Stewart Entertainment

#20 Home Depot Inventory Blowout Sale

2008-12-02T13:43:00.002-05:00

If you are in the Indianapolis area, this may interest you. The Tony Stewart Store is having a huge blowout sale this Saturday, Dec 6th. Here's the info from their website:

You are invited to our huge...
INVENTORY BLOWOUT SALE
SATURDAY DECEMBER 6th
10am - 4pm
1 DAY ONLY
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All #20 Home Depot merchandise must be sold during this one-time event!
Our loss is your gain. Merchandise will be marked for pennies on the dollar.
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$5 tables
$1 tables
$0.50 tables
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Just in time for Christmas, don't miss this opportunity to save like never before!
A limited stock of new # 14 and Stewart-Haas Racing
products will also be available for sale.
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Hundreds of Items – Limited Quantities – Buy Fast
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See you at the store!

Tony Stewart Racing
5644 W. 74th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46278
317-299-6066

I'm not affiliated with this sale in any way and get nothing for this advertisement. Just wanted you to be aware.

Stewart-Haas Paint Schemes

2008-12-02T13:11:00.003-05:00

In a comment on an earlier post Cricket ask about the paint scheme for the Office Depot car. In case anyone else missed them, here's what the cars looked like at the sponsor announcements.

Tony Stewart's number 14 Old Spice (left) and Office Depot (right) cars:

Ryan Newman's number 39 U.S. Army car:

Who Would Have Thought Back Then?

2008-11-26T22:06:00.003-05:00

Watching this video of the last three laps of the 2008 Daytona 500, seeing Ryan Newman push Tony Stewart down the back stretch, I defy anyone to say that they knew then that the two Hoosiers would team up in 2009 at Tony's own team.

It's time for the Stewie Awards

2008-11-24T15:27:00.002-05:00

NEW YORK – SIRIUS XM Radio and two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart, announced today the nominees for the second annual ‘Stewie Awards,’ honoring the best, boldest and funniest moments of the 2008 NASCAR season.

The ‘Stewies’ will be awarded during a special broadcast of Tony Stewart Live, the weekly talk show hosted by Stewart and Matt Yocum, at SIRIUS XM Radio’s New York City studios on Thursday, December 4 (6:00 – 8:00 pm ET) during 2008 NASCAR Champions Week. The live broadcast will air nationwide on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, available on SIRIUS channel 128 and on XM channel 128 with the “Best of SIRIUS” programming package.

“After seeing the tears of joy stream down Kevin Harvick’s face after handing him his ‘Stewie’ for ‘Best Original Drama’ last year we knew that, while it would be tough to top last year’s event, the show must go on,” said Stewart. ”So we’re excited to be back for year two to celebrate all the great people and performances from the 2008 season. It’ll be a great way to cap off the season and we’ll have a lot of fun with our guests and our listeners on SIRIUS and XM.”

The 2008 Stewie Award winners will be determined by fans around the country who cast their votes online at www.sirius.com/stewieawards.

“Once again the fans, who are such a big part of Tony Stewart Live throughout the year, can get involved by voting in the award winners,” said Stewart. “And so, without further ado, the nominees for the 2008 Stewie Awards are…”

Golden Stewie Award – Honoring a driver from the Golden Era of racing (1960-85)

Lifetime Achievement Award

Best Original Drama – For year’s most dramatic moment or sequence

Ryan Newman wins the 50th Daytona 500 (Feb. 17)
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. wins the Budweiser Shootout for first victory with Hendrick Motorsports (Feb. 9)
Tony Stewart announces departure from Joe Gibbs Racing to become a driver/owner with Stewart-Haas Racing (Jul. 9)
Kyle Busch wins 8 races, including 4 in a row, but finishes 10th in final Chase standings

Best Stunt Sequence (Hal Needham Award) – For year’s most spectacular crash

Michael McDowell’s tumbling crash during qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway (Apr. 4)
Jeff Gordon hits inner wall at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Mar. 2)
“The Big One” during the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway involves 11 cars and collects 6 Chase drivers (Oct. 5)
Brian Vickers’ wheel comes off during Coca-Cola 600 (May 25)
Juan Pablo Montoya triggers multi-car wreck at Phoenix International Raceway that ends with David Gilliland’s car resting atop Scott Speed’s car (Nov. 9)

