Stewart in talks to leave Gibbs

[Schwartz Fan]

Stewart in talks to leave Gibbs

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 an integral part in this deal. According to sources, Stewart will be given partial ownership in the Haas CNC program, which gets engines and support from Hendrick Motorsports. (Rumor has it many personnel decisions for Haas CNC come across Hendrick's desk while car owner Gene Haas spends time in federal prison for tax fraud; the owner plays a role there similar to Jack Roush for Yates Racing, hands off in name only while helping to support the team in other ways.)

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.



http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...art/index.html

[SmokeFan14]

Haas CNC? He'd be better off going with Robby.

[24girl]

Holy Wow!

[Dirt track racer]

He could do much better than Haas.imho

[revvinjim]

"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." 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.

According to what I learned in journalism classes the only reliable news is the above quote and the parts about Darell Waltrip, Haas CNC's struggles in the points race, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
It must be as slow a news day as it was when they came up with "Partsgate."
If you add what Marty Smith wrote about the rumor:

"He definitely has some options," JGR president J.D. Gibbs said. "To me it's no different than any of the the options he's had before. The reality is he's racing here through 2009. There's no ifs, ands or buts about that one. Our stance is he's racing for us through 2009."Stewart's publicist, Mike Arning, said "Tony's contract is through the 2009 season. When that is up he'll have a lot of options for 2010 and beyond. But in terms of what he's going to do, or might do, for now and in between, as far as JGR is concerned he's their driver for 2009." Haas GM Joe Custer said he has spoken with several people about the future status of his team, including Stewart's group. He was adamant that his team has reached no deal with Stewart, but would "by all means be interested in discussing a partnership with a driver of his caliber."

Notice that SI/CNN and ESPN are the only ones to report on this rumor. And what they seem to be reporting is that Stewart still hasn't reached a decision on what he will do after 2009. The rest of the story is pure speculation from the guy who sweeps the shop floor or any other "unnamed source."
Now I have to go write a story about how the HMS drivers have team orders to the effect that Casey Mears has to win a race this season before Dale Earnhardt, Jr is allowed to win.

[24girl]

Now why you gotta pick on HMS???

[revvinjim]

Because, they are just so pickable. It's easier to write speculative rumors about Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Jeff Gordon than anybody else,except maybe Tony Stewart.
People think they can make up stories easier about the most popular ones. Do you really think a rumor about Jeff Green buying RCR would be read by anyone? !
I just realized I got it all wrong. Forget HMS. I just gave me a new idea!

[wopher]

Originally Posted by revvinjim Because, they are just so pickable. It's easier to write speculative rumors about Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Jeff Gordon than anybody else,except maybe Tony Stewart. People think they can make up stories easier about the most popular ones. Do you really think a rumor about Jeff Green buying RCR would be read by anyone? ! I just realized I got it all wrong. Forget HMS. I just gave me a new idea!

Sure glad ou got a new idea because I didn't like where you were going with that one

[Schwartz Fan]

Stewart exploring options that could take him from Gibbs
By JENNA FRYER, AP Auto Racing Writer
30 minutes ago

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)—Tony Stewart is apparently testing the free-agent market, in search of a deal that likely would make the two-time champion NASCAR’s highest paid driver—but also could drive him out of Joe Gibbs Racing.

Stewart’s deal with JGR runs through 2009, and he said last summer he was interested in signing an extension with the team he’s driven for since 1998. But contract talks moved slowly, with Stewart saying in January he was in no rush to get a deal done.

Then came a pair of internet reports Wednesday alleging Stewart is in negotiations to purchase at least a portion of Haas CNC Racing in a deal that would require him to leave JGR. ESPN.com reported Stewart had asked to be released from his contract at the end of last season.

JGR president J.D. Gibbs indicated Thursday the team intends to hold Stewart to his contract.


“We’ve got Tony signed through ‘08 and ‘09, and we want to go full bore and win a bunch of races and championships together,” Gibbs said. “Our hope is that if you do that, then long term this will be the spot he chooses to retire. But the reality is we only control these next couple of years, and we went through this his last contract negotiations when he had a lot of options out there.

“Our hope is we do our job, and he retires here.”

Stewart, winless this season, is tied for sixth in the Sprint Cup standings. In nine full seasons with Gibbs, he has won 32 career Cup races, championships in 2002 and 2005 and more than $67 million in prize money.

He was practicing all day Thursday for the Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway and was not immediately available for comment. But he said earlier this month on his Sirius Satellite Radio Show that his intention is to stay with JGR and that he’d recently started speaking with Joe Gibbs about an extension.

“Happy where I’m at. I’ve still got another year, not only this year, but I’ve got all of next year on my contract,” he said on “Tony Stewart Live” in response to a caller asking if he was looking at leaving. “Things aren’t broke there. We’re not trying to fix anything. Everything’s good.”

Cary Agajanian, who represents Stewart through the Motorsports Management Int. agency, cited the sensitivity of contract talks in declining to comment.

“His contract is through 2009 with Joe Gibbs Racing,” said Agajanian, “that’s about all we know, and all we can say.”

