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Time to Move On
Stewart planning for next year while trying to win this season
AP Photo
Ryan Newman may be joining the new Stewart-Haas Racing team next year.
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Published: July 23, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS - After a weak six-week run by Time Warner's TNT network, it's ABC-ESPN's turn, taking over the NASCAR Sprint Cup series for the next four months starting with Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.
Tony Stewart will be at center stage. Not just because he won here last year, not just because he's won two of the last three here, and not just because he's in one of Joe Gibbs' Toyotas, the hottest brand on the tour today. It will be Stewart on center stage because this will be his last time around this legendary track with Gibbs and crew chief Greg Zipadelli.
Stewart's decision to leave Gibbs after 10 years and is controversial and a new weight around Stewart's neck -- he's got to rebuild the Gene Haas team that he's buying into, so it will be a contender next season. And he's got to handle that job while also doing his best to leave Gibbs and Zipadelli on a winning note -- hopefully with a third Cup championship.
Certainly, Stewart is one of the three favorites in this year's Chase. And it looks as if he's catching Chevy rivals in a down period, particularly Rick Hendrick's guys, who have won the last two championships but who have been woefully off the mark this year.
"The first year (2005) I don't think we got to enjoy the win as much as we did the second time," Stewart said. "The first year it was more of a huge weight lifted off our shoulders -- that we accomplished a lifelong dream.
"Last year we really got to enjoy it with our team, enjoy the win that night, versus the emotional drain of finally accomplishing a goal, like the first time around."
But while he's preparing for this race and the rest of the season, Stewart is also rebuilding the Haas team. "In just the amount of time since we made the announcement at Chicago, we've had a lot of really good people call and want to be a part of this program," he said. "That's going to be a big key to getting it turned around.
"How long it's going to take, I don't know. I wish I could say everything would be perfect by the time we go to Daytona, but I think it's going to be a work in progress.
"You look at the caliber of teams and quality of car owners out there … it's going to be a lot of work to get caught up to where they are.
"But that's something I'm excited about -- having that challenge, to get it to be a team like a Joe Gibbs Racing or a Hendrick or a Roush or Childress."
And his new teammate? Speculation is it's Ryan Newman. But Stewart said that sponsorships issues are holding things up. "It will be a key to being able to attract sponsors to the second car," Stewart said. "I want to get that done as soon as I can.
"Having the right teammate is definitely key to a good start next season."
And the right crew chiefs.
"Obviously the crew chief situation is a big factor," Stewart said. "It's full-court press now. And we need two crew chiefs."
At least Stewart has finally made the decision and doesn't have the media all over him for that.
"It's taken a lot of pressure off me," Stewart said. "I've got a great team and we've battled a lot of adversity the last 91/2 years.
"Even though it's tense, we still have found ways to laugh and joke and cut up and keep each other relaxed, to a certain degree.
"I can't say it's a big weight off my shoulders, because it's like you just switched weights -- we took one off our shoulders and added another one."
For the next few days Stewart and Zipadelli will have to focus on this race. And if these winged cars are that difficult at banked tracks, they should really be a handful here. And tires, especially right-side tires, could be an issue.
Tires have been an issue here the last few years. Of course with hard left-hand turns like these, four a lap, fast and flat, these NASCAR stockers, with so little downforce, tires are expected to be an issue of some sort, particularly on a green track.
"This year is going to be another landmark year, bringing the new car of tomorrow for the first time," Stewart said.
And that, he said, means that this year's running could be another fluke.
"It's not a track where you back into a win," Stewart said. "Track position helps you, but it doesn't win you the race. It always boils down to who has got the best-handling car and the best straight-line speed."
■ Mike Mulhern can be reached at mmulhern@wsjournal.com.
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