tool name
closeStewart to get
release from Gibbs
Becomes second high-profile Cup driver to switch teams in a year
By Jim Utter and David Poole
jutter@charlotteobserver.com, dpoole@charlotteobserver.com
Tuesday, Jul. 08, 2008
Two-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart is leaving Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the 2008 season, the driver and team confirmed Wednesday.
Stewart will complete the 2008 season in the No. 20 Toyotas. He also will drive a Gibbs-owned car in Nationwide Series races Friday at Chicagoland Speedway and Aug. 16 at Michigan International Speedway.
Stewart’s contract with the Gibbs team ran through the end of the 2009 season, but he will leave a year early and become part-owner of Haas CNC Racing, where Stewart and a second driver will compete in Sprint Cup races in Chevrolets next season. The Stewart-Haas operation will get engines and other technical support from Hendrick Motorsports.
Stewart is expected to address his plans at a news conference scheduled for Thursday afternoon at Chicagoland Speedway.
The Home Depot will remain with Joe Gibbs Racing as sponsor of the No. 20 Toyotas. Greg Zipadelli, Stewart’s crew chief since he started his NASCAR career, also will remain at JGR..
“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.”
Stewart, the 1999 Cup rookie of the year, has made all 338 of his Cup starts for the Gibbs team and won championship in 2002 and 2005. Winless so far this year, Stewart has won at least two races in each of his first nine full seasons. Only Jeff Gordon (39) and Jimmie Johnson (34) have more victories than Stewart’s 32 since 1999. He has won $68,549,075 in his career.
“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,” said Stewart, who stands 12th in the current Cup standings. “I’ve learned so much from them and have a tremendous amount of respect for what they’ve built.
“I’ve modeled my USAC (U.S. Auto Club) 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.
“My crew chief, Greg Zipadelli, is the best example of that. 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.”
Stewart’s move will break up the longest active driver/crew chief relationship in Sprint Cup racing.
