consider that the #41 Ford of Kurt Busch uses Haas Automation, Gene Haas’s primary business venture, as one of its primary sponsors alongside Monster Energy. Effectively, Kurt Busch’s car is only half funded. That leaves SHR with three cars that are not fully supported entering 2017.

Despite these concerns, the team continues to push forward with four cars plus a new Xfinity Series operation. One can expect to see more of smaller team partners, like Haas Automation, TaxAct, and Code 3 Associates, to be featured more prominently this season. Fans could also see more one to two-race deals with other sponsors.

However, with the prospect of contraction on the horizon for Stewart-Haas Racing, the question becomes who is the odd man (or woman) out? With a team primarily comprised of series veterans, one could suppose one or two could think about retirement in the near future. Kevin Harvick has been racing in Cup since 2001, and Kurt Busch since 2000. Both could be considering stepping aside in the next few years. If contraction comes prior to that (not saying that it will) it could come down to recent performance and if that’s the case, Bowyer or Patrick might be in trouble.

At the end of the day NASCAR is a business and it’s never good for business when 3/4 of your operation is underfunded from a sponsorship standpoint.

Next: SHR Suing Danica Patrick's Primary Sponsor

Regardless of the rumors and the concerns around sponsorship, it’s full steam ahead for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2017. While many behind the scenes will be working to add new colors to the cars for the year, the drivers will be honed in on one challenge – winning the Monster Energy Cup championship.