CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- He was speaking at NASCAR's annual Sprint Cup media tour, but most of the questions directed toward Gene Haas involved Formula One.

Haas, co-owner of the Stewart-Haas Racing Sprint Cup team, revealed recently that he is in the process of applying for a license to field a Formula One team beginning in 2015. On Monday, Haas repeated his desire to form America's first F1 entrant since Penske Racing competed in the world's premier form of motorsports from a base in England from 1974 to 1978.

Gene Haas, far left, expects to learn by the end of March whether he will be able to move ahead with his plans for an American Formula One team. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Haas' team would be the first U.S.-based F1 team since Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing fielded a car for Mario Andretti from 1974 to 1976.

In 1985, former Indy car team owner Carl Haas (no relation to Gene Haas) put together an F1 team sponsored by American conglomerate Beatrice to spearhead Ford's re-entry into the sport, using cars built in England by Lola. But a corporate reorganization at Beatrice resulted in the team disbanding after the 1986 season.

Gene Haas is determined to field a start-up team out of the Charlotte area, most likely from a new facility that would be built on land he owns near Kannapolis, N.C.

"We've looked at buying a team, but there are problems associated with that," Haas told ESPN.com. "First of all, it's tremendously expensive, with a lot of existing personnel you're responsible for. Some of them have a lot of debt you would have to pay off. So they all have their issues.

"Starting our own team has its problems too, but the good thing is that it would be an American team," he added. "That really was the No. 1 fundamental priority -- to have an American team competing in a European series."

Haas acknowledged that one problem he needs to overcome is the stigma left by USF1, an attempt at starting an American F1 team in 2009 that was granted entry to the 2010 F1 season but never came close to getting off the ground.

Last week, Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone appeared to pour cold water on Haas' effort, saying it was "most unlikely" such a venture would succeed and strongly suggesting that Haas couldn't afford the cost of a competitive F1 venture.

"It's no good proving someone has got the money," Ecclestone told Formula One business reporter Caroline Reid. "Somebody can have $10 billion in the bank but it doesn't mean they are going to spend it. It's nothing to do with having enough resources. You can't tell them to make a commitment because it's a commitment to do what? It's always been like that."

Haas, who amassed his considerable fortune through the Haas Automation firm that produces computerized milling machines -- the likes of which are used by many F1 teams -- responded to Ecclestone's comments Monday.