Stewart-Haas Racing

2004 No. 0 NetZero Chevrolet

Jack Sprague (2002–2003)

What is now the No. 4 car was Haas CNC Racing's original foray into NASCAR's top series, with driver Jack Sprague and sponsor NetZero. Haas' car became the No. 0 Pontiac.[3][5] Sprague posted a career-best 14th-place finish at the 2003 Daytona 500 to open up the season.[15] Afterwards, however, the team began to struggle. After finishing 40th at Chicagoland, Haas released Sprague[15] in favor of John Andretti,[16] who finished 41st at New Hampshire and 33rd at Pocono, before qualifying 15th and finishing 19th at Watkins Glen. Because Andretti had a prior commitment with Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Jason Leffler drove the car at the Brickyard 400, finishing 33rd. Leffler lost his ride with Ultra Motorsports, where he drove the No. 2 truck in the Craftsman Truck Series, because of his start at Indianapolis, but Haas hired him to drive the car on a more permanent basis shortly thereafter.[17]

Ward Burton (2003–2004)

Ward Burton was signed to drive the car toward the end of the 2003 season after eight years with Bill Davis Racing, while Leffler was reassigned to the Busch Series to drive the No. 00 car.[8] In the final four races, he finished 13th at Atlanta and 18th at Rockingham.

In the 2004 off-season, Pontiac announced it was leaving the sport, forcing the team to switch back to Chevrolet.[9] Burton began 2004 by finishing 17th at the Daytona 500 and then earned the team's first top-10 finish the next week with a 9th-place finish at Rockingham. The team was also 9th place in points. Despite top-20 finishes in two of the next three races, the team began to slip in points. After a streak of bad races, the team re-emerged at California with a 10th-place finish. The team racked up five straight top-20 finishes and Burton earned outside pole at the Brickyard 400, but made contact early in the race and finally crashed to a 39th-place finish. In October, Burton finished again in 10th place, this time at Talladega. After finishing 40th at Phoenix, Burton was released by Haas and was replaced by Mike Bliss.[18] The 2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion took over and had an immediate impact finishing 10th at Darlington, leading Haas to sign him for the 2005 season.[19]

Mike Bliss (2004–2005)

The team picked up Best Buy as an associate sponsor and four-race primary sponsor for 2005.[20] The U.S. Coast Guard, sponsor for Haas CNC's Busch Series Car, also sponsored one race. Bliss began the 2005 season by finishing 18th in each of the first four races. Despite finishing ninth at Pocono and 7th at Bristol, he was released from the ride at season's end.

Jeff Green (2006–2007)

In the off-season, Jeff Green was signed to replace Bliss. Best Buy became the primary sponsor as NetZero left, and the team began the 2006 season with a renumbered No. 66 Chevrolet. The new car number was in honor of the year the new primary sponsor opened its first store, 1966.[21] Green finished 28th in the final point standings in 2006, and was signed to continue driving the No. 66 in 2007. On October 22, 2007 it was announced that Jeremy Mayfield would take over the No. 66 car for Green for the final four races of 2007. During the off-season, Best Buy moved to Gillett Evernham Motorsports to sponsor Elliott Sadler's No. 19 Dodge.

Scott Riggs (2008)

Scott Riggs in the No. 66 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2008

Former Evernham driver Scott Riggs took over the No. 66 in 2008 with State Water Heaters as the sponsor, coming over from Morgan–McClure Motorsports. Hunt Brothers Pizza and Haas Automation also appeared on the car. Riggs struggled early on, but his performance picked up following the announcement of Tony Stewart as the new co-owner of the team in mid-summer. Riggs finished the season in the top 35, but was released in favor of Ryan Newman who had just departed from Penske Racing. With Newman driving, the car changed numbers to No. 39, which was Newman's midget car number. The U.S. Army signed on to sponsor the car alongside State Water Heaters and Haas Automation, but Hunt Brothers moved to JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series.

