Stewart has championship hopes in a Toyota

[Schwartz Fan]

Stewart has championship hopes in a Toyota
By Lee Spencer
Lee Spencer is a senior NASCAR writer for FOXSports.com.

Updated: January 16, 2008, 5:05 AM EST

When Joe Gibbs Racing announced they were switching from Chevrolet to Toyota in 2008, gasps of shock went out around the NASCAR community.
Why would they switch from a manufacturer who won 26 of 36 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races last season for one that struggled in its first season in the major leagues of stock car auto racing?


But as JGR's Tony Stewart pointed out Tuesday, those worries appear to have been for nothing. Despite sitting fifth on the speed sheet Tuesday morning, Stewart is confident that everything is going to plan.

At Daytona, that means riding wide open.

"We've not missed a shift yet and that's the hardest part of what we've done the last day and a half," said Stewart, who posted a quick lap of 184.585 mph (48.758-seconds). "So other than that, it's just hold it wide open and ride around."

Behind the wheel of the No. 20 Home Depot Camry, Stewart said he felt minimal difference between the Toyota and the Chevrolet Monte Carlo he raced last year. With the manufacturers putting less and less input into the design of the car of today as opposed to the involvement of automakers in the past, due to the introduction of the Car of Tomorrow car model, acclimating to a new car make is hardly an earthshaking proposition.

"This year is not as big a change obviously," Stewart said. "In the big picture it seems like a huge change because we switched manufacturers. But if we went ahead and made this change a year ago, it would have been a lot more dramatic than it is this year with the car that's the same for everybody.

"It's just literally a decal package and a motor package for the most part. I think it's less of a change this year than it would have been in the past."

There has been speculation that the two-time Cup champion wanted time to evaluate Toyota's progress before renegotiating his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing, which expires at the end of 2009.

"Well, obviously it's a lot easier to sit back and wait and see what happens and what direction things go," Stewart said. "But if seeing what we've done so far is any indication, I think they've done a great job already."

Tuesday morning, 11 of the 13 fastest laps were set by Toyota teams. Dale Earnhardt Jr., was the spoiler on top the speed chart with a lap of 185.820 mph (48.434 seconds) and Dario Franchitti's lap of 184.264 mph (48.843 seconds) was seventh quickest, but a variety of Toyota racers from Michael Waltrip and Dale Jarrett of Michael Waltrip Racing to Brian Vickers of Red Bull and Stewart and Denny Hamlin of JGR were solidly established among the top 10.

Like most wheelmen, Stewart isn't nearly as concerned with what manufacturer is providing his cars as he is with being competitive.

"My number one goal is just like sitting here — and Dale Jr. and everybody has the same goal — we all want to go out and win races and that's what it boils down to at the end of the day," Stewart said. "I don't care if it's a KIA or whoever, I just want to win races.

"This is the position that Joe and J.D. thought was best to give us that opportunity and right now we're just worried about winning. We'll worry about all the paperwork and all the legal stuff later on. It's not a high priority on my list right now, honestly. I want to go out and worry about winning races and I've got two years to figure out what I'm trying to do. The immediate thing is trying to figure out what we've got to do to win at Daytona and then the following week and the following week."


FOX Sports on MSN - NASCAR - Stewart has championship hopes in a Toyota

[SmokeFan14]

That's my boy!

Bottom line - Win!

[blueyedfairy_1]

Go Smoke Go!!

[revvinjim]

"I don't care if it's a KIA or whoever, I just want to win races.

Love it!