With Tony Stewart to Haas CNC Racing almost a done deal, and Ryan Newman rumored to be following him to the team, one of Sprint Cup's perennial back markers is set to see a major overhaul for 2009. With Stewart as part-owner, many major sponsors are said to be talking to the team.
Currently, the prediction is that Stewart and Office Depot will take over one car, and Ryan Newman and Burger King will take over the other. (Chances are, as he would have a champion's provisional, Stewart will take the car worse off in owners' points at the end of this season.)
However, more than driver and sponsor upheaval is necessary to make Haas CNC Racing look, feel, and race like a contender for years to come. Stewart needs to implement some other changes to make his team strong in the present and the future.
Of course, having Hendrick Motorsports power plants means that the cars have the necessary power to win. But if a team doesn't have the right people in place, or the right attitude, it simply won't make the grade in the ultra-competitive Sprint Cup Series.
So, Tony, if you're listening, here are three things you ought to do to make your new toy a little shinier in the eyes of everyone else:
1. Re-number the cars
Haas CNC currently owns the rights to the numbers 65, 66, and 70. (65, for the record, is an R&D team for Haas that has seen some test time with Chad McCumbee this year.)
If Stewart wants to immediately assert that his new team is for real, he needs to make a big marketing move quickly. He'd be wise to dump those three numbers.
Perhaps Stewart's best bet would be to secure the rights to the numbers four and 14. Morgan-McClure Motorsports is currently inactive and no longer owns the rights to the four, and the 14 disappeared when Ginn Racing merged with Dale Earnhardt Inc. last year. Burger King has a history with the 14, as DEI ran some races with a No. 14 Burger King Chevrolet in 1997 for Steve Park.
Putting Stewart in a No. 4 Office Depot Chevrolet and Newman in a No. 14 Burger King Chevrolet would immediately assert that the new team means business and intends on winning races right away. Securing those two numbers instills an attitude of confidence in employees ready to win with a team whose new owner means business.
If nothing else, it'd be a savvy PR move that emphasizes Stewart's intent to avoid becoming the next Michael Waltrip.
2. Bring in Greg Zipadelli and Matt Borland as crew chiefs
Sorry, Bootie.
Zipadelli's been Stewart's crew chief for 10 years at Gibbs. Even the notion of Stewart in a Sprint Cup car without Zippy at the helm is almost unfathomable. The fact that their partnership has lasted so long is a testament to the level of communication between them, and to mess with that could be a disaster.
In other words, a little familiarity despite the change of scenery would be nice.
Meanwhile, Newman had some of his best years in NASCAR with Borland, currently employed as Haas CNC's team competition director. In effect, Borland and Bootie Barker could swap roles—Barker is one of the most intelligent men in the garage area, and would do well as a team manager.
3. Set up a Nationwide Series program
With the Nationwide Car of Tomorrow set to debut in selected races in 2009, Stewart would be smart to build a few cars and set up a driver development program in NASCAR's number two series. A full-time program could be ready by 2010, the year the Nationwide COT is supposed to become the series' new car full-time.
Stewart could even set up a full-time team next season, albeit potentially at great cost (with the old cars going to waste after one season), and expand to two cars in 2010.
The obvious first choice to build the program is Johnny Sauter, a longtime Haas CNC driver. Sauter has steadily put the team's Cup cars in races for the most part, and is an attractive driver to sponsors as evidenced by his long relationship with Yellow Transportation.
In the future, Stewart's USAC and World of Outlaws drivers—Tracy Hines, Levi Jones, Kraig Kinser, and Donny Schatz—could see themselves in the Nationwide cars. As a two-time WoO champion, Schatz could certainly use a new challenge. It also helps that Stewart and Newman, as former USAC drivers, would enjoy having a teammate with a similar racing background.
It'd also be a great step towards making Tony Stewart Racing, or Stewart/Haas Racing, or whatever the team is called in 2009, a perennial contender under the watchful eye of one of the best drivers of the past decade.
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3 months ago
YES!!! OMG I'm so glad someone brought this up Smoke HAS to take Zippy with him- I totally agree that wherever Tony goes, Greg will follow. Good piece :)
from 3 months ago
Thanks :) I was wondering why nobody's really given Zippy too much thought in all of this.
3 months ago
Pretty good piece. But why would Office Depot leave Carl Edwards and the 99 car?
Why would Burger King come on for a full-time and big money investment as a primary for Newman, who has been a 6-10 driver at best, but a 11-15 driver at average? I would think a sponsorship from UPS might be more likely.
3 months ago
Office Depot is gone for 2009. Aflac signed a deal with RFR to be the primary sponsor of the #99 car for 2009 and beyond. That's been done for a while. They're shopping.