Ryan Newman (2009–2013)

Ryan Newman pits his No. 39 Impala at the 2009 LifeLock.com 400

During the 2009 season, Newman led the first 25 laps at Bristol and finished seventh. He finished sixth the next week at Martinsville after recovering from a pit road mistake. After finishing in the top twenty the next two weeks, Newman had his breakout race leading at Talladega, nearly scoring Stewart-Haas Racing's first win. With two laps left, he was passed by Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski. Newman finished third after Keselowski sent Edwards airborne and crashing on his windshield and hood. The next week, Newman led 45 laps at Richmond and finished fourth. He made the Chase for the Sprint Cup but failed to win a race in 2009. The team did, however, score 15 top 10 finishes and managed to finish ninth in points.

The U.S. Army returned to Newman's car for the 2010 season as sponsor for 15 races and with new sponsorship from Tornados. The team won their first race in the No. 39 at Phoenix. The win was also the first in NASCAR history for a car numbered 39.[22] The team failed to make the Chase, though, and finished 15th in points. In 2011, Newman scored a second win at New Hampshire while Stewart finished second making it the first 1-2 for SHR. Newman and Stewart made the Chase, and Newman came home 10th in the final standings. For the 2012 season, Quicken Loans sponsored the No. 39 car. Newman got off to a quick start in 2012 with a win at Martinsville in only the 6th race. However, his momentum flagged over the summer and he missed the Chase, finishing the season in 14th place.

Ryan Newman competing in the 2013 STP Gas Booster 500 at Martinsville Speedway

In 2013, Quicken Loans became Newman's primary sponsor as the U.S. Army significantly reduced its motorsports sponsorships. Newman would struggle through the first half of the season adjusting to the Generation 6 car. Through the second half of the season, SHR's performance would pick up, and Newman would take his first win of the season at the 2013 Brickyard 400, winning the pole and driving away from a dominant Jimmie Johnson. He would become the second Indiana native alongside Stewart to win the 400. Newman originally failed to make the 2013 Chase, but after Michael Waltrip Racing was penalized for "manipulating the results of the Federated Auto Parts 400", Newman took Martin Truex Jr.'s place in the Chase.[23] After 2013, Newman was released after it was announced funding could not be found to keep his No. 39 team in operation (though the team would later sign Kurt Busch to a fourth ride).[24][25]

Kevin Harvick (2014–present)

For 2014, Kevin Harvick was signed to the newly renumbered No. 4 Chevrolet SS, with his Budweiser and Jimmy John's sponsorship coming over from Richard Childress Racing. Hunt Brothers Pizza, which had sponsored the team in the past, also came over with Harvick. Harvick won in just his second start with SHR at the spring Phoenix race. The team then won again at Darlington in April, leading 239 of 374 laps and using fresher tires to pass Dale Earnhardt Jr. with two laps to go.[26] Harvick's two wins with the team earned him a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. He advanced into the second round with two top-fives and won at Charlotte in October to earn a spot in the third round. Harvick finished the season strong, winning the penultimate race of the year at the fall Phoenix race to remain in title contention, then winning the final race of the year at Homestead to clinch the second Cup Championship for SHR.

Harvick had a strong run during the 2015 season with 28 top-10s and wins at Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Dover, but lost the championship to Kyle Busch by just one point. In 2016, Anheuser-Busch switched from Budweiser to Busch Beer as the No. 4's sponsor brand.[27] Harvick's run in 2016 was not as successful as his first two years with SHR, finishing eighth in the points standings with 27 top-10s and wins at Phoenix, Bristol, New Hampshire, and Kansas.

Kevin Harvick in the No. 4 at Pocono Raceway in 2018.

With SHR transitioning from Chevrolet to Ford in 2017, Harvick rebounded heavily with wins at Sonoma and Texas, along with 23 top-10s, and a third-place finish in the points standings. Harvick's 2018 run fared much better, with a career-high eight wins, 20 top-fives, and 26 top-10s, despite his Las Vegas win being encumbered for a post-race inspection violation. With a win at the fall Texas race, he secured himself in the Final Four at Homestead. However, three days later, the win was declared encumbered after the car was discovered to have a non-compliant rear spoiler during post-race inspection. The violation resulted in an L1 penalty that docked the team 40 owner and driver points - voiding Harvick's eligibility in the Final Four - and placed Childers and car chief Robert Smith on suspension for the final two races.[28] Tony Gibson became Harvick's crew chief for the remainder of the season.[29] At Phoenix, Harvick overcame a flat tire during the race to finish fifth and secure enough points to make the Championship 4. He finished third at Homestead and in the points standings.

