Stewart Haas Racing breaks silence on losing $96 billion worth Kevin Harvick sponsor to Trackhouse’s Ross Chastain

SHR and Anheuser-Busch partnership will end as soon as Kevin Harvick retires and Josh Berry takes the seat.

Stewart Haas Racing breaks silence on losing $96 billion worth Kevin Harvick sponsor to Trackhouse’s Ross Chastain

Kevin Harvick at North Wilkesboro (Credits: @ejorourke41/Twitter)

Ford giant Stewart Haas Racing has endured a big hit to their finances when Anheuser-Busch announced mid-week that they will be sponsoring Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain from 2024. The $96 billion worth brewing giant under the Busch Light brand has been the primary sponsor for SHR veteran Kevin Harvick since 2016.

Anheuser-Busch decided to end their partnership with SHR as Kevin Harvick is set to retire at the end of this season. The legacy NASCAR sponsor chose to find a replacement, and they scouted Chastain as the perfect candidate. They will be chasing the Cup championship dream they failed to materialize with Harvick in the No:4 Mustang.

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While talking about the announcement, SHR’s chief commercial officer Brian McKinley pointed out that the nearly decade-long partnership between the two has been beneficial for both the parties involved over the years; he added that he is proud that SHR was able to be a springboard for Busch Light’s marketing strategies. McKinley added that the team is looking forward to new partners.            

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“Anheuser-Busch has been an outstanding partner in its nearly decade-long tenure with Stewart-Haas Racing. After promoting Budweiser for three years before transitioning to Busch and Busch Light in 2016, those brands have grown exponentially, proving our relationship to be mutually beneficial,” McKinley said in a press release.

“We value all our partnerships and take great pride in seeing Anheuser-Busch’s association with Kevin Harvick and Stewart-Haas Racing serve as a springboard for their overall marketing strategy. Our organization has been fortunate to have committed corporate partners, and we look forward to fostering new relationships with continued success and longevity,” McKinley added.

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Kevin Harvick might not end his final season with Busch Light on a high note

Ross Chastain and Kevin Harvick (Credits: BVM Sports)
Ross Chastain and Kevin Harvick (Credits: BVM Sports)

In the 2023 season so Kevin Harvick is the only positive for SHR. He has been one of the most consistent drivers in the garage, as he has always been. Though he is yet to secure a win this season, he is in the playoff bubble in terms of points secured. He has recorded seven top-10 finishes from 19 starts this season and has seven more races to secure a win.

Harvick might be realistically the only driver in his team with a shot at a playoff and a win. It is really an unfortunate situation considering he is retiring this year, and his teammates are drivers with multiple years of experience in top tear. Aric Alimirola, Chase Briscoe, and Ryan Preece have secured five top-10 finishes. Harvick has four Top 5 finishes this season.

While lack of form is a reason for the trio’s poor run, it’s also important to note the SHR hasn’t been able to field the best cars for them so far. It might be that Harvick is the only one extracting the maximum performance of the car. This isn’t an ideal situation for all four SHR teams as in the majority of the races, the cars are not contenders for wins.

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