Carl Haas was born in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany, and emigrated to the US in March 1938. He was of Dutch Jewish descent. His father fled Germany in the 1930s. He grew up in Chicago, where he began selling gearbox parts from his parents’ home.
Haas used the profits from selling gearbox parts to begin racing sports cars in 1952, achieving numerous victories driving Ferraris, Porsches, MGs, and Jaguars. He transitioned from driving to team ownership in the early 1960s, focusing on racing-related businesses. In 1967, he became the exclusive American importer for Lola Cars, helping the company gain prominence in the racing world. He founded Carl A. Haas Auto Imports in Lincolnshire, Illinois, in 1960, which became involved in racing distribution, notably for Hewland gearboxes.
During the 1970s, Haas entered teams in Formula 5000, the Can-Am Series, and the Super Vee series. He fielded a diverse roster of drivers in Can-Am, including Masten Gregory, Peter Revson, Jackie Stewart, Brian Redman, Alan Jones, Patrick Tambay, Jacky Ickx, and David Hobbs. Eddie Miller, driving for Haas in Super Vee, won the series title. In 1983, Haas partnered with actor Paul Newman to form Newman/Haas Racing in the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) Series. The team secured its first CART title in 1984 with Mario Andretti. Further championships followed with Michael Andretti in 1991, Nigel Mansell in 1993, Cristiano da Matta in 2002, and Sébastien Bourdais in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007.
Following the CART–IndyCar split, Newman/Haas continued to find success in the Champ Car World Series, winning four consecutive titles with Sébastien Bourdais from 2004 to 2007. During his time in CART, Haas became known for his habit of chewing on an unlit cigar during races, as he was prohibited from smoking in the pit lane. An incident occurred during a practice session for the 1999 race at Twin Ring Motegi, Japan, when Michael Andretti and Juan Pablo Montoya collided, resulting in Haas throwing his cigar at Chip Ganassi, Montoya’s car owner, during a heated confrontation.
Haas’s involvement extended beyond open-wheel racing. He ran the Haas Lola Formula One team in 1985, using a chassis built by FORCE. He also co-owned NASCAR teams, initially with Travis Carter and later with Michael Kranefuss. Haas also promoted races at the Milwaukee Mile, including CART races and events from the NASCAR Busch Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and American Speed Association. He also promoted the Grand Prix of Houston.
Haas was inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2025. He also served on CART’s Board of Governors until its dissolution in 2003, and retired as chairman of the SCCA Pro Racing Division in 2001, having previously chaired the Board of the SCCA for a record four terms until 1996. He was also a member of the board of directors at Road America. Haas lived in Lake Forest, Illinois, with his wife, Bernadette. It was announced on July 7, 2016, that he had died on June 29, 2016, at his home.
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