Harvick's 2019 season started with a win at the Gander RV Duel 1 at Daytona. Despite a 26th-place finish at the 2019 Daytona 500, he stayed consistent with six straight top-10 finishes, including three fourth-place finishes at Atlanta, Las Vegas, and California. At Bristol, Harvick was forced to start at the back of the field and serve a pass-through penalty on the first lap after his car failed pre-race inspection three times; despite this setback, he finished 13th place on the lead lap.[30] Harvick would finally get his first win and the organization's first win of 2019 at New Hampshire. He would also win at Michigan and Indianapolis, the latter being his second career Brickyard 400 win. He once again sealed his spot in the Championship 4 after holding off SHR teammates Aric Almirola and Daniel Suárez for his third straight victory at the fall Texas race, his fifth Championship 4 appearance in the last six years.[31]

Harvick started the 2020 season with a fourth-place finish in Duel 2 of the 2020 Bluegreen Vacations Duels at Daytona. Despite sustaining minor damage, he finished fifth at the 2020 Daytona 500, his first top-five in the race since 2016. He stayed consistently in the top 10 at Las Vegas, Fontana, and Phoenix before the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When racing resumed on May 17, Harvick scored his 50th career win at 2020 The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington.[32] Following the second Drydene 311 at Dover International Speedway, Harvick clinched the Regular Season Championship.[33] Despite this achievement, as well as nine wins in the season, he was eliminated in the Round of 8 after finishing 17th at Martinsville.[34] Harvick finished fifth in the points standings.[35]

Danica Patrick at Texas in 2013.

Danica Patrick (2012–2017)

The No. 10 was originally the No. 35, the second car of Tommy Baldwin Racing in 2011. In August 2011, it was announced that Danica Patrick would jump to NASCAR competition full-time with sponsor GoDaddy, running a limited Sprint Cup Series schedule of 8-10 races in addition to a full-time Nationwide Series ride with JR Motorsports.[36] Stewart-Haas and TBR formed a partnership, with TBR fielding the number 10 (the number Patrick had used in her karting days) as a second full-time entry.[37] Patrick drove 10 races, with a best finish of 17th at Phoenix in November.

For Patrick's starts, the team used Hendrick engines. Her crew chief in seven of the races was TBR owner Tommy Baldwin Jr., with Greg Zipadelli working one race and Tony Gibson two others. David Reutimann was the primary driver for Baldwin, which utilized ECR Engines and Pro Motor Engines in their starts. The owner points of the No. 10 were retained by Tommy Baldwin Racing for 2013.

Patrick at Sonoma in 2015, the final year of Go Daddy sponsorship.

Patrick was hired by Stewart-Haas Racing to drive the No. 10 for the full 2013 schedule, making SHR the first team in NASCAR history to sign a female driver to a full Sprint Cup Series season. Danica would be competing with 2-time Nationwide Series Champion, and then-boyfriend, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year Timmy Hill for the Rookie of the Year award, priming to be the most competitive rookie battle since 2008.[38] Because the No. 10 under SHR was a new entry, the team purchased the 2012 owners points of Robinson-Blakeney Racing to help ensure a starting spot in the first three races of the year.[39] Patrick started the 2013 season winning the pole for the Daytona 500, the first woman to do so, and the first rookie to win the pole since Jimmie Johnson in 2002. Patrick also ran the fastest pole speed for the 500 in 23 years, timing in at 45.817 seconds.[40] She ran in the top 10 for most of the day, became the first woman to lead a lap in the 500, and finished 8th.[41] In addition to her Superspeedway prowess, Patrick posted strong finishes at Martinsville Speedway, finishing 12th in the spring race and 17th in the fall race.[42][43] At the end of the year, Patrick ranked 27th in points, with only one top 10 and a dismal 30.1 average finish, finishing in front of Hill and ultimately losing out to Stenhouse for ROTY.

