After being an associate sponsor of Hendrick Motorsports for a number of years, in April 2002, Gene Haas announced the formation of his own Winston Cup team for the 2003 season. Hendrick would provide cars, engines, and technical support for the team. Haas signed Jack Sprague, who had spent the previous six years driving in the Busch and Craftsman Truck series for Hendrick, to be his driver. Sprague, who at the time was sponsored by NetZero, brought his sponsorship with him and Haas' car became the No. 0 car. The team initially operated out of a small shop also rented from Hendrick Motorsports. After running Chevrolets in several races in late 2002, Haas CNC was one of several General Motors teams to switch from Chevrolet to Pontiac prior to the 2003 season. Haas CNC also fielded a part-time team in the Busch Series that year, going full-time in 2004. The team switched back to Chevrolet after 2003, when Pontiac left the sport.