Stewart plans to expand to 4 cars
“We're at the end of October. If we were going to [add a team], we would have liked to have had it started and had the decision made by the middle of summer," Stewart said Wednesday during a national teleconference. “It's not going to happen for next year.
“We obviously would love it. The goal of the organization is to be a four-car team eventually. Yes … down the road we want to have a third team and a fourth team after that. There are a lot of challenges right now in the sport. It's hard keeping the two cars that we have financed right now."
Stewart-Haas Racing fields two cars in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series, one for Stewart and one for teammate Ryan Newman. The organization has a technical alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, from whom it purchases engines and chassis.
“We've got great partners. … I think it's a compliment to our organization that we've been able to attract some major companies and still have the support of Office Depot, the U.S. Army, Haas Automation, Tornados, Coca-Cola, all these companies that are with our program," Stewart said. “I'm proud that we have [them].
“I think it's something that you can't take for granted in this economy right now. To have these partners with us, I feel like we're very fortunate and blessed to have them. But it's not an easy task to add a team right now. You don't see very many teams adding a car to their stable.
“It is something we want to do. It didn't work out for us for the 2011 season. When we get the right opportunity, and the right partner and driver, if we can get that combination, we're definitely interested in that for sure."