Patrick returned for the 2014 season. In addition to GoDaddy.com, Aspen Dental signed on to be the primary sponsor for two races (Las Vegas and Atlanta).[44] She scored her career best finish: a seventh place at Kansas. Months later, she bested that personal record with a sixth-place finish at Atlanta. Patrick finished the 2014 season 28th in points.

Patrick and GoDaddy returned to the No. 10 in 2015. Just like the prior years, Patrick struggled throughout the season, earning two top 10-finishes at Martinsville and Bristol early in the year.[45] Late in the season, GoDaddy announced they would be leaving Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of the season. Aspen Dental came on board for two races during the season. Patrick finished 24th in points.

Patrick returned to the No. 10 in 2016, with new primary sponsorship from Nature's Bakery.[45] Mobil 1 and Aspen Dental also returned to the team.[46][47] She failed to score a top-10 finish that season and like the previous season, she finished 24th in points.

In January 2017, Nature's Bakery pulled their sponsorship from Patrick, resulting in SHR filing a $31 million lawsuit for breach of contract. Nature's Bakery filed a countersuit, claiming that SHR failed to prevent Patrick from promoting competing products. Both parties agreed to settle the lawsuit in May 2017 and Nature's Bakery agreed to sponsor Patrick and Bowyer for four races.[48][49] After finishing the 2017 season with one top-10 finish at Dover and finishing 28th in points, Patrick was released from the No. 10 team and replaced by Aric Almirola, who brought in Smithfield Foods as the team's sponsor after six seasons with Richard Petty Motorsports driving the famous No. 43.[50]

Aric Almirola (2018–present)

Aric Almirola in the No. 10 at Sonoma Raceway in 2018

The No. 10 team's performance with Almirola in 2018 was a huge improvement over its previous tenure with Patrick, having scored as many top 10 finishes in sixteen races as Patrick's six years.[51] The team also made its first appearance in the Playoffs. Almirola won the 2018 1000Bulbs.com 500 on October 14, giving the No. 10 team its first-ever win.[52] Despite finishing fourth at Phoenix, he was eliminated in the Round of 8. Almirola finished the season fifth in points, the highest in his career.

In the 2019 season, Almirola rebounded from a 32nd-place finish at the 2019 Daytona 500 with six consecutive top-10 finishes before his streak ended with a 37th-place finish at Bristol. He once again made the Playoffs but failed to advance past the Round of 16 after recording no top tens. Five weeks later, Almirola contended with teammate and pole-setter Kevin Harvick for the win at Texas before ending up in second, his best finish of the season. He fell to fourteenth in the final points standings.

On December 4, 2019, Stewart-Haas Racing announced that Mike Bugarewicz will replace Johnny Klausmeier as the crew chief of the No. 10 team in 2020.[53]

Origins (2002–2004)

What is now the No. 14 car debuted in 2002 as the No. 60, a fifth car for Hendrick Motorsports with Gene Haas listed as the owner. Hendrick's Busch Series driver Jack Sprague attempted six races (making three) in preparation for running full-time with Haas.[2][3] His best finish was 30th in the season finale race at Homestead-Miami.[54] Though Sprague and Haas ran the No. 0 Pontiac full-time, the No. 60 Chevy returned in 2003 under the Hendrick banner with driver David Green. The car was sponsored by Haas Automation, with co-sponsorship from Hendrick sponsor Kellogg's and Haas CNC sponsor NetZero. The car initially attempted only the restrictor plate races, missing their first two attempts, and finishing 32nd and 35th at the second Daytona and Talladega races respectively. The No. 60 would run full NetZero decals at Talladega after the No. 0 missed the race.[55][56] The next race the No. 60 tried out was the 2003 fall race at Charlotte, with Brian Vickers making his debut in a red and black Haas car before moving to Hendrick's No. 25 car full-time.[57] He qualified 20th and finished 33rd.[57] In 2004, Jason Leffler ran a single race in the Haas No. 60 at Indianapolis, finishing last after an early crash.[58]

Johnny Sauter (2006–2007)

Johnny Sauter in the No. 70 in 2007.

