Stewart is listening, but must focus on present
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Program of the week
Saturday, 5/10 on FOX 7 p.m. ET: Dodge Challenger 500 This week on SPEED Saturday, 5/10 3:30 p.m. ET: Tradin' Paint 4 p.m. ET: NASCAR Performance 4:30 p.m. ET: NASCAR in a hurry 5 p.m. ET: NASCAR Raceday Sunday, 5/11 8 p.m. ET: NASCAR Victory Lane | ||
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I've got to believe that if Tony were to look at other options, it wouldn't be because of performance — he even said as much Thursday during his impromptu press conference. I also can't believe he would make a change necessarily because of money. My gut feeling for why Tony has even started looking at his options is because people started offering up equity ownership.
But know this: Tony is a racer and he is only going to drive where he knows he can win — and that obviously still leaves his current team, Joe Gibbs Racing, as an option. But Tony is a businessman, and he has shown that with the racetrack he owns (Eldora Speedway) and his sprint car teams (USAC and WoO), which he really enjoys.
There's no question that Tony Stewart would be an awesome team owner, he's proven as much with his open-wheel ventures. So it makes perfect sense that a team like Haas CNC Racing is reportedly one of those offering an ownership stake; they could use an owner like Tony Stewart both on and off the racetrack. Add Haas CNC's relationship with Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet, and If there is truth to this ownership offer, it makes perfect sense.
I don't believe Tony will leave JGR just to go be a driver, get paid a salary and try to win races. I could be wrong, but I just don't see that happening. I know he does awfully well monetarily with Joe Gibbs — I guess you could always do better, but I just can't believe that he will make a lateral move like that, unless there is some type of other incentive like Jeff Gordon has equity ownership at Hendrick Motorsports.
Just a sheet of paper?
One of the questions I received from a lot of people in the last few days sounds something like this: "Do contracts matter anymore?" I think they do, even though obviously the contracts I had as a crew chief were on a much, much smaller scale than what driver contracts of today are like.
Robert Yates had a great philosophy about contracts. I did about two or three different contracts in the six years I was with him at Robert Yates Racing. Neither one of us was too high on contracts, and it was like, "We are two good ol' southern boys and if we can't cut a deal, shake hands, be happy, go down the road and try win races, do we really want a piece of paper in some attorney's desk drawer saying we have to be together?"
You know what? For the most part, if a driver doesn't want to be with a team or a team no longer wants their driver, regardless of how big or solid the contract is, it's not going to be a good situation for anybody involved.
Being professional
I will say this, I was very impressed last season with Kyle Busch and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team. In a "lame duck" situation from very early in the season, that team stayed very focused and committed to still going out and trying to win races and the Cup championship. You have not seen that professionalism or commitment very much in very many situations.
I gotta believe that Tony is a businessman — he's got his hands in other things in racing — so somebody will likely have to entice him with team ownership if they want his signature in the future.
| Speed Mail Larry McReynolds |
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As Smoke himself said Thursday afternoon, this is just in the very beginning stages. Nobody knows what will happen, whether he will ask for an early release, or anything for that matter. For now, all we can do is ponder and speculate while Tony and his people sit down, listen to the various offers out there, and decide where they want to go.
While all of that is going on, the two key things to remember are that Tony Stewart is a racer and Greg Zipadelli is a racer. They will both do their best to stay in sync and stay committed and focused to go out and try to win races.
Just the rumors and the rumblings will likely cause a lot of distractions in the garage as reporters try to get the scoop, but I think those two guys are solid enough, they are racers, and they are in the championship mindset — if they remain that way, the rest will follow suit.
Tony, Greg and J.D. Gibbs are like the Pied Piper. If they march to the right tune together, all the little ducks behind will follow them.
FOX race analyst Larry McReynolds has more than 25 years of NASCAR experience as a mechanic, crew chief and broadcaster. He and his fellow Crew Chief Club members take you behind the wall at www.crewchiefclub.com.
"How to Become a Winning Crew Chief" is on bookstore shelves, or you may order your own autographed copy from www.DWStore.com.
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