Haas Factory Team has set in stone an integral part of its personnel lineup for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series campaign.
Aaron Kramer, who currently serves as the lead race engineer for Chris Buescher and the No. 17 RFK Racing team, is set to join the brand-new organization for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series campaign, serving as the crew chief for Cole Custer and the No. 41 Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
A of Wellsville, New York, has been with RFK Racing since 2016, rising from an electrical and data systems engineer who oversaw the team’s 8-post advanced track simulator rig, to lead race engineer on RFK’s No. 60 NASCAR Xfinity Series team in 2018.
Kramer was promoted to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2019, where he worked as the secondary race engineer for two years with the No. 6 team and driver Ryan Newman, before moving to the No. 17 team in 2021 with Chris Buescher.
“Aaron’s engineering pedigree and his history with RFK Racing are great assets for Haas Factory Team. We’re proud to have him join our team,” said Joe Custer, president, Haas Factory Team. “NASCAR, and the Cup Series in particular, has become very engineering-driven. Limited track time and the nuances of the NextGen car have put a premium on simulation and data, and to really maximize all that information, you need people who can apply that information to the car and work closely with the driver to fine-tune the car. Aaron is that person, and we’re confident he can build a team of like-minded people who will have our race team ready to go for 2025.”
The 35-year-old earned a mechanical engineering degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) in 2016. Throughout his college years, Kramer was immersed in racing. After serving as car chief for K-Automotive Motorsports for driver Brian Keselowski in 2010, Kramer joined Max-Q Motorsports in 2011. He was the front-end mechanic for the team’s No. 37 Cup Series entry during his freshman year at UNCC.
From 2012 through the middle of 2015, Kramer built engines at Arrington Race Engines. He spent the remainder of 2015 with BorgWarner Turbo Systems as a commercial vehicle application engineer. Kramer joined Penske Technology Group in 2016, providing wind tunnel support and operating the team’s 7-post rig with cars from Team Penske’s NASCAR and INDYCAR operations. That time with Penske paved Kramer’s path to RFK.
“This is a great opportunity and I’m very grateful for it,” Kramer said. “I’ve been working toward the crew chief position since I was racing go-karts in high school. It’s a proud moment to have it come with Haas Factory Team. Their alliance with RFK makes the learning curve a little less steep because I’m very familiar with the people and processes at RFK. Having Cole as the driver is a huge asset. He’s highly motivated and dedicated to his craft. He puts in the time away from the track so that he’s ready every time he climbs into the racecar. That’s what you want as a crew chief. We’re going to push each other and support each other to get the best results possible.”
Haas Factory Team will rise from the ashes of NASCAR Cup Series operation Stewart-Haas Racing, which will close its doors at the end of the season. The team, owned by Gene Haas, will field a single entry in the NASCAR Cup Series next season. retaining a charter from SHR, as well as two entries in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Custer, considering his connection to Gene Haas and Haas Automation, was long presumed to be the recipient of the NASCAR Cup Series seat for Haas Factory Team, which the organization confirmed in July at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 26-year-old is the defending NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, and a NASCAR Cup Series winner, capturing a victory at Kentucky Speedway during his rookie campaign in 2020.
“I’m very happy to have Aaron join Haas Factory Team,” Custer said. “Crew chief is a crucial piece in the makeup of a race
team and Aaron brings a lot to our program. His background will really be a plus for me and our whole organization. Both of us still have jobs to do this year, but it’s reassuring to know that he’ll be my guy on top of the pit box next year.”