The car returned as the second Haas car at the 2006 Coca-Cola 600, numbered No. 70 with Johnny Sauter driving. He ran in the Top 10 for most of the day before a blown tire caused him to wreck. The No. 70 made another attempt later in the season at the Brickyard 400, but failed to qualify. It was announced that the No. 70 would race full-time in 2007, with Sauter and sponsor Yellow Transportation moving up from the Busch Series. Sauter and the team worked their way into the Top 35 in Owner's Points after the first five races (which guaranteed a spot in each), but missed the Food City 500 at Bristol, yet still had Top 10 finishes at Phoenix (9th) in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 and at Richmond (5th) in the Chevy Rock & Roll 400.

Multiple drivers (2008)

For 2008, Jeremy Mayfield was chosen to be the driver after running several races at the end of 2007 in the team's 66 car. After the seventh race of the season, Mayfield fell out of the Top 35 in Owner's Points, so he and Haas CNC parted ways. Sauter, along with Jason Leffler, Tony Raines, and others, finished out the 2008 season.

Tony Stewart (2009–2016)

Tony Stewart's No. 14 car during the 2009 Coca-Cola 600

For the 2009 season, the team switched to the No. 14 car and new co-owner Tony Stewart began driving for the team. Office Depot, moving over from Carl Edwards' No. 99 Ford Fusion, and Old Spice, brought by Stewart, came aboard as primary sponsors, with the number chosen in tribute to Stewart's racing hero, open wheel legend A. J. Foyt.[59] Even though the No. 70 had finished outside of the Top 35 exemption rule, Stewart had the past championship provisional to utilize for the first five races of 2009 if it was necessary. After five races, the team was solidly in the top ten in owner points. Stewart won the 2009 Sprint All-Star Race, which was the first win for Gene Haas. A few weeks later, Stewart brought the team its first points paying win at Pocono Raceway in the 2009 Pocono 500. In the 2009 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, Stewart would win his second race under the Stewart-Haas banner, with Burger King as the sponsor. Stewart continued his winning ways with wins at Watkins Glen and Kansas. He managed a sixth-place finish in points.

Stewart struggled for the early portion of the 2010 season, which prompted Old Spice to leave Stewart-Haas for the 2011 season. Stewart recovered later in the year to win two races at Atlanta and Auto Club Speedway and managed to make the Chase. He finished seventh in points. It was later announced that Mobil 1 would be the replacement sponsor for Old Spice.

Stewart started the 2011 season with a dominant run at Las Vegas but a speeding penalty put the team out of contention late. Stewart was winless entering the Chase. During the 10 race Chase, Stewart won five races at Chicagoland, New Hampshire, Martinsville, Texas and Homestead to win the team's first Sprint Cup championship, tying Carl Edwards in points, but winning the tiebreaker by virtue of most victories (Edwards with one). The title also made Stewart the only NASCAR driver to have won championship titles under the Winston Cup (2002), Nextel Cup (2005), and Sprint Cup (2011) brands.

Tony Stewart during the 2012 Kobalt Tools 400

For the 2012 season, both Office Depot and Mobil 1 returned to sponsor Stewart as well as having a minor presence on Ryan Newman's 39 car's right left and right rear quarter panels.

Stewart and his team got off to a quick start in 2012 after finishing second in the non-points Budweiser Shootout, winning the first Gatorade Duel, the Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas, and the rain-shortened Auto Club 400 at Fontana. Later in the season, he won the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. Stewart would end up finishing 9th in the points standings at the end of the season.

