by Jeff Owens, NASCAR Scene, Special to FOXSports.com

It will be even stranger watching Gibbs' No. 20 car race without Stewart behind the wheel.

Ordinal out of range

It was Stewart, after all, who put the Gibbs organization over the top.

Joe Gibbs Racing was well on its way to being an elite organization before Stewart arrived in 1999.

Bobby Labonte had already made JGR a legitimate contender, and he delivered the organization's first championship in Stewart's second season in 2000.

But it was Stewart who led the charge when Gibbs caught up to Hendrick Motorsports and what is now Roush Fenway Racing, becoming one of NASCAR's top three Cup operations.

All of his 32 career NASCAR Cup wins have come in Gibbs' No. 20, and he delivered JGR's second and third Cup championships in 2002 and 2005.

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But don't feel sorry for Gibbs. It will be just fine without Stewart.

Most organizations would be in turmoil over losing a two-time champion and one of the top drivers in the sport. Not since Cale Yarborough left Junior Johnson in 1980 and Darrell Waltrip left Johnson in 1986 has a championship driver at the height of his career left the team he won the title with.

For some teams, that might be a crippling blow.

Not for Joe Gibbs Racing.

In fact, Gibbs can afford to lose Stewart much more than Stewart can afford to leave Gibbs. It is Stewart who is taking the great gamble by leaving JGR, not JGR by letting him go.

Why?

Because Gibbs is currently NASCAR's elite organization — with or without Stewart.

Gibbs is dominating the 2007 season for two reasons — the backing of Toyota and the performance of Kyle Busch, the organization's new star.

Busch already has seven Cup wins this season, more than Stewart or any other driver has ever won in a single season for Gibbs. Stewart is winless so far this season, while teammate Denny Hamlin has one victory.

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All three drivers could make this year's Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, but it is Busch who is the overwhelming favorite to win his first championship. And at age 23, he is destined to win more than one title — perhaps matching Jeff Gordon's four.

Though Stewart is a two-time champion, Busch is clearly the future of the organization and represents its best chance to continue being a dominant team.

Busch has essentially already replaced Stewart as Gibbs' top driver, which made it easier for owner Joe and team President J.D. Gibbs to let Stewart go and probably nudged Stewart toward the door.

With Busch and Hamlin, Gibbs will continue to have two consistent winners and perennial championship contenders.

They will likely be joined next year by 18-year-old Joey Logano, a can't-miss prospect who many believe will be just as good as Busch.

Having Logano waiting in the wings also makes the loss of Stewart much more bearable.

But the biggest reason that Gibbs can afford to lose a top driver is Toyota.

The manufacturer has instantly made Joe Gibbs Racing the most dominant force in NASCAR.

With Toyota technology and backing, JGR has already won eight Cup races this season, six more than Hendrick and five more than Roush. Those numbers will likely be much more lopsided by season's end, with Gibbs posting stats similar to Hendrick's 18 wins last season.

What JGR is doing in the Nationwide Series is even more impressive, and painful to watch. With Busch, Hamlin, Stewart and Logano sharing driving duties, the organization has won 13 of 20 races, making a shambles of the series and infuriating rival team owners.

With that kind of performance, Gibbs can afford to lose a driver, even one as great as Stewart.

Gibbs has withstood tough driver losses before.

Dale Jarrett scored JGR's first two victories in 1992 and '93 before leaving for Robert Yates Racing.

Labonte replaced him and promptly began winning even more, building toward the organization's first championship.

When Labonte moved on after the 2005 season, Hamlin immediately replaced him as the organization's next winner.

Now, Busch has upped the ante.

And Logano is coming.

While Joe Gibbs Racing may miss having Stewart around, it won't skip a beat without him.

Jeff Owens is a writer for NASCAR Scene, which is published weekly, 50 weeks per year. Visit www.scenedaily.com for more information. © 2007 Street & Smith Sports Group