Best Original Comedy – For year’s most entertaining “incident” or occurrence

Kenny Wallace falsely announces plans for his brother Rusty to come out of retirement
Goodyear tire controversy at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Jul. 27)
The “Yellow Line Debate” after controversial finish at Talladega (Oct. 5)
David Starr takes on Germain Racing in melee on pit road at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Sep. 13)

Best Engineering and Special Effects (Smokey Yunick Award) – For year’s most creative – and ultimately illegal – modifications to a race car

Carl Edwards and #99 team get caught without oil can lid attached at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Mar. 2)
Joe Gibbs Racing cars get caught with magnets behind accelerator at Michigan International Speedway (Aug. 17)
Juan Pablo Montoya and #42 team are penalized for illegal shocks after winning pole at Kansas Speedway (Sep. 28)
Brian Vickers and #83 team are penalized for too thin sheet metal at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (Oct. 19)

Bonehead Move of the Year

Carl Edwards pushes Kevin Harvick in Lowe’s Motor Speedway garage while discussing Harvick’s “pansy” comment after Talledega race (Oct. 9)
Michael Waltrip Racing allegedly steals sway bar from Roush-Fenway Racing
City of Concord, N.C. flip-flops on their stand against a drag strip after SMI Chairman Bruton Smith threatens to move Lowe’s Motor Speedway to another city.

‘I Got Dumped’ Award – For year’s most memorable on- or off-track bumping

Kyle Busch vs. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway: On May 3; Kyle takes out Dale Jr.; On Sep. 6 Dale Jr. overdrives a corner and gets into Kyle
After a great season, David Ragan narrowly misses Chase after spinning himself and collecting Roush teammate Matt Kenseth at Richmond (Sep. 6)
David Gilliland takes out Juan Pablo Montoya on backstretch at Texas Motor Speedway (Nov. 2)
Roush-Fenway fabrication shop after Carl Edwards takes out himself and teammates Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth at Talladega (Oct. 5)

Best Driver2Crew Chatter Exchange – For year’s most memorable driver-to-pit crew communication (Visit www.sirius.com/stewieawards to hear audio of nominees)

Dale Jarrett signs off and ends racing career by crossing finish line in All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (May 17)
Clint Bowyer declares Michael Waltrip "the worst driver in NASCAR" at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (Aug. 23)
Owner Rick Hendrick re-directs Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s anger at New Hampshire (Sep. 4)
Tony Stewart expresses concern paramedics will show up at #20 team pit box at Martinsville Speedway(Mar. 30)

Best Vocal Performance – For year’s most memorable quote or sound bite (Visit www.sirius.com/stewieawards to hear audio of nominees)

Jimmie Johnson sums up his run at Texas Motor Speedway after Dickies 500 (Nov. 2)
Steven Wallace reacts to Kyle Busch confronting him in race car after Nationwide race at Richmond (May 2)
Ron Hornaday rips Kyle Busch after Craftsman Truck Series incident at Michigan International Speedway (Jun. 14)
Kyle Busch is unwilling to accept Carl Edwards apology after being taken out in final laps at Bristol Motor Speedway (Aug. 23)
Carl Edwards describes his desperation off-the-wall move at Kansas Speedway and where he learned it (Sep. 28)

Tony Stewart Foundation Saves Race Horses

2008-11-18T10:56:00.002-05:00

Just came across this story on the Hoosier Park website.

Anderson, Indiana - While two-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart prepares himself for transition to the next phase of his illustrious career - ownership of his own Sprint Cup team in 2009 - the foundation that bears his name is funding the transition of a whole other group of racers from the track into second careers of their own.

The Tony Stewart Foundation has awarded a $20,000 grant to Indianapolis-based Friends of Ferdinand, Inc. (FFI), a not-for-profit volunteer organization that works with owners and trainers at the state’s two horse tracks to identify and obtain thoroughbreds that are nearing the end of their racing careers. FFI evaluates and retrains the horses, and finds new, forever homes with devoted, caring owners. Its motto is “Retired from Racing, Not from Life.”