Tony Stewart's No. 14 at the 2013 Coke Zero 400

For 2013, Stewart received a new primary sponsor in Bass Pro Shops, which moved over from Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to replace Office Depot. Bass Pro Shops joined Mobil 1, which sponsored eleven races while Bass Pro Shops sponsored eighteen. As of June 20, 2013, sponsorship for the other nine races has yet to be determined, although Stewart said Haas Automation could serve that role if absolutely necessary. Stewart subsequently won the 2013 FedEx 400. On August 5, Stewart broke his right leg in a sprint car accident, and was replaced by Max Papis at Watkins Glen.[60] Austin Dillon was named to drive the 14 at Michigan.[61] After the Michigan race, it was announced that Stewart would miss the remainder of the season, with Mark Martin stepping in as a replacement for twelve of the thirteen races, with Dillon driving at Talladega.[62]

As Stewart was not cleared to drive yet at the end of the 2013 season, including all official off-season testing, Martin continued driving the No. 14 during off-season testing. Stewart was eventually cleared to race.

At the 2014 Cheez-It 355 at The Glen, Regan Smith replaced Stewart after he had hit a driver during a sprint car race the night before.[63] Jeff Burton replaced Stewart for the Pure Michigan 400[64] and the Irwin Tools Night Race.[65]

On September 30, 2015, it was announced that Stewart would retire after 2016, and former MWR driver Clint Bowyer would take over his ride in 2017.

In 2016, Stewart was injured while riding a sand rail and was ruled out for the Daytona 500. In his place, former Michael Waltrip Racing driver Brian Vickers[66] and Richard Childress Racing driver Ty Dillon drove the car.[67] Stewart returned to the car at Richmond. He later won the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, passing Denny Hamlin on the last lap, and snapped an 84-race winless streak.[68] Stewart would be eliminated at the Round of 16, ending his last chance of a championship.

Clint Bowyer (2017–2020)

Clint Bowyer in the No. 14 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2018

Bowyer struggled during his first year with SHR, scoring seven top 10s and finishing 18th in the 2017 points standings. The 2018 season saw a resurgence in Bowyer's performance, with two wins at Martinsville and Michigan, nine top-fives, and 15 top-10 finishes. This improvement in consistency has resulted in Bowyer's return to the Playoffs since the 2015 season and the No. 14 team's first Playoff run since 2016. He made it to the Round of 8 until he was eliminated at Phoenix after a tire blew and he was sent to the outer wall. Bowyer finished the season 12th in points.

Bowyer was winless in 2019, but stayed consistent enough to once again make the Playoffs. He made it to the Round of 12 and was eliminated at Kansas. Bowyer finished ninth in the points standings.

On December 4, 2019, Stewart-Haas Racing announced that Johnny Klausmeier would replace Mike Bugarewicz as the crew chief of the No. 14 team in 2020.[53] During the 2020 season, Bowyer remained winless, but he used his consistency to make the Playoffs. He made it to the Round of 12 and was eliminated at the Charlotte Roval.

On October 8, 2020, Bowyer announced he will retire from full-time driving at the end of the 2020 season and work as a NASCAR on Fox commentator starting in 2021.[69]

Chase Briscoe (2021)

On October 20, 2020, Stewart-Haas Racing announced that Chase Briscoe would replace Bowyer in the No. 14 in 2021.[70]

Kurt Busch (2014–2018)

Kurt Busch in the No. 41 at Sonoma Raceway in 2014.

The No. 41 car is the fourth and newest team added to Stewart-Haas Racing and debuted at the beginning of the 2014 season. On August 26, 2013, Kurt Busch announced he would be leaving Furniture Row Racing to drive the fourth Stewart-Haas car. The deal was initiated by team founder Gene Haas, who would sponsor the full season through his company Haas Automation.[71] The signing of Busch came with some controversy, considering that Ryan Newman's contract was not renewed under the pretense that there was not enough funding to run both Newman's No. 39 team and Kevin Harvick's new No. 4 team.[72] In addition, Busch was signed by Haas while co-owner Tony Stewart, a noted rival of Busch's, was more-or-less incapacitated due to his leg injury, with Stewart publicly saying "It was his (Haas') decision" but also "Kurt [Busch] is a huge asset."[73] On September 24, 2013, it was revealed that the car would be No. 41, and later that Daniel Knost would be Busch's crew chief. SHR purchased the No. 14's charter from the now-defunct Michael Waltrip Racing.[74]

