| |  | | CIA Stock Photo | Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. wave at fans at Phoenix. | | | | NO WORD YET | Tony Stewart in talks to leave Gibbs for Haas CNC Racing | Stewart offered opportunity to partially own Haas CNC team |
| | By Tom Bowles / SportsIllustrated.com Tony Stewart and Joe Gibbs have created one of the most dominant teams on the Sprint Cup circuit with Stewart's No. 20 Toyota. Two titles, two Brickyard 400s, and 32 wins overall highlight a decade that's left them, with Roush Fenway Racing and Hendrick Motorsports, fighting for the label of top team in the sport.
Next season, they'll be waging that battle on opposite sides.
Sources tell SI.com that Stewart is working on the final stages of a deal to move from Joe Gibbs Racing to Haas CNC next season. Considering the ramifications of such a move, no one's admitting anything quite yet, as you'd expect. When reached for comment, Haas CNC Racing spokesman Ron Mench claims there's been no communication between Stewart and the organization. Stewart's PR spokesman Mike Arning was noncommittal ("I've heard what you've heard," when asked about Haas CNC) but he reminded SI that Stewart's contract with Gibbs runs through the 2009 season.
"He's there this year and he's there next year," claimed Arning. "And I know for a fact that JGR is interested in retaining Tony for '10 and beyond. They'd like him to retire at Joe Gibbs Racing. As Tony's said many times, 'Nothing's broke. Why change it?'
"Tony's going to have a lot of options in front of him; why wouldn't he? But I don't see [an early out happening] ... everyone is going to live up to the terms of the contract that runs through '09."
However, sources are adamant that not just the talking, but deal-making is already taking place for Stewart to go elsewhere. And, while sometimes a formidable opponent, contracts can be easily bought out, as Jamie McMurray and Kurt Busch have shown us in recent years. Both high-profile drivers, McMurray and Busch engaged in preemptive career moves that prompted a lengthy negotiation process to get them out of their deals a year early, allowing them to move to their current teams of Roush and Penske, respectively.
Stewart's contract extension had been a bone of contention long before '08 began; the veteran initially said he'd get a deal done last offseason, and then came to Daytona claiming he wouldn't work on it until the middle of this year. Instead, that extension will apparently be spurned for Stewart's return from Toyota to American-based General Motors, the only manufacturer he's driven for in his career until Gibbs made the switch prior to this season.
As with Dale Earnhardt Jr. a year earlier, Rick Hendrick is again playing a part in this deal. According to sources, Stewart will be given partial ownership in the Haas CNC program, which gets engines and technical support from Hendrick Motorsports.
Stewart will likely assume the helm of either the No. 66 or No. 70 cars currently driven by Scott Riggs and a hodgepodge of others (Jeremy Mayfield left the No. 70 team prior to Phoenix).
At first glance, the change is a head-scratcher; Haas CNC is an organization that's struggled at the Cup level, never finishing the season in the top 25 in owner points. Currently, its No. 66 car is 28th, with the No. 70 program outside the top 35 and forced to qualify on speed at Talladega. But when you take a deeper look into Stewart's career, you understand why such a move makes sense. In fact, it parallels a similar one made by Stewart's media nemesis but similar say-it-like-it-is personality, former champion and current FOX analyst Darrell Waltrip.
After winning three Cup titles in the 1980s with Junior Johnson -- one of the top teams in the sport at the time -- Waltrip made what was a curious decision in '86 to team up with then-fledgling Hendrick Motorsports for '87 and beyond. At the time, Hendrick was regarded as a team owner who wasn't capable of winning a title; he was still new to the sport and learning the ropes, although his driver, Geoff Bodine, had captured the Daytona 500 that season. But Waltrip was attracted to Hendrick's business savvy, recognizing his ability to build a program from the ground up. The two agreed Hendrick would help give Waltrip the tools necessary for Waltrip to have his own program someday. After four years of driving the No. 17 Tide Chevrolet -- winning the Daytona 500 himself in '89 -- that's exactly what happened. With Hendrick's support and sponsorship from Western Auto, Waltrip left the organization and formed his own team in '91.
Waltrip was 39 when he made his career change; Stewart turns 37 in May, but some of the same principles apply. Like Waltrip, Stewart has the long-elusive goal of winning the Daytona 500. With Hendrick support, he'd still have the tools needed down the road to pull that off. And while the success of new teammate Kyle Busch has taken some of the limelight off Stewart, it has nothing to do with the move; he's been comfortably in contention to win a few races already, leading more than 280 laps on the year and happy with the No. 20's progress.
As one source told me, it's not that Stewart's unhappy or that there's internal dissension; it's that he's in need of a new challenge. Gibbs and Stewart will be friends for life, but they've been together for a decade, and some type of change is in order. Hendrick's organization also has proven to be one of the best organized, from top to bottom. With inside access to the team through their relationship with Haas CNC, Stewart can acquire the tools he needs to build a program as he sees fit.
Also, being part-owner of his own program gives Stewart the freedom to pursue other interests, such as trying to go back and win the Indianapolis 500 after the unification of the CART-IRL split. A former IRL regular, Stewart fell short in five Indy attempts to date, with a best finish of 5th in '97. Running with Gibbs has kept Stewart from attempting the double since '01, but as part-owner, Stewart would have the freedom to do whatever he wants.
There's no word on whether Home Depot or crew chief Greg Zipadelli will follow Stewart to his new venture; decisions on those moves will surely come within the next few months. For the time being, though, Stewart will focus on winning a third title with the Gibbs program, which currently has all three of its cars ranked in the top 7 in the point standings. Winless so far this season, Stewart is still a viable title threat; and with five top 10s in eight starts, he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down.
But come next season, it looks increasingly like he'll be getting up to speed with another program, and one of NASCAR's longest driver/team relationships will come to an end.
| | Posted April 25, 2008 , 7:06 pm EST
Last Updated April 27, 2008 , 9:46 pm EST | | | | | | |
