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Is Stewart Playing the Field or Is He Playing Gibbs?by Chuck Abrams ~ April 30th, 2008. Filed under: Chuck Checks In!. |
If you listen to Tony Stewart, nothing is wrong with his contract at Joe Gibbs Racing.
But the cat is well out of the proverbial bag as he has also indicated that he is listening to offers from other teams.
And Joe Gibbs Racing has made it clear that Tony is under contract through the 2009 season and that they want him to stay with the organization.
We have all learned that contracts in NASCAR mean about as much as a contract in the stick and ball sports. Those fans often have to put up with players wanting to renegotiate multi-million dollar contracts because someone else is now making more money that they are. Cry me a river, right?
But as we have seen in recent years, Kurt Busch and Jamie McMurray being prime examples, drivers can get out of final year contracts in order to move on to “greener” pastures. It takes some legal maneuvering, but it can be done.
So where does this all leave Smoke and is it good for NASCAR?
For Smoke, it is all good. He can now judge just what his true value is as a driver and possible team owner. You could argue that he should have a very good idea of what his worth is – he has two titles and is on one of the best teams in NASCAR and arguably the best of the 2008 season so far. Smoke has a lot going for him with his track ownership and smaller teams he participates in. But ownership in a Cup team is another story – just ask Robby Gordon. Should he be a driver owner? I would say not based on past history of that dual role model in recent years. But if anyone can give it a try, Stewart could. But PLANNING for future ownership is another story. That is something that he should be looking towards. Once Mark Martin and a few others leave the sport, Stewart will become one of the senior drivers in the sport and carry a substantial amount of weight in and out of the garage area, no pun intended. Since Earnhardt’s death, no single driver has taken the place of the Intimidator with NASCAR and Stewart could become that person as a driver and as an owner.
Is all this good for NASCAR? That depends on whom you ask. Michael Waltrip is on record as saying “no”. He feels that Stewart has put his sponsor and team/sponsor relationship in a bad position. Check out your options privately, but not out in the open where your team and sponsor now feel that they have to defend their actions and respond to a situation they may not be ready to address.
As far as I know, Stewart did not make this announcement to the press. Someone else, possibly one of the teams who are trying to woo him over, leaked it. Instead of a “no comment”, Smoke has dealt with the media frenzy openly and honestly. As Dave Despain commented, we should probably take Tony at his word and not read too much into this until he and Gibbs make their peace.
Personally, in today’s sporting environment, I don’t see how something of this magnitude can be kept quiet. None of us know Tony’s situation and while negotiating through the media is kind of crass, it is done all the time. I don’t condone it, but it happens. On the other hand, perhaps the matter came out and Smoke had nothing to do with the leak. It could have been an overzealous suitor attempting to better position themselves with sponsors. Or it could have been some moron who heard about the situation and leaked it to make themselves seem important.
In any case, it is certainly this year’s version of the Earnhardt Saga, just without the alleged evil stepmother component.
Let me know your thoughts below or at www.chucka@turnleftracing.com.
April 30th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
WAKE up people this isnt about ownership …is about being FORCED to toyota after a lifelong commitment to CHEVROLET !! only need to ask yourself how many times tony has mentioned TOYOTA or CAMRY this year ? ZERO?
thats because JOE gibbs sold out to toyota using tony and his championship to do it …i look for tony to go ANYWHERE not toyota
April 30th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Well let him go he is getting fat like an old cow and he slowing the car down any way ,
April 30th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
Stewart hasn’t had much of a chance to chat about his Toyota in Victory Lane so that may not be much of an issue. Chevy man? probably, he is in a commercial right now with a Corvette. But money talks folks. We’ll have to wait and see this play out — money, ownership or does he go back to Chevy as some think?
May 1st, 2008 at 12:26 am
Who REALLY cares what Michael Waltrip has to say about much of anything?? Tony’s put his sponsor in a bad position?? What about Rocket fuel, stolen sway bars, sand blasting, then trying to get them duplicated?? Next time ask someone with some credibality!!
May 1st, 2008 at 9:09 am
Point well taken on Waltrip — a case of the pot calling the kettle black perhaps?
May 1st, 2008 at 9:56 am
Well let him go he is getting fat like an old cow and he slowing the car down any way ,
Comment by Well let me GOOOO
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Sounds like someone has issues with a Champion!! As far as Michael W. comments….WHO CARES!! He’s a hasbeen…has been NOTHING but a cheater!! Home Depot doesn’t care what Tony does, they will follow. If only those who are not involved would stay out and let those involved deal with it as it comes along…then we’ll see who goes where and when and why!
May 1st, 2008 at 10:09 am
I think that Michael needs to keep his mouth shut because he is less than credible and his cars have not done squat and frankly, Tony has allegiance to Chevrolet and I think he is feeling that he was left out in the cold when he was forced to move to Toyota and it sounds like to me that someone other than Tony let the cat out of the bag and Tony is just trying to keep things under wraps and if he can pull it off, then God bless him.