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Haas Factory Team Names New Manufacturer, Familiar Drivers For 2026

Jared Turner Written by Sports EditorJared Turner
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Cole Custer

Haas Factory Team will feature a mix of both old and new in its look for 2026.

Well, sort of new.

While the Kannapolis, North Carolina-based organization will field cars for the same drivers as it does this year in the NASCAR Cup Series and soon-to-be-renamed NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (currently NASCAR Xfinity Series), the group will be aligned with a different manufacturer.

That manufacturer isn’t altogether new to the company, however.

So, What’s The Manufacturer Plan For Haas Factory Team Next Season?

Making its intentions for 2026 known to everyone, Haas Factory Team announced Friday that the organization will switch from Fords to Chevrolets for its NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series programs.

The organization — which rebranded itself from Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) to Haas Factory Team ahead of the 2025 season — has fielded Fords since 2017.

“First and foremost, we want to thank Ford for its partnership,” Haas Factory Team president Joe Custer said in a news release from the team. “Their support allowed us to establish Haas Factory Team. And we remain dedicated to delivering results for them in Cup and Xfinity all the way through the season finale in Phoenix.”

The upcoming change in manufacturer will mark a reuniting of Haas Factory Team with the Chevy bowtie brand. Prior to Ford coming on board, Stewart-Haas Racing campaigned Chevrolets from its 2009 inception through 2016.

In fact, even before Tony Stewart assumed co-ownership of the organization in 2009 and the company underwent its first rebranding — from Haas CNC Racing to SHR — it campaigned Chevrolets.

Stewart, of course, surrendered co-ownership of the team at the end of last year, which prompted its most recent rebranding as Haas Factory Team. The organization now owned solely by Stewart’s former business partner, Haas Automation founder Gene Haas, is ready to go full circle and return to its roots with its move back to Chevy.

Switch To Chevrolet For Haas Factory Team Ushers In An Important New Alliance

As part of the new arrangement with Chevrolet, Haas Factory Team will get its engines from Hendrick Motorsports — Chevy’s flagship NASCAR Cup Series organization, owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick.

“Personally, I have a deep history with Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports,” Gene Haas, who started Haas CNC Racing in 2002, said in a news release. “Both helped in establishing not only my presence as a team owner in NASCAR, but also the presence of Haas Automation.

“Together, we were able to build a race team that competed for wins and championships while growing the use of Haas CNC machinery throughout the racing and manufacturing industries.”

The engine support that Haas Factory Team receives from Hendrick Motorsports will be part of a broader technical alliance between the two organizations.

“We have a long history with Gene and his organization, including winning championships together, so this feels almost like a homecoming,” Rick Hendrick said in a news release. “Our relationship started many years ago with Haas CNC machines in our facilities, and I’ve always admired the passion that he and Joe Custer have for the sport and their desire to win.

“We’re proud to support Haas Factory Team and thrilled to work together to deliver more victories for Chevrolet.”

Not Everything Is Changing For Gene Haas-Owned Team In 2026

Although much will be different for Haas Factory Team next season, much will remain the same.

As part of Friday’s announcement about the manufacturer switch, the organization also revealed it will stick with the same driver lineup next season. And that goes for both the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

Cole Custer will continue to drive Haas Factory Team’s No. 41 entry in the Cup Series. Meanwhile, Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer will remain in their Nos. 00 and 41 entries, respectively, in NASCAR’s No. 2 division.

Custer, who is the son of team president Joe Custer, won a NASCAR Xfinity Series title for the company in 2023 and finished as the Xfinity championship runner-up last season. He spent 2020-2022 in the Cup Series, winning just one race over those three years, before becoming demoted to the Xfinity Series where he initially competed full time from 2017-2019.

Since returning to the Cup Series in 2025, Custer has gone winless in 27 races and posted just two top-10 finishes. He is 33rd in the standings.

As for Creed and Mayer, both are newcomers to Haas Factory Team this year. And both have enjoyed modest Xfinity Series success. Mayer has recorded the organization’s only win of 2025 across NASCAR’s top two divisions, going to Victory Lane in the August Xfinity Series race at Iowa Speedway.

Mayer is third in the standings, six spots better than Creed.

Jared Turner Written by Sports EditorJared Turner
Jared Turner is a motorsports writer who has covered NASCAR for 20 years. He has interviewed over 20 NASCAR Hall of Famers and around 100 drivers, crew chiefs, and team owners, both past and present. He has also covered the sport for FOX Sports (where he was a two-time recipient of the FOX “X” Award for “Xtraordinary” job performance), NASCAR.com, Sporting News, NASCAR Pole Position Magazine, the SPEED network, and plenty of other online and print-only publications throughout his career. Notably, Jared has penned dozens of articles for NASCAR souvenir programs, including several featured prominently in Daytona 500 keepsakes. A Virginia Press Association award winner and former member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), Jared has racked up accolades both for his writing and his academic work. He studied both Communication and Psychology at Virginia Tech, where he was permanently enshrined in Phi Beta Kappa — the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society. Jared excels at feature writing and opinion writing, much of which stems from his dedication to all levels of racing.
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