To date, more than 200 horses have been transitioned from the track into new careers - as show horses, dressage competitors, pleasure and trail riders, equine therapeutic program participants, pasture mates, and beloved companions.

Six to seven new thoroughbreds, the first horses to be christened “Tony’s Ex-Racers,” will be brought into the FFI program on Monday (Nov 17), during the annual end-of-season paddock sale at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in Anderson. Representatives of both Friends of Ferdinand and the Tony Stewart Foundation will be on hand to take a look at available horses and select those destined to become “Tony’s Ex-Racers.”

“We are thrilled beyond words that the Tony Stewart Foundation has selected our program to receive its support,” said Friends of Ferdinand president Sara Busbice. “A grant this size is significant and enables us not only to continue but to expand the work we do with our Indiana thoroughbreds. Especially now, with the economy in such turmoil, support of this magnitude is simply incredible.

“We sincerely thank Tony Stewart, foundation executive director Joni Thompson, and everyone involved in giving the nod to this grant,” Busbice continued. “It means the world to those of us involved with Friends of Ferdinand, but, more importantly, it literally means the world to the horses.”

A total of 10 horses will be brought into the program as “Tony’s Ex-Racers” – those obtained from the Hoosier Park paddock sale and two or three others already in line to come off the track and into FFI’s care.

The organization is named in memory of the magnificent Ferdinand, the 1986 Kentucky Derby Champion, Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and 1987 Horse of the Year who earned more than $4 million during his career. In 1989 he was retired from racing and exported to Japan to stand at stud. Impossibly, a few years later, Ferdinand was slaughtered for human consumption.

Friends of Ferdinand’s work and accomplishments have garnered support and respect from all segments of Indiana’s racing industry, along with national recognition and funding.

"We do what we do for three reasons,” Busbice said. “These ex-racers are at risk for abuse, neglect and, perhaps, slaughter. Casting the net and catching at risk horses before they end up in less than ideal situations is not only cost-effective but also spares the animals from suffering.”

Busbice praised Hoosier Park for joining the ranks of several other US horse tracks and adopting a zero tolerance policy toward slaughter. According to a statement issued by Jeffrey Smith, Hoosier Park’s general manager of racing, trainers or owners stabling at Hoosier Park who directly or indirectly participate in the transport of a horse from the track to a slaughter facility, or to an auction to sell horses for slaughter, will be prohibited from having stalls at the track.

“We commend Hoosier Park for being a leader in this movement,” Busbice said, “and thank them for their long-standing support of Friends of Ferdinand.”

Friends of Ferdinand, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) organization. To find out more about FFI, including information about thoroughbred adoption, horses currently available, volunteer opportunities, and monetary support, log on at www.friendsofferdinand.org.

Stewart-Haas Racing Announces Hires

2008-11-14T16:09:00.002-05:00

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (Nov. 14, 2008) – Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) announced today that two NASCAR industry veterans will take leadership positions with the team.

Bobby Hutchens, formerly the vice president of competition at Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI), will serve as SHR’s director of competition. Tony Gibson, currently the crew chief for DEI’s No. 8 team, will continue in the crew chief role, but with SHR’s No. 39 U.S. Army team and driver Ryan Newman.

“These are two really important hires for our race team,” said Tony Stewart, co-owner of SHR. “Bobby Hutchens brings a ton of technical and management experience to SHR, and Tony Gibson has helped a lot of well-known drivers earn their recognition by getting them to victory lane. I’m very proud to have both of these guys as a part of my team.”

Hutchens, who has a mechanical engineering degree from North Carolina State University, comes to SHR with 20 years of experience at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series level. A longtime member of Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and its No. 3 team with driver Dale Earnhardt, Hutchens was a part of four championships (1990, 1991, 1993 and 1994) and numerous victories, including the 1998 Daytona 500. The Winston-Salem, N.C., native was promoted to general manager of RCR in 1998, director of competition in 2001 and vice president of competition in 2004. His duties were expanded in 2005 to include oversight of RCR’s expansive research and development program, a role which transitioned Hutchens nicely to his 2007 appointment as general manager of Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines. In August of this year, Hutchens became vice-president of competition at DEI.

