Tony Stewart set to be released from JGR
By JENNA FRYER – 8 hours ago
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — After 10 years and two championships, Tony Stewart appears set to end his relationship with Joe Gibbs Racing to pursue an opportunity to buy his own NASCAR team.
Stewart's contract with JGR runs through 2009, but the team was expected to announce Wednesday that it will release him from his contract at the end of the season. Team owner Joe Gibbs has been trying to sign Stewart to an extension for almost a year, but the popular driver was slow to commit and eventually decided to explore free agency.
Numerous options were presented to Stewart, including buying the fledgling two-car team of Haas-CNC Racing and driving for other organizations. It gave Stewart options Gibbs couldn't match, and likely forced the team to grant him his release despite an initial unwillingness to do so.
Mike Arning, a spokesman for Stewart, said an announcement concerning Stewart's future would be made Wednesday. ESPN.com reported late Tuesday night he would be released from his contract.
"We're just going to look at everything out there," Stewart said in April in announcing he'd test the market. "A wise person once told me it doesn't cost a dime to listen, so right now we're all ears."
While exploring his options, Stewart was most intrigued in potential ownership opportunities — and he's had an offer on the table since April to rejoin Chevrolet by buying Haas-CNC Racing. By owning a team, Stewart believes he could ensure a spot for himself in NASCAR long after his driving days.
But his contract with JGR stood in the way, and team officials had remained adamant that Stewart would drive the No. 20 through the 2009 season.
"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," team president J.D. Gibbs said in April. "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."
When it became clear Stewart wanted out, the Gibbs family finally relented and apparently was to sign off on his early departure Wednesday. The team is expected to replace the 37-year-old Stewart, one of NASCAR's most celebrated drivers, with 18-year-old phenom Joey Logano with Home Depot staying on board as the sponsor.
Stewart is in his 10th season with Gibbs, and he and crew chief Greg Zipadelli have the longest active driver-crew chief pairing. Zipadelli is not expected to leave JGR.
In their time together, they've racked up 32 Cup victories, the 1999 rookie of the year title and Cup championships in 2002 and 2005. Stewart has won at least two races a season through his first nine years.
He's been plagued by horrible luck this season and is so far winless. He had to get out of his car because of illness midway through Saturday night's race at Daytona International Raceway, a move many viewed as a sure sign Stewart was moving on. In 2005, Stewart got sick in his car but didn't relinquish the wheel and drove to the victory at Watkins Glen.
Assuming Stewart does buy Haas-CNC, he'll re-establish his long relationship with Chevrolet. The partnership was partially fractured this season when Gibbs moved to Toyota. General Motors continued to sponsor the sprint cup teams that Stewart also owns.
Gene Haas, owner of the two-car team, began serving a two-year prison sentence for tax evasion in January. The team fields a car this season for Scott Riggs, and a second entry that has been piloted by several drivers. Neither car is in the top 35 in points, and the team was devastated in May by stiff NASCAR penalties for bringing illegal cars to a race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
Stewart is expected to gut the organization and bring in his own people, including a second driver. Fellow Indiana native Ryan Newman is among those rumored to be in line to join Stewart's team next season.
Stewart to leave JGR, join Haas CNC as part owner
Formal announcement set for 2:30 p.m. ET Thursday
By NASCAR.COM
July 9, 2008
12:35 PM EDT
type size: + -Add another line to Tony Stewart's resume: team owner.
Joe Gibbs Racing announced Wednesday it has agreed to release Stewart, a two-time Cup Series champion, from the final year of his contract. In turn, Stewart is purchasing what is believed to be a 50 percent stake in Haas CNC Racing and will drive for the team in 2009.
"I cannot thank Joe and J.D. Gibbs enough for the opportunity they gave me and for the support they've given me throughout my entire NASCAR career," Stewart said in a team statement. "I've learned so much from them and have a tremendous amount of respect for what they've built.
Admiral move
Tony Stewart is taking a risk by, in essence, venturing out on his own. But in doing so he has a chance to secure a greater legacy, writes Joe Menzer.
"I've modeled my USAC and World of Outlaws teams the same way they built their NASCAR team, and I made it a point to find good people to run those programs. If I've learned anything from my time at Joe Gibbs Racing, it's that Joe Gibbs' saying of, 'You win with people,' is incredibly true. They always surrounded me with not just good people, but great people, and the results speak for themselves.
A formal announcement is expected on Thursday. Fans can watch the news conference live on NASCAR.COM at 2:30 p.m. ET
"We've had a lot of success with Tony in our 12 years here at Joe Gibbs Racing," said J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR. "While this moment is bittersweet, we're parting on good terms and we know that each of us has benefited greatly from the other.
"We grew to two teams in the Sprint Cup Series with Tony and The Home Depot in 1999, and two championships and 32 wins followed. While our time together is coming to an end, we know there's still a lot of racing left this season and we plan to make the most of it. On behalf of everyone at JGR, we're proud of everything we've accomplished together with Tony and we wish him the best in pursuing his dream of NASCAR team ownership."
Stewart was linked to Haas CNC Racing as early as Talladega weekend in April. At that time he said, "A wise person told me it never cost a dime to listen, so right now we're all ears."
Stewart ran five races for JGR in 1997 in what is now known as the Nationwide Series while competing full-time in the IRL IndyCar Series. After winning the IndyCar Series championship in 1997, Stewart upped his Nationwide Series schedule with JGR to 22 races in 1998 in preparation for his rookie season in the Cup Series in 1999.
With a then rookie-record three Cup wins, Stewart collected Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors and finished an impressive fourth in points. After finishing second in Cup points in 2001, Stewart scored his first championship in 2002 by 38 points over Mark Martin. He followed that championship with another title run in 2005 when he beat Greg Biffle for the crown by 35 points.
Stewart's parting from JGR at the conclusion of the 2008 season will end the longest active driver/crew chief relationship in the Sprint Cup garage. Greg Zipadelli will remain as crew chief of the No. 20 Toyota in 2009.
"We've accomplished so much in our 10 years together on the track, and off the track, he's been like a big brother to me. It's a friendship I cherish and expect to continue, even while he stays at Joe Gibbs Racing and I move on," Stewart said.
"No matter what, Tony and I will remain close friends," Zipadelli said. "I know when it comes to the No. 20 team, things will obviously be a lot different next year, but I remain as committed as ever this year to winning races with Tony and securing our spot in the Chase to contend for a third championship."
Stewart currently is 12th in the standings, just two points ahead of Kevin Harvick.
"We can still win races and compete for a championship and go out on top. For 2008, that's my number one goal," said Stewart, who will also compete for JGR in the two Nationwide races still remaining on his original, nine-race series schedule -- Friday at Chicagoland and Aug. 16 at Michigan.
Speculation is that Nationwide rookie Joey Logano will move into the No. 20 car vacated by Stewart. However, sources confirmed to NASCAR.COM that no decision has been made on who will replace Stewart on the team after this season.
"The 20 car has been one of the all-time great partnerships in NASCAR for the last decade with the combination of Tony, Zippy, The Home Depot and Joe Gibbs Racing," team owner Joe Gibbs said. "While we are losing one piece of the puzzle, we think the No. 20 team will remain strong for many years to come."
There is no word on Haas CNC's current stable -- including Scott Riggs in the No. 66 and the No. 70, which has had several drivers this season.
Tony is gone~!
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