Stewart previously has stated he’d like to retire from NASCAR still driving for JGR, and that he can’t imagine a scenario where he’s not working with crew chief Greg Zipadelli. The two are in their 10th season together, the Cup Series’ longest active driver-crew chief pairing.

And based on Stewart’s own past negotiating, many believe his desire to test the market is nothing more than a bargaining chip to use with JGR. He used similar tactics during extension talks in 2003, when he leveraged an offer from owner Chip Ganassi to secure a better deal with Gibbs.

But Stewart has more options now, and there’s even more at stake for the driver, who turns 37 next month and likely is negotiating his final contract.

He long ago set in motion an aggressive business plan that centers around his love of grass-roots racing, and the former sprint-car star owns several lower-level race teams and has ownership in a handful of race tracks, including full ownership of famed Eldora Speedway in Ohio. Moving into an ownership of a Cup team would complete his portfolio.

There’s widespread speculation that General Motors is trying to lure Stewart from Gibbs, which left GM at the end of last season after 16 seasons with the manufacturer. JGR now fields Toyotas, and the Japanese automaker allowed Stewart to continue his Chevy deals despite the conflict of interest.

GM heavily supports Stewart’s many race teams, and Stewart acknowledged in February that the move to Toyota was difficult for him. Haas is a GM team that has a support alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, the leader of the Chevy teams.

Lee White, senior vice president of Toyota Racing Development, said the manufacturer is thrilled with Stewart on its roster and is hopeful the former series champion stays with JGR.

“We are extremely happy with Tony. We love being involved with him, and we hope to continue the relationship with him for a very long time,” White said. “Now what he chooses to do with Joe Gibbs Racing, that’s a team issue and we have no involvement in that.”


Stewart exploring options that could take him from Gibbs - NASCAR - Yahoo! Sports

[Schwartz Fan]

Stewart: Ownership offers intriguing, but JGR still an option
By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor
Thursday, April 24, 2008


TALLADEGA, Ala. – Two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart said Thursday that he has offers of ownership from other existing teams and is considering those offers, but he did not rule out a return to Joe Gibbs Racing next season and beyond.

Stewart said he has discussed his various offers with JGR officials and has talked to JGR about the possibility that if he were to go somewhere else starting in 2010 whether could he leave after this season instead of waiting until after his contract ends in 2009. He said, though, that he has not made a decision about what he is going to do and has not requested to get out of his contract.

“There’s a couple of groups that have thrown some ownership in the mix,” Stewart said. “There’s nothing broke. We didn’t go out and say, ‘Hey, we’re looking to leave Joe Gibbs Racing.’ We haven’t made a 100 percent decision yet of what we’re going to do.

“But we’re going to look at all the options, and the options are exciting all the way around. It’s pretty exciting. Right now, it’s just a matter of figuring out what we want to do and just being smart. We’ve had a great run at Joe Gibbs Racing, and it doesn’t mean it’s over yet. We’re just going to look at everything that’s out there. A wise person told me it never costs a dime to listen, so right now we’re all ears.”

Acknowledging that Haas CNC Racing was one of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams that has talked to him about ownership, Stewart would not name the others nor would he say how many offers he has, although he said the number is closer to five than to 10. He said it would not be appropriate for him to ask Joe Gibbs for part ownership of JGR, but Stewart would be interested if negotiations went in that direction.

He also would not divulge if any of the teams were with manufacturers other than Chevrolet. He said that while he has a strong relationship with Chevrolet through his World of Outlaws team, he also has felt good about Toyota’s rollout with Joe Gibbs Racing this season.

“I’m still passionate about Chevrolet,” Stewart said. “I’ve had a great relationship with General Motors – obviously when I started I was with Pontiac and then won a championship with Chevrolet in ’05. They’re our power plants and our sponsor in the open-wheel series. I still have a lot of connections there.

“But at the same time, we’ve built a great relationship in a short amount of time with Toyota. It’s not an issue where there is something wrong there, but I have a lot of strong ties to Chevrolet, obviously.”

Stewart said ownership intrigued him so he could stay involved in NASCAR after his racing career is over.

The 36-year-old Stewart said he did not have a timetable for making his decision, that he has to do his homework on the offers on the table.

Stewart said talks about his possibly owning various teams has been one of the best-kept secrets in the garage in recent weeks.

“We’re going to do our due diligence and go through looking at every options, looking at the pros and cons to everything and then make a decision,” Stewart said. “The good thing is we have a year left in our contract. We’re not in any rush right now. There is nobody putting any pressure on us to make something happen next week.”

As far as good friend and crew chief Greg Zipadelli, Stewart said he would like to continue working with Zipadelli but hasn’t talked with him and gotten his input on what he should do.

“He knows that we’ve had options, and I’ve told him that we’ve had offers presented to us, but I haven’t went any further than that for the main reason that we still have a job to do and I still fully intend on doing everything I can to win races and win a championship this year,” Stewart said. “We have a long way to go before we worry about what’s going to happen for next year.

“It’s something that I want Zippy to focus on what we’re doing right now.”


Stewart: Ownership offers intriguing, but JGR still an option - Sprint Cup Series - Scenedaily.com