“Stewart-Haas Racing has an incredible amount of potential, and to be an integral part of what we all believe can be a championship-winning organization was an opportunity I could not turn down,” said Hutchens, who in addition to leading race teams, used his mechanical expertise to help develop the Hutchens Device, a head-and-neck restraint system used in motorsports. “It’s important that a race team’s front office is in sync with what’s happening on the shop floor, and having lived in both worlds, I’m committed to making Stewart-Haas Racing a strong and efficient operation.”

Gibson has been a crew chief in the Sprint Cup Series since 2002, working with such drivers as Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Steve Park and Michael Waltrip. Prior to becoming a crew chief, Gibson served as car chief for such notable drivers as four-time Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon, 1992 Sprint Cup champion Alan Kulwicki and 1988 Sprint Cup champion Bill Elliott. Gibson was there for three of those aforementioned title runs – two with Gordon in 1998 and 2001 at Hendrick Motorsports, and one with Kulwicki, who like Stewart, was also a driver/owner.

“I’ve known Tony a long time and have always respected him as a racer and as a person,” said Gibson, who grew up in Daytona Beach, Fla., and began his racing career working on his family’s team, with his father Bo serving as crew chief and his brother Mark driving – a trio that won the 1978 track title at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway. “He understands people, works well with them, and genuinely wants to see them succeed. And he’s smart enough to know that their success is also his success. He’s building an impressive race team, and I’m very happy to be a part of it and I look forward to working with him and Ryan.”

In addition to being an extremely dedicated racer, Gibson is an equally avid outdoorsman, a trait that puts him in lockstep with his new driver.

“Tony (Gibson) and I have talked as much about racing as we have about hunting and fishing,” said Newman, the reigning Daytona 500 winner. “I feel like we’re already on the same page, so to speak. I’m not sure who’s more excited about next year –
him or me.”

Tony Stewart Announces Tony Gibson as Newman's Crew Chief

2008-11-14T14:44:00.004-05:00

HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Tony Stewart confirmed on Friday that Tony Gibson will be the crew chief for the No. 39 Army Chevrolet and driver Ryan Newman.

In 2001, Gibson took on the position of car chief for Jeff Gordon on the No. 24 car at Hendrick. He moved to Dale Earnhardt Inc. in 2002 and was crew chief for Steve Park and Michael Waltrip before he became car chief for the No. 8 Budweiser car and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2005.

When Earnhardt crew chief Tony Eury Jr. moved to Hendrick Motorsports after the Talladega race last year, Gibson became crew chief for the No. 8 DEI Chevrolet. This year he worked with both Mark Martin and Aric Almirola.

"We've signed Tony Gibson for Ryan Newman's crew chief and we're excited about it," said Stewart, partial owner of Stewart-Haas Racing . "I like him and Ryan wanted him so it was pretty easy decision to go get him. It was someone that Ryan really liked and had a lot of faith and trust in.

"I've always liked Tony and got along with him really well" said Gibson. "As soon as we started talking to him we knew he was going to be a really good fit. If you're going to leave a group of die-hard racers you want to make sure that you don't take anything less to your new deal."

Stewart also announced that Bobby Hutchens, currently vice president of competition at Dale Earnhardt Inc., will serve as SHR's director of competition.

The Gasman Cometh to Stewart-Haas Racing

2008-11-11T20:36:00.005-05:00

Interesting tidbit about Stewart-Haas Racing in the Home Depot Homestead Preview today.

After interviewing Jeff "Gooch" Patterson, Tony's gas man since 1998 when he was in the Busch/Nationwide Series about the last 11 years with Tony, there's was this added note

Patterson also drives Stewart’s motorcoach, a role Patterson has provided for Stewart since 1998 when Stewart ran a 22-race NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule for Joe Gibbs Racing along with the full IRL IndyCar Series schedule. Patterson will follow Stewart to Stewart-Haas Racing, where he will continue his role as gas man for Stewart and the No. 14 team, as well as being Stewart’s motorcoach driver.

