Gene Haas is set for a full-circle moment. In 2002, Rick Hendrick operated with Haas CNC machines in his Hendrick Motorsports garage. When Haas partnered with Tony Stewart in 2009, the Stewart-Haas Racing aligned with Chevrolet until 2016, switching to Ford’s Mustang. However, with a forgettable first year since Stewart-Haas Racing dissolved in 2024 to form the Haas Factory Team, owner Gene Haas and President Joe Custer are back to their roots, joining hands with the Bow Tie machinery once again. But it’s not a whimsical decision. According to Custer, data support their decision.

The HFT had a rocky year with only 2 top-10s and 9 laps led through 28 races. No. 41’s Cole Custer’s performance dipped to 33rd in points, scraping together just 363 points. And this led to Joe Custer pinning the move on a harsh self-assessment. Talking to Matt Weaver of Motorsport, Custer said, “I do want to say that Ford did literally everything they said they would. It’s just a matter of what we found when we evaluated our strengths and our weaknesses, did our deep dive, and decided we wanted a degree of synergy and alignment when it came to our strengths and what we have not done as well.”

Beginning in 2026, the organization will leave Ford behind to join Chevrolet, reshaping its entire operation around a new technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports. The deal includes both its Cup entry and the two full-time Xfinity teams, soon to compete under the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series banner. Hendrick-built engines will power each program, giving HFT access to one of the strongest technical pipelines in the sport.

The fallout highlighted deeper issues from Haas’ Ford era, rooted in the single-car operation’s struggle to match the resources of bigger outfits. After inheriting the Kannapolis shop from Stewart-Haas, the team aimed high but hit walls with unpredictable handling that simulations couldn’t forecast accurately.

Custer drove the point home: “Well, for us, the results speak for themselves on the Cup side. This is a performance-based, results-driven sport, and we need to be better. Candidly, we expected to have to assess where we were by a certain point this year, and we found reasons for optimism, but we also needed a reality check in other areas.”

Why is Haas Factory Team switching to Chevrolet next season?

I spoke with Joe Custer today and he offered a great bit of detail about Year One of this new endeavor and what the changes mean for the Xfinity customer program as well. https://t.co/v7VXEAlDed

— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) September 10, 2025

This reality check echoed the broader challenges of starting from scratch in a Next Gen car era, where Ford’s support couldn’t bridge the engineering divide fast enough, much like how Stewart-Haas itself faded despite multiple titles earlier in the decade. Shifting to Rick Hendrick‘s Chevrolet dominance makes sense given Haas’ proven track record there. Hendrick’s operation, fresh off six wins in 2025, including the Daytona 500, offers top-tier engines and data sharing that could vault Haas forward.

Custer expressed confidence in the fit: “Where we needed help is data. We need simulation tools to have a predictable car at the track. Ideally, it unloads the way we expect it to based on what we developed in simulation.” As Haas eyes Chevy’s horsepower, their Xfinity side keeps the Ford fire burning through the playoffs.

Ford stays committed to Haas Xfinity push

Even with the Cup switch looming, Ford Racing is all-in on Haas Factory Team‘s Xfinity championship bid, treating the playoffs like business as usual. Drivers Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer, locked into the Round of 12 with a third Ford entry from AM Racing, feel the full backing as they chase the title in the final seven races.

Mayer expressed his confidence for the same, saying, “Everyone at Ford has been awesome to work with all year, and they said explicitly, like ‘We’re going to make sure you win the championship at the end of the year,’ so I’m really looking forward to that. Everyone has been behind us one hundred percent, everyone from all the way up, all the way down.”

Even Creed echoed the seamless transition, noting no drop in effort as Haas’s No. 00 and No. 41 Fords hunt stage points at Bristol. “I think our relationship with Ford is as good as it’s been all year. (At the) Same time, I think we’re getting more of it, and the goal is still the same for Haas Factory Team and Ford,” he said during the playoffs media day. With Mayer’s Iowa win snapping a 25-race winless streak, the team sits strong, aiming for at least one finalist.

Mayer doubled down on the wide-open path ahead, stressing mutual incentives for a strong finish. “For us, it’s wide-open. We are a go, and we are going to win the championship with Ford. That’s what they want. That’s what we want, and everyone at Haas Factory Team is behind us as well with that,” he added. This commitment bolsters Haas’ effort in the Xfinity Series. Do you think they can bring home the Championship?