Stewart-Haas Racing "will move to Ford beginning next season in a surprising defection from Chevrolet," according to Jenna Fryer of the AP. The team has fielded Chevys since its inception, and co-Owner Tony Stewart has driven for GM "in all but one of his 18 NASCAR seasons." SHR will "get its engines from Roush Yates in the new deal." It currently "receives engines, chassis and technical support from Hendrick Motorsports," and team Owner Rick Hendrick "was a huge supporter" of Gene Haas' efforts to build a championship team. SHR's move to Ford brings Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Danica Patrick and Clint Bowyer, who is "replacing Stewart at the end of this year," into the Ford group. Busch "won a title for Ford" in '04 when he drove for Jack Roush (AP, 2/24). USA TODAY's Jeff Gluck wrote the move is "one of the biggest NASCAR surprises in years, and the shock waves and repercussions will still be felt a long time from now." However, Stewart and Haas "emphasized the move was made with SHR's long-term outlook in mind -- think financial security -- and indicated it will leave the team with more independence" (USATODAY.com, 2/24). FS1’s Wally Dallenbach said the move "caught everybody by surprise." Stewart and Haas likely are "making good business decisions." Dallenbach: "Is it a big surprise? It’s only a big surprise because we're hearing about it. It's not a surprise to me that they’re trying to move forward” ("NASCAR Race Hub," FS1, 2/24). ESPN.com's Bob Pockrass noted it was a "surprise move for sure but not a shocker considering the fact that racing takes money and support." Pockrass: "Tony Stewart showed what type of businessman he is Wednesday. He made a decision with his head and not his heart" (ESPN.com, 2/24).
IMMEDIATELY BECOMES FORD'S TOP TEAM: In Charlotte, David Scott notes SHR will now become the "largest Ford team in the Cup series," joining Team Penske, Roush Fenway Racing, Wood Brothers Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports and Front Row Motorsports "in the manufacturer's lineup." Ford Performance Global Dir Dave Pericak said, "We've reorganized our tech support in all our teams. This is another addition for us. We're not eliminating support for any of our other teams. We'll make available to Stewart-Haas the same support" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 2/25). ESPN.com's Pockrass wrote while Pericak "swears this won't impact the support of the existing teams," it is "hard to believe Ford would dump more money into its program if anyone other than Team Penske was running well." RFR and RPM "won't have their status or funding cut back immediately, but they have to know the pecking order if cuts are necessary has just changed" (ESPN.com, 2/24). FS1's Dallenbach noted Ford is "looking at performance, and they're looking at adding teams that possibly could help them get into victory lane and win those championships." Dallenbach: "Let's face it, Roush Fenway has struggled over the last few years and they have not turned the corner" (“NASCAR Race Hub,” FS1, 2/24).
PLAYING SECOND FIDDLE NO MORE: Stewart during yesterday's press conference said one of the reasons for the switch to Ford is to "get out of the shadows" cast by other Chevy teams. That echoes similar comments Joe Gibbs Racing made a decade ago when announcing its move from Chevy to Toyota. NBCSN's Nate Ryan said in "both instances, it's a tacit admission ... that Hendrick Motorsports is No. 1 in the Chevrolet pecking order, and they will always be No. 1 to some degree." SHR views the move to Ford "as its chance to get out of the shadows of Hendrick, build its own chassis ... and perhaps get what they feel like would be a little bit more control over their own destiny." NBCSN's Kyle Petty said, "They were never going to be the No. 1 Chevy team, I’m sorry, as long as Rick Hendrick is in the sport.” He added, "This is a fantastic move for Gene Haas and Tony Stewart long-term. I'm not looking at 2017. I'm looking at 2027. They can be the Ford powerhouse, they can have that opportunity." NBCSN's Steve Letarte: "This very bold move to switch manufacturers is just one more step ... of a team that’s had the right vision from the start. They want to stand alone at the Cup level as a winner and a championship organization” ("NASCAR America," NBCSN, 2/24).
DOUBLE VISION: SHR currently is using both Ty Dillon and Brian Vickers to replace Stewart in the No. 14 car while Stewart recuperates from injury, and NBCSN's Petty said, “Sometimes it's not always a decision to say which driver is going to drive the car, it's a business decision." Petty: "Who am I associated with on these races? Ty Dillon, Austin, Richard Childress -- they have a relationship with Bass Pro Shops. Obviously, I think when we get to Atlanta we'll see Bass Pro Shops on this car this weekend. So that’s a business decision as much as it is a driver's decision” (“NASCAR America,” NBCSN, 2/23).