To my knowledge, Gooch is the only JGR employee who is going to Stewart-Haas.

Newman, Stewart and NASCAR Salute the Military

2008-11-11T12:17:00.002-05:00

Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart and other NASCAR stars salute the U.S. Military and veterans everywhere.

Stewart to Join Newman for Foundation Fishing Tournament

2008-10-28T00:03:00.002-04:00

Statesville, NC - NASCAR driver Tony Stewart has been added to the roster of special guests who will participate in the 3rd Annual Ryan Newman Foundation Charity Fishing Tournament, presented by Ranger Boats, on Saturday, December 13 at Queen's Landing in Mooresville, NC.

Ryan Newman says, "I'm looking forward to a little friendly competition on the lake with my future teammate. Tony is a huge outdoorsman like me. We both share an interest in wildlife conservation and land preservation, which is a major focus of my foundation in additional to animal welfare."

Early registration by November 13 is $150 per boat. After November 13 registration will increase to $200 per boat. The tournament, which will be facilitated by FLW Outdoors, also includes a Big Fish Contest and a raffle.

The night before the tournament, the Ryan Newman Foundation will hold its 4th Annual Charity Gala and Auction at the Charles Mack Citizen Center in Mooresville, NC. Ticket prices were recently reduced to $50 per person. A special discount ticket is available for $25 for fisherman who are registered in the tournament.

Krissie Newman says, "Ryan's fans and our foundation supporters have been very generous over the past four years. During this time when our economy is struggling, we wanted to offer reduced ticket prices for all of our supporters who may have had to tighten their family budgets due the current economy. It's important to Ryan and I to make our Gala & Auction accessible to all of his fans right now."

The Newmans will be joined at their charity events by Martin Truex, Jr., Regan Smith, Stacy Compton, Brad Coleman, Scott Lagasse, Kevin Manion, Kevin "Cowboy" Starland, NASCAR Angel Shannon Wiseman, Pro Angler Chris Lane, the Musik Mafia's Two Foot Fred and Root 49 Music Recording Artist Bridgette Tatum.

Gala and Auction guests will enjoy an evening of musical entertainment and have the opportunity to meet and mingle with NASCAR drivers, pro fishermen and entertainers. Charity auction items include diamond earrings, original artwork, autographed NASCAR memorabilia from Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, Brian Vickers and Brad Keselowski, autographed country music memorabilia from Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Kris Kristopherson, and Montgomery Gentry, and sports memorabilia from Peyton Manning, Mike Minter, Tony Dungy, Vince Young, David Carr and more.

For more information about the Ryan Newman Foundation's Charity Events and to register online, visit www.ryannewmanfoundation.org.

The mission of the Ryan Newman Foundation is to educate and encourage people to spay/neuter their pets and to adopt dogs and cats from animal shelters; to educate children and adults about the importance of conservation so the beauty of the great outdoors can be appreciated by future generations; and to provide college scholarship funding through the Rich Vogler Scholarship program to students interested in auto racing careers. The Ryan Newman Foundation is proud to be part of The NASCAR Foundation's family of charities.

Tony Gibson Bringing #8 Crew to Stewart-Haas Racing?

2008-10-26T21:14:00.004-04:00

On Wednesday I mentioned the rumor that Tony Gibson of DEI was rumored to be Ryan Newman's crew chief next year at Stewart-Haas Racing. This afternoon on SPEED, it was mentioned that Gibson has had several meetings with the team and it looks like he may be bringing the ENTIRE #8 crew with him.

If that happens, DEI will be left with a car (the #8), a driver (Aric Almirola), NO sponsor (the ARMY has already announced they are going to the 39), NO crew chief and NO crew. I hate to say it but DEI is looking more and more like that museum Tony predicted it would be if Jr. left.

Rumor: Gibson to Newman in 2009

2008-10-22T15:17:00.002-04:00

I don't normally even mention rumors but Jayski reported this morning that he is hearing that Tony Gibson, crew chief for DEI's #8 will by Ryan Newmans crew chief on the #29 US Army Chevy next year.

