KANNAPOLIS, N.C. - Gene Haas wanted to build a dream team, with an opportunity to see his name in Victory Lane. He wasn't going to let Tony Stewart stand in his way of making that happen.
Haas admitted Tuesday he went rogue in courting Kurt Busch for a non-existent fourth team at Stewart-Haas Racing while Stewart was incapacitated with a broken leg earlier this month. When he finally brought his business partner up to speed on his expansion plans, Stewart balked.
But Haas forged ahead anyway with a multi-year offer to Busch, who was introduced Tuesday as the newest driver at SHR, where officials are now scrambling to make room at an organization that will double from two cars in 2012 to four next season.
"I don't think Tony was exactly enthralled with what I did," Haas said. "But I think he saw it my way, you know? Either that or get out of the building."
Haas was laughing during two different recollections Tuesday of how he sidestepped Stewart during the lightning-fast courtship of Busch, which apparently began at a General Motors dinner in Indianapolis before the Brickyard in late July and ended last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway with Busch accepting Haas' offer.
But the message Haas delivered was very clear: Stewart, the three-time NASCAR champion, is the front man of the race team, but Haas is still very much a player in the organization he founded in 2002.
He brought Stewart aboard in 2009 in a co-owner role to bring legitimacy to the team and help get the cars to Victory Lane, and Stewart has delivered.
Now Haas wants to be bigger and better, and wants to see his CNC machine company, Haas Automation, enjoy the spoils. He'll fund Busch's car out of pocket and sponsor the 2004 NASCAR champion himself.
Busch, who spent Sunday with Stewart watching the IndyCar race at Sonoma on television, said Stewart got a kick out of the financials.
"Tony was slapping me a high-five. He says, 'We're tapping into Gene's wallet the way I wanted to,' " Busch said.
For Haas, getting his name on a car was his motivation.
"This is going to be my shot at being a primary sponsor, going to the Daytona 500, the Brickyard as the primary sponsor," he said.
NASCAR SPRINT CUP
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At Hampton, Ga. 7:30 p.m. Sunday
TV: ESPN-25
Other - Motorsports
Matt Kenseth restored order to a chaotic week for NASCAR with a steely victory over teammate Kyle Busch in the opening race for the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
Just when it appeared Kyle Busch couldn't be any stronger in a Nationwide Series race, he broke the record for most laps led on a 1.5-mile track in a Nationwide race in winning the Dollar General 300 race at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday.