As for Burger King, this would be their first chance at aligning themselves with a top-10 caliber driver (with apologies to Joe Nemechek, Steve Park, a late 2000s Bill Elliott, and David Reutimann). The company obviously has an interest in the sport, as evidenced by taking multiple flyers on mid-pack teams in the past.
UPS, while obviously hoping for more results with MWR, would be wise to stick with Reutimann as he develops into a better driver, perhaps contending for wins and a spot in the Chase within the next five years.
3 months ago
I like the idea of Zippy going with him, kind of the way Tony Jr went with Dale Jr. When I first read your article and you pushed Bootie out I was like HEY! He is probably one of the 5 smartest guys in the garage but then I read where you'd put him and I think he'd be OUTSTANDING in that role, (Plus he'd be a lot less inclined to tinker in the "gray area" and have to take a NASCAR sanctioned 6 week vacation.) I thought I read someplace that if Tony leaves Gibbs Zippy has an out I could have just imagined that entire thing but it's all good.
Chris, I agree with your take on Reutimann. I think in 5 years (possibly less) He could make the chase. He's shown a ton of potential and it's just a matter of time.
3 months ago
Great article.
3 months ago
WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! Forget about Neuman! If you really think Johnny Sauter would be good to build a Nationwide team because he makes the races when out of the top 35 and is an attractive driver to sponsors then SAUTER should be the pick for the Cup ride. This guy has been through hell & back, deals with pressure that we'll never ever see and treats sponsors and team members with respect. Oh yeah...when given decent equipment and a consistant crew chief, he can flat out drive!
3 months ago
Chris, agree 100% about the #4 with Stewart. It has been to victory lane at the Daytona 500 multiple times so it would be awesome to bring it back (could give Tony the mojo needed to close the Daytona 500 deal). Tony could also talk to Bill Davis about the #22 (drove the number in the IRL) as who would have thought Yates would give Dale Jr. the #88? Great article and love the speculation on the number and colors. Spike
3 months ago
As a fellow hoosier, like Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman, I know that Tony has sentimental value to the number 4. Tony's first ride was in a go-kart in Columbus, IN and he drove a yellow number 4 kart sponsored by Dairy Queen, that Dairy Queen that sponsored him has a picture of Tony as a little kid in the kart. I really think that Tony will be in the number 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy next season because A.J. Foyt ran the number 14 and A.J. is Tony's hero. Ryan Newman will probably be in the number 70 Jack Daniels Chevy next year. The only reason Stewart would keep 70 is because of Jack Daniels being Old No. 7 and they are going to want a 7 in the number such as the 07 of Boywer, who will be sponsored by UPS next season. I think this is a great move by Stewart but I would have liked to see Yeley get the 2nd ride instead of Newman.
3 months ago
Also, Zippy has announced that he will not follow Stewart to Haas next season, it would be wise of Stewart to keep Bootie as the crew chief for himself. I know that if I was able to pick my crew chief I would definetly pick Bootie, he's a great crew chief he just nevers gets a championship calibure driver. I'm not sure that Boreland will step down from the Competion Director role to crew chief Newman. He's at a better job for his career and he did leave Newman and Penske for a reason. Not sure on any candidates for Newman's crew chief but I know that Zippy's little brother, who crew chiefs in the Nation Wide Series would be an interesting choice.
3 months ago
No matter what number he is in next year, I will pull for him. Tony would be wise to try and get Dave Rogers from the Nationwide series. That guy has worked magic in the 20 car for all the different drivers that have been in it this year.
As for the 20 car next year, at least it will have a few fans left.......The Lagano family
BIG MISTAKE #1 - Home Depot not doing whatever it takes to follow Tony next year, I mean UPS was insane enough to follow Dale Jarrett.
But if it is Office Depot next year for Tony - what's the theme song from their commercials??????
TAKIN" CARE OF BUSINESS!!!! - yeah I could see that with Tony in the car
Question? How long until Denny jumps ship? It appears that JGR is going in a different direction and Denny just doesn't look like that direction may suit him down the road.......Thoughts? Comments?
2 months ago
It looks as if it is official that Ryan Newman will join Stewart/Haas Racing next year and drive the Burger King car. Jack Daniels will most likely stay with RCR and Clint Boywer. UPS is interested in only 2 teams at the moment..RCR w/Bowyer or Stewart/Haas w/Truex Jr. Truex was close to signing a deal with DEI but after the incident in Daytona that lost his team 150 owner & driver points, he may be rethinking. Stewart has been in talks with him and it is a well known fact that Truex and Newman are fishing buddies so maybe Stewart/Haas could become a Powerhouse Chevy team by the 2009 season if the dominoes fall in the right places. Still no word on crew chiefs or numbers but 4, 14, 70 have all been rumored.
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