True? False? Who knows? I just wish they would get somebody signed soon. With the season basically over, and Jimmie Johnson just awaiting his coronation, it would be nice to see some movement on what's happening for next year.

I realize that there is a lot going on behind the scenes in putting together Stewart-Haas Racing but it would be nice to see some public movement.

Transcript of Stewart and Newman on Trackside

2008-10-18T13:40:00.000-04:00

Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman appeared on Trackside Live! on SPEED Friday evening to discuss their pairing in the 2009 season at Stewart-Haas Racing and Stewart’s remaining races with crew chief Greg Zipadelli, among other topics. Below are excerpts from the interview:

Elliott Sadler: You’re not far from your work in progress, putting it all together for Daytona. How are you feeling? How is it going?

Tony Stewart: “Obviously, you’d like to say everything is done and ready to go in the trailer for the test at Daytona but we’ve got a lot of work to go. We’re still hiring people now. It’s like holding a grenade in your hand and pulling the pin and it’s like ‘tick, tick, tick’ to get ready for February because you know you have a short amount of time to get ready. We’ve got Darian Grubb in place, we’re getting really close to having Ryan a crew chief and a GM to take care of everything over there. I feel like things are coming together. In as short amount of time as we’ve had, I feel like things are coming together in a timely manner but you always want it to be quicker than it is.”

Steve Byrnes: I heard you doing an interview … one of the things that you were pleased with was hearing from a lot of guys who want to come work for your operation. I would imagine that’s pretty gratifying and shows respect.

Tony Stewart: “Probably the most flattering part of starting and having the team so far is that we’ve had so many good guys from so many different teams come to us and send us resumes saying ‘we want to part of this, we’re excited about what you’re doing and we know you’re dedicated and we want to be a part of it in some way.’ That’s the good thing. It’s really good when you know you’re going to hire some people and you don’t know you have an option until you have two or more. But we’ve got a lot of people and I feel confident we’re going to put together a group of guys. There’s a lot of great people at the shop now and we’re going to be adding a lot of people to the program. I feel confident we’re going to have good people for Ryan and myself to be successful next year.”

Larry McReynolds: Going back to your Talladega win, I could see in your emotions and hear in your voice that you’re starting to see the end at Joe Gibbs Racing. It will be 350 consecutive starts with one crew chief, one sponsor, one number and a lot of the same guys. There have to be some mixed feelings there as the time is drawing near.

Tony Stewart: “Yeah, I think it started when we did the last Home Depot commercial with Joey Logano and a lot of the people from the ad agencies were there and it will probably be the last time I’ll see those folks I’ve worked with for 10 years doing commercials and ads. There are constant reminders and it’s getting closer and closer and the reality is it’s a bittersweet time. Every week we get closer to the end of the season, you’re excited knowing you’re going to get to work on next season’s program. But at the same time, it’s bittersweet being for 12 years with the same organization. For a third of my life, I’ve been with Joe Gibbs Racing and all these people are family. We had our fan fest there last week and every time somebody gives their two-week notice at Joe Gibbs Racing, they duct tape you to a two-wheel cart. At some point during that week, they take you out there during lunch and duct tape you to the flagpole and leave you out there for the whole lunch. I was up signing stuff in the Gibbs cafeteria and it was really quiet and I thought ‘something doesn’t feel right.’ Then all of a sudden, about 40 crew guys from the shop came out from everywhere and duct taped me to the cart and took me out and there were still fans from fan fest out there. I was hanging up there and they were taking photos of me duct taped to the flagpole. It was a good time.”

Jeff Hammond: I’m curious about your relationship with your crew chief Greg Zipadelli. You two would die for each other … I feel more for you with that change than anything else.

