KANNAPOLIS, N.C. -- Gene Haas wanted to build a dream team, with an opportunity to see his name in Victory Lane. He wasn't going to let Tony Stewart stand in his way of making that happen.

Haas admitted Tuesday he went rogue in courting Kurt Busch for a non-existent fourth team at Stewart-Haas Racing while Stewart was incapacitated with a broken leg earlier this month. When he finally brought his business partner up to speed on his expansion plans, Stewart balked.

But Haas forged ahead anyway with a multi-year offer to Busch, who was introduced Tuesday as the newest driver at SHR, where officials are now scrambling to make room at an organization that will double from two cars in 2012 to four next season.

"I don't think Tony was exactly enthralled with what I did," Haas said. "But I think he saw it my way, you know? Either that or get out of the building."

Busch signed a multiyear contract to drive for Stewart-Haas Racing beginning with the 2014 season. Busch received the offer to drive for Stewart-Haas a week ago and received a subsequent offer from his current team, Furniture Row Racing, last week.

Haas was laughing during two different recollections Tuesday of how he sidestepped Stewart during the lightning-fast courtship of Busch, which apparently began at a General Motors dinner in Indianapolis before the Brickyard in late July and ended last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway with Busch accepting Haas' offer.

But the message Haas delivered was very clear: Stewart, the three-time NASCAR champion, is the front man of the race team but Haas is still very much a player in the organization he founded in 2002.

He brought Stewart aboard in 2009 in a co-owner role to bring legitimacy to the team and help get the cars to Victory Lane, and Stewart has delivered.

Now Haas wants to be bigger and better, and wants to see his CNC machine company, Haas Automation, enjoy the spoils. He'll fund Busch's car out of pocket and sponsor the 2004 NASCAR champion himself.

Busch, who spent Sunday with Stewart watching the IndyCar race at Sonoma on television, said Stewart got a kick out of the financials.

"Tony was slapping me a high-five, he says, `We're tapping into Gene's wallet the way I wanted to," Busch said.

Haas insisted getting his name on a car was his primary motivation.

"It was an opportunity for Haas Automation to be a primary sponsor. This is going to be my shot at being a primary sponsor, going to the Daytona 500, the Brickyard as the primary sponsor," he said. "Haas Automation has never been in the winner's circle, and I'm sure that's going to change next year. So that's my primary reason for basically pushing this expansion. It's been met with a little bit of resistance."