In only his sixth race with the team, Busch took the checkered flag at the 2014 STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway on March 30, 2014. Busch fought back from a pit road incident with former teammate Brad Keselowski and held off rival and Martinsville ace Jimmie Johnson for his 25th career victory and his first victory since 2011. The team struggled from a lack of consistency, leading to a crew chief swap with the No. 10 team. Tony Gibson became the No. 41 crew chief.[75] Busch made the 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup, but failed to make it past the opening round.[76]

Busch started the 2015 season on suspension while he was investigated for allegations of domestic violence. Regan Smith took over the No. 41 car for the first three races of the year, finishing in the top 20 at both of the first two races. Although Smith competed for Xfinity Series points, the No. 41 car remained eligible for the owner's championship.[76][77] Busch's suspension was lifted on March 11 and he returned to the No. 41 car at Phoenix, with a waiver to remain eligible for the Chase for the Sprint Cup.[78][79] Busch scored his second victory in the No. 41 at Richmond in April.[80][81] He scored his second win of the season at Michigan in June, in a rain-shortened event.[80] Busch earned a spot in the Chase and made it through the three first rounds, but failed to make it to the final round.[80][82] Busch finished eighth in the final points standings, with two wins and 21 top-ten finishes.[80]

Kurt Busch's No. 41 at Dover International Speedway in 2018

In October 2015, Busch signed a multi-year extension with SHR. For the 2016 season, Monster Energy became co-primary sponsor of the team along with Haas Automation, after being a personal sponsor of Busch since 2012.[76][83] Before the Cup series season, Busch and SHR was informed that because the No. 41 team was not formed until 2014, they were not eligible for one of the 36 charters NASCAR granted to teams who participated full-time in Cup. Stewart-Haas Racing managed to secure Busch a spot in every race of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup season by purchasing a charter from the defunct Michael Waltrip Racing. Busch's lone victory of the 2016 season came at Pocono Raceway on June 6 after preserving enough fuel to hold off Dale Earnhardt Jr., finishing seventh in the final standings.

Busch started off 2017 with a crash in the Advance Auto Parts Clash after Johnson got loose and spun, collecting Busch in the process. A week later, Busch went on to win his first Daytona 500 in his long career, passing Kyle Larson on the last lap. This also gave SHR their first Daytona 500 win, as well as their first win with Ford. This was Busch's only win in 2017, and he finished the season 14th in points. This 58-race winless streak was broken with a victory at the Bristol night race in 2018. Busch made it to the Round of 8 of the Playoffs until he was eliminated at Phoenix after a late crash with Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott. He finished the season seventh in points. On December 2, 2018, Busch announced that he will not return to SHR in 2019.[84]

Daniel Suárez (2019)

Daniel Suárez in the No. 41 at Texas Motor Speedway in 2019

On January 7, 2019, Stewart-Haas Racing announced that former Joe Gibbs Racing driver Daniel Suárez would take over the No. 41 in the 2019 season.[85] In addition, Suárez brought over Arris International to sponsor the team.[86] Suárez struggled to make a decent finish throughout the 2019 season, scoring four top fives and 11 top 10 finishes and failing to make the Playoffs. On November 14, 2019, Suárez announced he would leave the 41 at the end of the season.[87]

Cole Custer (2020)

Cole Custer in the No. 41 at Dover International Speedway in 2020

On November 15, 2019, Stewart-Haas Racing announced that Custer will replace Suárez in the No. 41 Ford in 2020.[88] On December 4, Stewart-Haas Racing announced that Mike Shiplett will replace Billy Scott as the crew chief of the No. 41 team. Both Shiplett and Custer worked together during the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series.[53] After just collecting a top ten finish in the first 16 races, Custer finished 5th at Indianapolis, his first career top five and the team's best run at that point. With 1 lap to go at the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway the following week later, Custer slipped by Ryan Blaney, Kevin Harvick, and Martin Truex Jr. in an incredible four-wide pass for the lead to cruise to his first career victory. Custer became the first driver to score their first career win with the team. His win earned him a spot in the 2020 Playoffs, but he was eliminated after the Round of 16 at Bristol.