NASCAR’s Stewart-Haas Racing confirms Kurt Busch will join team

The NASCAR team Stewart-Haas Racing confirmed Tuesday that it will expand to four cars in the Sprint Cup Series next season with the addition of former champion Kurt Busch.

Stewart-Haas is co-owned by three-time Cup champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of the machine-tool maker Haas Automation in Oxnard. Haas’ company will sponsor Busch’s Chevrolet in 2014.

The team’s lineup next year will be Stewart, who’s currently sidelined with a broken right leg; veteran Kevin Harvick, who’s replacing Ryan Newman on the team; Cup rookie Danica Patrick and Busch.

Stewart, Harvick and Busch are among the most headstrong of the Cup series’ drivers, and NASCAR followers are curious to see how they meld as teammates.

At a news conference at Stewart-Haas’ headquarters in Kannapolis, N.C., Busch acknowledged that he and Harvick have been at odds in the past, but that he was ready to work together.

“We’re in a great spot in our careers now to join another fierce competitor, which is Tony,” said Busch, who won the Cup championship in 2004. Busch said the team had not yet decided on a car number for next year.

Busch, 35, currently drives the No. 78 Chevrolet for the one-car team Furniture Row Racing.

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