Why Would Tony Stewart Take Over Haas CNC Racing?

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OK, so Marty Smith posted a story he has about Tony Stewart being in negotiations with Chevy teams, mentioning Haas CNC by name. The story has even been here earlier this week. So, would Tony really leave JGR for ownership of Haas? I think it is very likely. Haas is a satellite team of Hendrick Motorsports, of course. I would imagine if Tony takes over the team, he would be receiving much more assistance in that aspect. Then there is the option of him buying into the team, and driving for another Chevy team. Hello #5? Hello #33? Casey Mears hasn’t lit the world on fire, but the NASCAR world may explode if Stewart joins Jeff, Jimmie, and Junior. That would leave the #33, flush with funds from General Mills, and Stewart has a champion’s provisional to guarantee the team makes the field. Also, at RCR, he has a good relationship with Kevin Harvick.

It certainly would be intriguing if Tony becomes an owner. He would the highest-profile new owner in the series since Dale Earnhardt Inc. moved to Cup in 1998 with Steve Park. What is interesting to look at is how owning a team affected Dale Earnhardt’s performance from ’98 until 2001. He won just once in ’98, three times in ’99, and twice in ‘00. That’s a total of six wins, but taking a closer look, three were at Talladega, and one each at Daytona, Bristol, and Atlanta. Four of his six wins came at plate tracks, where he was the acknowledged master. Did owning those teams really affect his performance? Hard to say, but it’s worth mentioning. He finished seventh in ’98, eighth in ’99, and rebounded to finish second in ’00. Perhaps the biggest factor is the equipment, and depending on whom Tony is driving for: himself, Childress, or Hendrick, he may not add significantly to his win total.

What I’ve failed to mention is Gibbs in this scenario. How willing is Gibbs to let Tony go? Well, I think it depends on how well Joey Logano performs in the Nationwide Series this year. If Logano proves to be what he is hyped to be, he could very well find himself sitting in the #20 come Daytona in February 2009.

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