Denny Hamlin addresses Stewart-Haas Racing decision to shut down

The news that the Stewart-Haas Racing team would shutter at the end of the 2024 season rocked NASCAR on Tuesday, and Denny Hamlin shared his thoughts on the team closing up shop.

Hamlin commended SHR for rising up through the field during its time on the NASCAR grid.

“We should take this time to thank [Stewart-Haas Racing] for everything they have done for our sport over the last couple of decades,” Hamlin said on social media. “They turned contenders into winners and winners into champions. While this is the last chapter for them in the sport, it will begin a new chapter for others. Let’s celebrate all of their accomplishments and wish them well in the future.”

According to FOX Sports NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass, Front Row, 23XI and Trackhouse are expected to buy three of the four charters. That leaves the possibility for a change of heart from Earnhardt and Co. as the fourth charter from Stewart-Haas gets shopped.

The organization announced the news on Tuesday afternoon with a joint press release from Tony Stewart and Gene Haas.

“We have made the difficult decision to close Stewart-Haas Racing at the conclusion of the 2024 season,” the statement read. “It is a decision that did not come easily, nor was it made quickly.

“Racing is a labor-intensive, humbling sport. It requires unwavering commitment and vast resources, with a 365-day mindset to be better than everyone else. It’s part of what makes success so rewarding.

“But the commitment needed to extract maximum performance while providing sustainability is incredibly demanding, and we’ve reached a point in our respective personal and business lives where it’s time to pass the torch.”

Stewart-Haas Racing as it currently exists came about in 2009. Originally Haas CNC Racing was formed in 2002, when Haas elected to form his own team. Stewart was later added to the mix in 2009 as a driver in a deal that gave him a 50% stake in the company.

Chevrolet provided the team’s engines and chassis until 2016, when the organization began using Ford engines and building chassis in-house.

All of it, though, proved quite taxing. And on Tuesday, an emotional Stewart informed the team that Stewart-Haas Racing would be closing down at year’s end.

“We’re proud of all the wins and championships we’ve earned since joining together in 2009, but even more special is the culture we built and the friendships we forged as we committed to a common cause — winning races and collecting trophies.

“That is the same commitment we made to our personnel, our partners and our fans coming into this year, and that commitment will remain through the season finale at Phoenix.

“We have tremendous respect and appreciation for all of our employees, and we will work diligently to assist them during this transition to find new opportunities beyond the 2024 race season.”

On3’s Thomas Goldkamp and Brian Jones contributed to this report.