Stewart Haas Racing to Field Ford Fusions in 2017

Unexpected news flooded numerous Social Media outlets early this morning. Stewart Haas has revealed they will be leaving Chevrolet after the 2016 Season.
Ford and Stewart-Haas Racing have entered a multi-year agreement that calls for the four-car team to race the Ford Fusion with engines prepared by Roush Yates Engines beginning with Daytona Speedweeks in February 2017. Behind the wheel will be Kevin Harvick, Danica Patrick, Kurt Busch, and Clint Bowyer replacing Tony Stewart in 2017.
“We are thrilled to be able to add a championship-level team like Stewart-Haas Racing to our Ford NASCAR program,” said Raj Nair, executive vice president and Chief Technical Officer, Ford Motor Company. “Tony Stewart and Gene Haas have the same passion for winning that we do, and bring a strong stable of drivers and personnel that fit into what we’re trying to do in the sport.”In addition to Stewart-Haas Racing, the 2017 Ford NASCAR lineup will include Team Penske, Roush Fenway Racing, Wood Brothers Racing, Richard Petty Motorsports and Front Row Motorsports. Ford’s technical partner for NASCAR race engines is Roush Yates Engines.

Stewart-Haas Racing features drivers Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Danica Patrick, and Kurt Busch in 2016. Brian Vickers and Ty Dillon are slated to fill in for Stewart while he recovers from a non-racing injury.

Stewart, Harvick, and Busch have won Sprint Cup titles and Patrick was a winner in the Verizon IndyCar Series before moving to NASCAR. Since its founding in 2009, Stewart-Haas Racing has captured 30 points-paying wins, 26 poles, and two drivers’ championships.(Koelle,2016)