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The Harsh Reality of NASCAR: Why Team Hezeberg Had to Shut Down Its Cup Series Dream

Harry Stone by Harry Stone
February 7, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
The Harsh Reality of NASCAR: Why Team Hezeberg Had to Shut Down Its Cup Series Dream

Aug 21, 2022; Watkins Glen, New York, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ty Gibbs (45) leads driver Bubba Wallace (23) and driver Loris Hezemans (27) during the Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

In NASCAR, dreams don’t always cross the finish line. Some are killed by time, others by the unforgiving costs of competition. Just last year, Tony Stewart made the shocking decision to close down Stewart-Haas Racing, a 16-year-old Cup Series powerhouse. Now, another team has quietly met the same fate—before it ever had a chance to truly rise.

The Fall of Team Hezeberg: A Cup Series Dream Cut Short

Reaume Brothers Racing (RBR) has been a familiar presence in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, logging two top-five finishes and four top-tens in over 250 starts. But Josh Reaume had bigger ambitions—he wanted to take his team to the NASCAR Cup Series.

That dream materialized in 2022 through Team Hezeberg, a joint venture between RBR, Dutch businessman Ernst Berg, and former sports car driver Toine Hezemans. The team fielded the No. 27 Ford, featuring big names like Daniil Kvyat, Loris Hezemans, and Jacques Villeneuve.

But despite the strong vision, the team’s Cup Series journey was doomed before it could even take off.

The Pandemic’s Unintended Consequence: NASCAR’s Brutal Testing Limits

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, NASCAR was forced to slash track time and practice sessions. What used to be two hours of practice was cut down to a mere 20 minutes.

Even after the pandemic faded, NASCAR never reinstated full testing and practice sessions—a devastating blow to smaller, upstart Cup teams trying to learn the Next-Gen car.

Josh Reaume recently explained why Team Hezeberg had no choice but to shut down.

“Our ownership group became burnt out. They enjoyed the challenge of trying to become competitive in the Cup Series, but without testing, this proved difficult,” Reaume admitted.

“The inability to make spring changes on weekends due to new practice formats further diminished their interest.”

For a new Cup team, the lack of testing is like trying to build a spaceship without a blueprint. The Next-Gen car is radically different from previous generations, and without extensive track time, figuring it out is nearly impossible.

The “Alliance Problem” That Crushed Team Hezeberg

In modern NASCAR, small Cup teams don’t stand a chance without a big-time ally.

🛑 23XI Racing? Linked to Joe Gibbs Racing.
🛑 Front Row Motorsports? Tied to Team Penske.
🛑 Spire Motorsports? Backed by Hendrick Motorsports.

But Team Hezeberg? They had no major Ford powerhouse behind them—and that proved to be the final nail in the coffin.

“It became clear that to be competitive, they would need to pay for a formal alliance with a powerhouse team, which was not appealing to them,” Reaume admitted.

Without a major team sharing data, resources, and technology, Hezeberg was left to fight an uphill battle alone.

Instead of bleeding money in NASCAR, the team’s European owners decided to pull out and focus on endurance racing, particularly the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“They remain significantly involved in motorsports in Europe, now channeling the resources once spent on the Cup Series into Le Mans,” Reaume revealed.

The Harsh Truth About NASCAR’s Cup Series

Team Hezeberg isn’t the first, and it won’t be the last small team to fail in NASCAR’s premier division.

Without:
🔹 A strong financial backing
🔹 A technical alliance with a major team
🔹 The ability to test and adapt to the Next-Gen car

…surviving in the Cup Series is nearly impossible.

Even as NASCAR tries to promote a “level playing field” with the Next-Gen car, the reality is only the biggest and best-funded teams truly thrive.

A Painful Goodbye, But a Legacy Intact

While Team Hezeberg’s Cup dream has ended, their short time in the sport leaves a lasting memory. From Jacques Villeneuve’s Daytona 500 appearance to fielding international talent, the team brought something fresh to NASCAR, even if only for a brief time.

And as for Reaume Brothers Racing? They’ll continue their journey in the Truck Series, with actor-turned-racer Frankie Muniz behind the wheel in 2025.

But in the NASCAR Cup Series, only the strongest survive—and, unfortunately, Team Hezeberg was left without a fighting chance.

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