Haas Ends Decade Long Ford Partnership to Make Chevy return

The Haas Factory Team will switch manufacturer from Ford to Chevrolet from the 2026 season onwards in both the Cup and the Xfinity Series.

Haas Ends Decade Long Ford Partnership to Make Chevy return

Cole Custer with his No.41 Ford (via HFT), Joe Custer (via IMAGO)

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The Haas Factory Team recently announced a shocking switch in manufacturers from Ford to Chevrolet from the 2026 season onwards. The switch in manufacturer will take place in both the Cup Series and the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (currently Xfinity Series). The team also made some other changes to the way they will operate in the coming season, as HFT President delved into the reasons behind this switch.

The Haas Factory Team will not only switch the manufacturer but also have a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, meaning that they will run with the HMS power unit in both series. This switch from Ford to Chevrolet will mean that there will be atleast one less Ford car in the Cup Series and two less in the Xfinity Series, which will soon be renamed to O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.

As for the current drivers with the team, Cole Custer will continue to drive the No.41 car. Meanwhile, Sheldon Creed and Sam Mayer in the Xfinity Series will return to the No.00 and No.41 chassis, respectively. Joe Custer commented on HFT’s shocking switch in manufacturer and their ideas to continue running as a single-car team in the Cup Series.

Joe Custer insisted that the team was excited about continuing to run as a single-car team with Chevrolet in the 2026 season. Custer recalled the high moments of this year and how fielding a single car has helped them achieve great results, despite doubts cast on them. The HFT President pointed out that the team was aware of their capabilities and now needed to focus on getting more consistent in performance.

We’re excited about a single car platform, but we’ve gotta get it right. And the results speak for themselves. We’ve had some moments this year as a single-car team. Daytona’s been very good to us. So, we take those moments and we understand what we’re capable of, but how do we get more consistent?

Joe Custer said on the SiriusXM Radio.

Joe Custer reveals Gene Haas to ‘not tolerate’ no improvements in performance

Haas Factory Team’s performance in the debut season in 2025 has remained decent, but there are no overly positive results to boast about for the team. As such, the team owner, Gene Haas, is bound to get impatient and want quick improvement in results. Hence, Joe Custer revealed Haas’ expectations for performance in the coming season following a switch in manufacturers for HFT.

Gene Haas (via Getty)
Gene Haas (via Getty)

Joe Custer pointed out that Gene Haas was a patient man, but he demanded improvement in the car as the former reassured that HFT wasn’t going to suffer through the same year as 2025. Custer and Co. aim to address the team’s clear performance issues and get out of the performance slump. The HFT President accepted that Haas wasn’t going to tolerate no improvements in performance, especially after switching to Chevrolet.

 Gene, he’s a patient man, but he demands improvement. Make no mistake. So, we’re not here to do the same thing over next year without addressing these clear issues we have, and he made that known to our organization that he won’t tolerate, you know, not improving and not having a trajectory that can get to winning. So, we’ve made some tough decisions, and they are tough decisions.

Joe Custer noted.

The Haas Factory Team has a lot of pending work to do in order to emerge as a winning force on the Cup Series track. The switch from Ford to Chevrolet definitely sounds promising for the team and their ambitions to bounce back from the problems. However, time will tell if HFT finds stability with Chevy cars, as Cole Custer also aims to improve by the coming season.

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