Joe Custer: Haas “lifeless dedicated” to creating NASCAR Cup group work

At Iowa Speedway on Saturday, Haas Manufacturing facility Crew introduced plans to develop its NASCAR O’Reilly Sequence group with a 3rd full-time entry for 2027, piloted by Dean Thompson.

The group additionally runs one full-time entry within the NASCAR Cup Sequence, pushed by Cole Custer. In the course of the announcement, group president Joe Custer — Cole’s father — additionally addressed the way forward for Haas’s Cup operation.

Haas is one in all simply three single-car full-time chartered groups within the Cup Sequence, alongside Hyak Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing. And whereas constitution costs have skyrocketed (with estimates approaching $100 million) after the settlement within the 23XI/FRM vs. NASCAR lawsuit, Haas is just not curious about promoting.

“We have now unfinished enterprise within the Cup Sequence as Haas Manufacturing facility Crew,” mentioned Custer whereas answering a query from Lee Spencer. “So, no, we’re lifeless dedicated. Gene Haas is an F1 proprietor and a NASCAR Cup proprietor, and likewise an O’Reilly proprietor, and we intend to maintain it that manner. His enterprise is powerful. He is a good friend, a mentor, and likewise a passionate racer. So, we’re going to strive to determine Cup as a single automobile group, and we bought methods to go.

“However keep tuned. Keep tuned, as a result of we’re not glad, (however) we’re pleased with what the development has been lately. GM believes in us, our proprietor believes in us, our companions consider in us, our driver believes in us.

Cole Custer, Haas Manufacturing facility Crew

Photograph by: Logan Riely / Getty Pictures

“We have got some cool issues taking place on the Cup facet.” He later clarified that Haas has no intention of rebuilding the multi-car operation that existed underneath Stewart-Haas Racing.

“We have now extra of an curiosity in changing into nearer and nearer to GM and our technical associate,” defined Custer. “So, that is our imaginative and prescient, and we really feel we have now quite a bit to supply — bizarre stuff, not regular stuff. You already know, manufacturing, issues that are not horny, issues which are behind the scenes that we attempt to leverage, and are available to our companions, key gamers, whether or not or not it’s GM, Hendrick, et cetera…

“I simply need quick race automobiles? That is all I would like out of it. I wish to go to the entrance. We’re not there but. We have got some work to do, however keep tuned. We’re not sitting round. We’re shifting.”

Gene Haas, who additionally owns the Haas F1 Crew with drivers Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman, has been a group proprietor in NASCAR for over 20 years.

In 2009, he partnered with Tony Stewart, and collectively, they constructed a four-car tremendous group that received Cup titles in 2011 and 2014. After Stewart exited and SHR shut down following the 2024 season, Haas retained one constitution and positioned Custer within the automobile.

Custer, a former NASCAR O’Reilly Sequence champion, completed thirty second within the 2025 Cup standings with a greatest results of fourth and at present sits thirtieth in 2026.

Learn Additionally:

Pictures from Iowa – Saturday

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske