Over the weekend, several sources reported that Joe Gibbs came right out and said that it was beginning to look very unlikely that his prominent organization, Joe Gibbs Racing, would expand to include a fourth team in the Cup Series next season. Gibbs told reporters that it was getting too late in the year to properly put together an expansion package that would make a fourth team competitive right off the bat, and I’m sure that losing Tony Stewart didn’t help their plans, either.

“You wouldn’t say never, but it doesn’t look right now that it will happen for us next year,” Gibbs told The Associated Press before the start of Sunday’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Once Gibbs made the statement, immediate conclusions were being drawn that this would also count Ryan Newman out of the running for a set with Gibbs as well, as all indications are that one of their three seats are without doubt reserved at some point in time for Joey Logano, and that no fourth team means no Ryan Newman.

ESPN.com was - as they have been all season long - a bit more deliberate in their reports, reporting that Gibbs himself went on record and discounted the notion of Newman moving to Gibbs.

It would be hard,” Gibbs said before the Sprint Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “Another time, another day, maybe. He’s a great individual. You would love to have him on your team. It’s just all those ducks aren’t in a row.”

A representative from Richard Childress Racing also stated on Friday that he expects Newman to move to Stewart Haas Racing next season. Childress and Gibbs were both considered to be the only other major players in the bidding for Newman’s services, so if they both say that it’s not going to be them, then I guess we can go ahead and start picturing what Newman will look like behind the wheel of the no. 4 car next season.

With Newman out of the running for the no. 20 car, that really takes all the players off the board in my mind. Sure, I suppose something could happen with Martin Truex Jr. leaving DEI, but I don’t picture a move to Gibbs being in his future, either. And, yeah, Casey Mears is still out there, but I think Home Depot would be likely to throw a fit if they were told that they were going from Stewart to Mears (no offense, Casey). The only scenario I can see playing out that doesn’t involve Joey Logano driving the no. 20 full-time next season is if he drives it part-time with Gibbs hiring another “lesser” talent out there to run the balance of the races just to keep the car inside the top-35 …. but, let’s face it, that doesn’t seem likely, either.

Long story short - Newman to the no. 4 car, Logano to the no. 20 ….. they just haven’t announced it yet.

served by picapp.com

Joe Gibbs Racing has been left with a void to fill ever since a couple weeks ago when their franchise driver, Tony Stewart, announced his departure from the team following the conclusion of this season to venture into the realm of car ownership at the Sprint Cup level to become a 50% owner of the newly formed Stewart Haas Racing. In the absence of Stewart, Gibbs will still hold claim to two of the top young stars in the sport with Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, but the fact of the matter is that Stewart has won two championships for the organization over his ten years with the team, and that’s just something that’s not easily replaced.

Now Joe and JD Gibbs are left with a decision to make. They had previously expressed interest in starting a fourth Cup team to build around their young star in the waiting, Joey Logano, and that’s still a viable option if they’re able to land a solid driver to fill their current void. Whatever they decide to do, though, whether it’s stay at three teams or expand to four, it’s very likely that their decision will revolve around Logano. At the very tender age of 18 years old and with only a few Nationwide Series races under his belt, Logano has already expressed his desire to climb into the no. 20 seat next season, and that could force Gibbs’ hand to give him an early promotion to the Cup level in an effort to protect their interests and keep other teams from pursuing him.

Another huge variable that has to come into play here, though, is Ryan Newman’s recent announcement that he will leave Penske Racing at the end of 2008. Newman is hands down considered the biggest player left on the free agent market, and he has a proven track record that when he’s surrounded by the right team and the right equipment, he’s more than capable to go out and win some races and put a bid in towards winning a championship. Gibbs’ best bet could be to pursue Newman as an option for the no. 20 car and begin building a part-time fourth team around Logano next season that would give him some seat time in the Cup through about six or so races, and then get him ready for a full-time run in 2010. This would also give him a full season in the Nationwide Series to work with Crew Chief, David Rogers, and continue to build a relationship with him, and then bring Dave to the new team with him.

That is a very circumstantial plot, however, as Newman has already stated that there are really three contenders for his services next season, and his other two options are considered to be the seat alongside Tony Stewart over at Stewart Haas Racing and the newly formed no. 33 ride at Richard Childress Racing. Other free agents on the market such as Casey Mears are not considered to be primary contenders for a spot within Joe Gibbs Racing, so if Newman’s name gets scrapped from the table, then expect to see Logano full-time in 2009.

Image details: Stater Brothers 300 served by picapp.com

Dave Rogers has done absolutely nothing short of a spectacular job since taking over the helm as the Crew Chief for Joe Gibbs Racing’s no. 20 entry in the Nationwide Series in 2006. In his 2 1/2 seasons with the team, Rogers has helped coach five different drivers to a total of 14 Nationwide wins, to include: Denny Hamlin (6), Tony Stewart (5), Kyle Busch (1), Joey Logano (1), and Aric Almirola (1). More impressively, 8 of those wins have come this season with four different drivers behind the helm (five by Stewart). After putting Tony Stewart into Victory Lane last weekend at New Hampshire, Rogers will now have the task of getting Denny Hamlin back to Winner’s Circle Friday night at Daytona.

Rogers has previous experience at the Sprint Cup level, having served as the Crew Chief for Jason Leffler in the series back in 2005. The tandem was unable to produce satisfactory results, and Gibbs aptly found a place for Dave down at the Nationwide Series. Since then, however, Rogers has been compiling a very impressive resume’ that could land him back into Cup competition by 2010.

Why 2010, you ask? Because Joe Gibbs Racing has two very lucrative scenarios that could play out in Rogers favor between now and then, the first being that of Tony Stewart’s contract situation. Forget about all the hooplah that’s governed our Stewart talks in concerns of where he’ll be driving in 2009, the fact is that even if he stays, his contract expires next year, and he’ll most likely be driving for GM in 2010. And, with Smoke most likely goes his longime companion, Greg Zipadelli, as the two form the longest driver / chief combination currently active in all of NASCAR.

The second scenario, and truly the most likely one regardless of the Stewart situation, revolves around the young phenom, Joey Logano - or, “Sliced Bread” as you may know him better by now. Logano has all of the tools to be a great competitor in the sport, and Dave Rogers has been given the task of molding and fine-tuning his talents behind the wheel of the no. 20 car in the Nationwide Series. The team has already made it known that they plan to run Logano in a fourth team car in the Cup Series on a partial schedule next season, and possibly even get him a few races this year. Don’t be surprised - as it completely makes sense - if JD and ‘the Coach’ find it appropriate to keep the tandem of Logano and Rogers together as Joey goes about his Cup Series endeavours.

Some might chalk it up to simply being Gibbs’ superior equipment, but I don’t care who’s funding the goods … to switch over to a completely new manufacturer and have to work with a different driver every week and still find the level of success that this team has is truly special. Dave Rogers deserves all the credit in the world for what the no. 20 team has accomplished this year, and he adequately deserves a promotion back to the big leagues in the not-so-distant future.

Seriously … I would like somebody to answer that question for me. Silly Season started way back in the first month of the season when Richard Childress announced that he would field a fourth race team next season, and it’s been hell ever since. But, once the media caught wind that Tony Stewart had expressed interest in ownership at the Sprint Cup level and that he’d been approached by Haas CNC Racing with such an offer in mind, the writers have had a field day with it, and rightfully so. The problem with it, though, is that Stewart’s under contract until the end of 2009 and JD Gibbs - president of Joe Gibbs Racing - came out and said straight up that under no circumstances would the team let Tony out of his contract early. Yet, everytime a name comes up as a possible candidate for Silly Season, Smoke’s name still seems to wind up in the mix. What gives?

Just the other day on ESPN2’s broadcast of NASCAR Now, Marty Smithson was asked about the situation brewing over at Hendrick Motorsports involving Casey Mears and the no. 5 team, and then about Mark Martin’s status for next year with DEI and if he could be making the move over to Hendrick. Marty stated that we should not expect to see Casey return next year with Hendrick and that DEI was looking to field Aric Almirola in the no. 8 car next season, but where Mears and Martin would wind up largely depended on what happens with Tony Stewart as “that decision still hasn’t been made”.

In the article I referenced the other day from Lee Spencer over at FoxSports, she, too, found it necessary to include Stewart in all of the Silly Season ramblings and possibilities. What gives, people? I mean, are we thinking that just because Joey Logano has come into the Nationwide Series and had the success that he has that all of the sudden Gibbs is okay with letting go of their two-time Cup Series champ? Newsflash: The team expected Logano to be this good, so that’s really not a factor in this decision. Besides, they must have all missed the part where Gibbs stated that their intent with Logano is to have him field a fourth Cup car.

I dunno … I just don’t get it. It seems to me like some of these folks are having a bit of trouble following the story all the way through. In my mind, Tony Stewart has absolutely nothing to do with what happens in the 2009 Silly Season, and why should he? This is a banner year for Gibbs in the fact that they’re the most dominant team on the track. They’ve got two stout young guns in the series with Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, and those two are going to bring them a ton of wins for years to come. They’ve got Logano coming up through the ranks with a very promising road ahead of him. But, Tony Stewart is still the guy that completes this team. He’s the guy that’s won them the titles, and he’s the guy that the garage raves as one of - if not the best. Even if Gibbs did decide to flirt with the notion of running Logano full-time next season, would their chances of success suddenly increase with Stewart not in the lineup? Gimme a break.

No, Tony Stewart will not dictate, nor will he headline this year’s Silly Season, but Ryan Newman will. Jamie McMurray and Casey Mears are both very likely candidates to get released from their teams, and Newman’s an excellent candidate to fill either seat (though I still think a move for Martin to the no. 5 makes the most sense). But, if Newman decides to leave Penske - which he will - then, whether it’s Childress or Hendrick or Roush-Fenway, wherever he winds up, that team’s just going to get that much more potent.

Image details: CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 served by picapp.com

Some of the most popular talk this year in NASCAR’s ever growing rumor mill has circulated around Tony Stewart and his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing, which currently carries him through the 2009 Sprint Cup season. With numerous rides potentially being opened for 2009, and offers reportedly being thrown at him all over the place, the media has long speculated that Tony has asked for an early release from his contract following the conclusion of this year, though sources have yet to confirm such allegations. Many want to believe him to be a solid candidate to fill the new seat opening up over at Richard Childress Racing, while some claim that he is looking towards Haas CNC Racing or maybe even JR Motorsports (should Dale Earnhardt Jr. elect to bring the team into Cup competition next year) where he could potentially gain ownership interests in the team, as well as reviving his long-standing relationship with GM and Chevrolet.

On the other side of the spectrum, there’s been a lot of hype revolving around 18 year old, Joey Logano, who is set to make his Nationwide Series debut this weekend at Dover for the Heluva Good! 200 on Saturday. Not since the emergence of Jeff Gordon to the stock car world in the early 90’s has a driver’s NASCAR debut been so highly anticipated, and some have even taken to nicknaming the kid as “Sliced Bread,” in reference to the ol’ saying, “the best thing since sliced bread.” Mark Martin spotted Logano out three years ago at the age of 15 and already claimed that he was a driver to keep an eye on. Since then he’s managed to win the 2007 Camping World East Series championship in a season that brought him seven victories, and he also won in his ARCA Series debut earlier this year. He’s so highly thought of that Joe Gibbs Racing has even decided to debut him in the Nationwide Series behind the wheel of the no. 20 car - the winningest car in the series so far this year - and, even signed him to an 18 race deal this year.

The only problem currently staring the suits at Gibbs Racing in the face right now - and, it’s a good problem to have - is that they have too much talent, right? Already filling their lineup in the Cup Series is a two-time Cup Series champ in Stewart, the current points leader in Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin, who made the Chase field in both of his first two seasons in the series, and appears to be well on his way to doing so again this year. So, when you take these two stories and add them together, the quick summation is that Logano would be a very likely candidate to take Stewart’s place upon his departure from Joe Gibbs Racing … but, according to David Newton over at the Sporting News, that’s not exactly what Gibbs has in mind.

JD Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing, says that rather than focusing on replacing one of their current drivers, their goal is to have Logano seat a fourth team car when he’s ready to progress to the Sprint Cup Series. He stated that they’re still negotiation with Stewart for an extenstion beyond 2009. He also stated that under no circumstances would they release Smoke from his current obligations, and also reitterated the fact that Tony has never asked to be released.

“We’re still just trying to feel out exactly where he is and exactly he feels. We want him to be here,” says Gibbs. “I want him to be here for a long period of time. At the end of the day, all we can control is through next year.”

A large factor in determining Tony’s future with the organization also lies with sponsor, Home Depot, whom has sponsored Stewart since his arrival to NASCAR in 1999. Home Depot reported a first quarter decline in earnings of 66 percent, and their long-term future in the sport is reported to be uncertain.

“They really are in a lot of ways the decision maker,” Gibbs added. “We want to make sure whatever we do is something that encourages them. We wouldn’t do anything unless they were on board and excited about it.”

I fully expect Stewart to not only finish out his current contract obligations with Joe Gibbs Racing, but to also sign another long-term contract that will lock Tony up with the organization until the near-end of his driving career. I do, however, see him pursuing ownership opportunities outside of JGR, very much in the same fashion that Dale Earnhardt Sr. did late in his career. The only obstacle to doing so is JGR’s current commitment to Toyota, but if anybody could cut a deal to drive for one manufacturer and run a team in the same series under another, a name like Tony Stewart just might be it. Then again, with the horsepower that Toyota’s pumping out, as well as the money and resources they carry in their pocketbook, the best business decision for Tony should he pursue this course could very well be the emblem already on his car.

DYN Imposes:
This week, Do You NASCAR also asks its readers …

1. Will Tony Stewart sign a deal with JGR past the 2009 season?
2. Logano or Stewart - Who would Home Depot rather sponsor on a long-term deal?
3. How long will it take for Joey Logano to progress to the Sprint Cup Series?
4. Which driver will give JGR their next Cup Series championship?

Image details: Goody’s Cool Orange 500 Qualifying served by picapp.com

There’s been talk all over the internet (again) revolving around the infamous Tony Stewart and his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing. Smoke has been driving for JGR since 1998, and back in 2003 signed a six-year deal with the team that would put him there through the 2009 season. Just as he did in ’03, Stewart appears to be willing to listen to just about anyone talking to him about offers, and as one might expect, a two-time former champ is going to receive plenty of them.

Some believe he may be letting his negotiations fall into the public eye purely for the sake of having some leverage to get a more lucrative deal from JGR, but it appears also that Stewart’s long-time relationship with the folks over at General Motors may be playing a large role in his uncertainty. There are certainly some viable options out there that would put him back in the seat of a Chevy, including the now widely-gossiped notion of becoming at least a part owner at Haas CNC Racing, whom not only drives Chevy’s, but also have a standing business relationship with Hendrick Motorsports. We also know that Richard Childress Racing will be fielding a fourth car next season, but placing Tony in that car would require an early release from his contract.

Stewart has stated that there have been talks with a couple of teams out there that would include him becoming a car owner in the Cup Series, but he said that he has not yet talked to the Joe and/or JD Gibbs about becoming a partner at JGR. He also said that while he and his agent have presented various scenarios to Gibbs to feel out whether or not there might be a possibility of being released from his current contract prior to ’09, he has not actually asked for that to happen.

JD Gibbs has gone on record by stating that they have Tony under contract through the 2009 season, and that they have no intention of allowing him to part from the company early. He and Toyota’s President of Competition, Lee White, both also said that they would like to see Stewart not only re-sign with Gibbs, but to retire with the organization.

I’ve scouted many sources on this topic, and just about everyone seems to have a differing opinion.  Reverand Jim’s Rants ‘n’ Raves is shrugging the rumors off for the time being, whereas Bruce Simmons over at Bruce’s Bits and Pieces seems to think that it might just make too much sense for Tony to move back to a GM-based team. One article that I found very interesting, however, was the opinion of Matt Mercer posted over at Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie. Matt made a very good point in that if Joey Logano runs well enough in the Nationwide Series later this year, then they just might be willing to bring him up early and let Stewart out of his contract.

I can’t say that I necessarily agree with that assessment, but it did get the wheels churning a bit. I don’t think that there’s going to be any situation that presents itself that would cause Gibbs to let Tony walk early, nor do I think they should. That said, however, if Logano does run well in the Nationwide Series this year and in his first full season in ’09, then I could see a situation where JGR may not offer Tony the exact dollar figures he’s going to be looking for. I mean, let’s face it, there’s very few – if any – names in the sport that can replace Tony Stewart, but at the same time, if you’ve got a team with the youth and talent of Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Joey Logano … well, let’s just say that you’re not hurtin.

If Stewart does get into the car ownership side of the house in the Cup Series, it would be a crowning achievement to his long list of business ventures. He currently owns several lower-series race teams (all GM powered, mind you) and also has stock in quite a few race tracks, including full ownership of Ohio’s Eldora Speedway.