Tony Stewart: “That will be the hardest part. I guarantee when they drop the checkered flag at Homestead, that for sure will be the single hardest part of the equation, Zippy and I looking at each other knowing it’s a 10-year run that’s over. He’s been there for 10 years with all the stupid things I’ve done, all the mistakes I’ve made, all the bad positions I’ve put him in as a crew chief but he’s always been behind me and supported me 100-percent and it’s not just the stuff at the track. There’s all the things that people don’t know about and don’t see. He’s three years older than me and it’s like having the big brother you never had. I call him and say ‘hey, I’m thinking about this, what do you think?’ It’s been a lot of those situations I’ve relied on him because I trust him so much. Even though we won’t have a working relationship, that relationship will not go away at the end of the year. It will be hard for both us and has been hard up to this point knowing every week we get closer and closer but the way we’re combating that is going to the track and doing what we do and instead of focusing on it coming to an end, making sure we enjoy the time we do have left.”

Jeff Hammond: Trust … you had it with Greg (Zipadelli). How are you going to find it with your new crew chief? Is it going to be hard to find?

Tony Stewart: “Sure, it’s obviously always that way. It’s always an unknown variable just like society. Society doesn’t like change in general but not all change is bad but it’s always scary at first because you don’t know what’s going to happen. There are no guarantees things will be exactly the way it was. It will be different. The worst I can do is to try to make it the same. It’s a different guy with a different mindset but that’s not a bad thing. The times Darian and I have spent together so far, we have a lot of fun, we joke and we carry on with each other. We don’t know each other that well but that’s the way Zippy and I started. I didn’t know Zippy until Joe had signed him as a crew chief and I met him at the shop. So, I’m excited about working with Darian. I know working with him will be quite a bit different but he’s fun, he’s got a great attitude and he’s very, very dedicated and that’s a similar quality Zippy had. This guy sleeps, breathes, eats that race team coming up next year. I’m excited about it.”

Steve Byrnes: You’re so passionate about all motor sports and are so passionate and honest … some people say when Tony becomes an owner, he won’t be so outspoken.

Tony Stewart: “That part probably won’t change that much. The last two days, I had photo shoots with Office Depot and we had dinner between the two days and they were like ‘we know what we signed up for.’ That’s the great thing about them. They know they have someone who’s outspoken. Just because you’re outspoken, I don’t think that means it’s bad. I think in the last couple of years, we haven’t been as abrasive to people as we’ve been in the past and we pick our battles and pick the ones that are truly worth fighting.”

Larry McReynolds: You’re wearing a lot of caps - your driver cap, owner hat, you own race tracks. I’m sure you took a lot of things away from Joe Gibbs but I bet the thing you took away is our sport is about people and surrounding yourself with the right people.

Tony Stewart: “Absolutely. That’s where Ryan came into play when it came time to hire a driver. When you’re driven for someone like Joe Gibbs who has been successful in NHRA, NFL and NASCAR, you’re not successful in all those areas by luck. There was a common variable that he knew that has made him successful and it’s about knowing how to hire the right people to do the jobs and that’s what has helped me since 2001 with our World of Outlaws team; our USAC team; owning Eldora Speedway; Paducah, Kentucky; Macon, Illinois; and now going into the Sprint Cup Series as an owner. I can’t tell you how to run a Sprint Cup team but I can find the person who does know how to do it and I can find the right people to put in those positions. That’s what you take from Joe and that’s what 100-percent of my focus is as an owner. It’s not sitting here like I know more than I know. I’m not that smart but I know enough to know the biggest key in the equation is getting the right people to do the jobs."

Jeff Hammond: Why did you want to go drive for Tony?

Ryan Newman: “I’ve always thought a lot of Tony from a racing standpoint. I looked up to him when I was short-track racing and midget racing back in the early ‘90s. His goals … his racer mentality. Knowing and getting the people but when you get those people, putting them in the right place is what makes the difference. Knowing how to do it versus doing it are two entirely different things.”

Steve Byrnes: Are you nervous about what you don’t know yet?

Ryan Newman: “I’m not nervous. I appreciate the fact that Tony includes me in the things he’s doing with the personnel and sponsorship situations. That means a lot to me because he knows what it means to me. I think deep down inside, he knows I have the same desire that he does, not necessarily to be an owner but to have a successful organization to be a championship contender. I’m happy to be included in that and it makes a huge difference to me personally.”

