Tony Stewart Ownership Faceoff Given Fresh Impetus After Public Statement By Gene Haas Hints at Potential Conflict

The battle between the co-owners at Stewart Haas Racing has been raging on for quite some time now. On one hand, Gene Haas wants to keep Cole Custer for another season, but Tony Stewart wants him out. Now, with the season drawn to a close, the owners at SHR would have to make up their minds as soon as possible before things get even more chaotic.

Gene Haas stated, “I’d like to see Cole back in it for another year at least. But Tony has some other ideas. It’s pretty hard to argue with Tony because he’s picked so many good drivers over the years.”

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While Haas wants Custer, his team’s co-owner Stewart is hell-bent on making sure that Ryan Preece finds his way into Custer’s seat. It has been reported that Preece has been able to secure enough sponsorships for himself to be able to arrive at SHR. However, the battle between the owners rages on.

Who is Ryan Preece, and can he make it to SHR?

Ryan Preece is the reserve and simulator driver for SHR. He also races in the Xfinity and the Truck Series. Preece apparently received offers from other Truck and Xfinity teams but refused to take them up since he believes that Tony Stewart might have a concrete plan to get him in a full-time seat in the Cup Series with SHR.

The chances look good for Preece to make his way into SHR in a full-time capacity. However, sending Custer out of the team at the moment seems to be a challenge mostly because of Gene Haas’ objection and preference that Custer should stay another season to prove his worth to the team.

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Custer was picked up by Haas a few seasons ago in place of Daniel Suarez. However, since his arrival, he has not really shown the kind of results SHR were hoping for. There Stewart is fully committed to bringing in the Kevin Harvick-represented and promising talent that is Ryan Preece. While the silly season ended for almost everyone else, the fight for a seat still carries on at Stewart-Haas Racing.