Elliott Sadler: The U.S. Army has to be one of the best sponsorships out there … and a number you’re familiar with. Isn’t it cool to put that all together to go to Daytona for the first time?

Ryan Newman: “It is. Tony surprised me with the number. We talked about it at first but then we went with the 4 and went back to the 39 and he totally surprised me on a radio show so that was pretty neat. The U.S. Army and what they do for our country and fighting for our freedom, the 1.2 million men and women that help support us and give us the opportunity to debut a car like that, a cool-looking car. I’m really excited about it and pumped up about it.”

Larry McReynolds: Your 14 number will go with the 70’s points because you’re locked in. I would assume the 39 will be with the 66. That way, both those cars are locked in the first five races.

Tony Stewart: “That’s exactly right. That’s what we’re trying to do is make sure we keep that car in the top 35. Bootie and Scott have done a great job. They’ve dug deep. The last three weeks they’ve run really well and gone forward and I’m really proud of Bootie Barker and Scott Riggs and what they’ve done. We’ll give those points to Ryan. Hopefully, neither one of us will have to use them but it’s the insurance policy. That’s why it’s so important to keep that car in the top 35 in points right now.”

Stewart and Newman on Friday Nights Trackside - Special Time

2008-10-16T23:53:00.002-04:00

SPEED-TV is moving Friday nights Trackside to 6:00 PM this week and it sounds like a good one. Here's what The Daily Planet had to say.

Tony Stewart will put on his Sprint Cup owner's hat and bring his driver Ryan Newman along as these two appear on the show to talk about the dynamic of rolling-out a new team in 2009.

With Stewart effectively out of the championship hunt and Newman not in The Chase, these two should be able to talk freely for perhaps the first time about their efforts toward next season and their goals for 2009.

I think they may have given up on Tony in the Chase a little early but it should be a great show. I'm taking the wife out to dinner but you can bet the VCR will be running.

Video - Ryan Newman Army Sponsorship Press Conference

2008-10-10T08:59:00.002-04:00

Here's the video of the news conference with Ryan Newman, Major General Montague Winfield of the U.S. Army and Tony Stewart announcing that the U.S. Army will be sponsoring the Stewart-Haas Racing #39 of Ryan Newman for 22 races next year.

Part 1 of the press conference:

Part 2 of the press conference:

Part 3 of the press conference:

Video courtesy of The Cup Scene Daily.

Stewart-Haas Racing Press Conference to Announce U.S. Army Will Sponsor Ryan Newman's No. 39 Chevrolet in '09

2008-10-10T07:27:00.002-04:00

Here's the transcript from the press conference. Attendees were:
TONY STEWART: Two-Time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion
MAJ. GEN. MONTAGUE WINFIELD: Commanding General, U.S. Army Cadet Command
RYAN NEWMAN: Future Driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing
MIKE ARNING: Moderator, Vice President of True Speed Communication

MIKE ARNING: "Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Mike Arning with True Speed Communication. On behalf of everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing and all of our partners, I want to welcome you to today's press conference and thank you for coming.

"Joining us today are Ryan Newman, the future driver of the No. 39 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing, Major General Montague Winfield of the U.S. Army, and Tony Stewart, two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, and Stewart-Haas Racing team owner.

"Tony, I'll start it off with you. With the military presence here today, you've either done something terribly wrong or you've got a pretty cool announcement to make. So tell us about it."

TONY STEWART: "I can't say we've done anything wrong. If anything, we've done something just the opposite. We've done something very, very right here. Extremely honored and proud to announce that the U.S. Army has joined forces with Stewart-Haas Racing with the sponsorship on Ryan's 39 car next year. A total of 23 races that include the All-Star race here at Charlotte. So I know that it's obviously something that we're very, very proud of. We immediately gain a fan base of around 1.2 million soldiers that are on our side each week. We are so very, very excited and proud about this opportunity and partnership with the U.S. Army and excited to see Ryan in the U.S. Army car."

MIKE ARNING: "Ryan, you've developed a legion of fans in your seven years in the sport. Now it's safe to say that you do, in fact, have an Army behind you. This is more than just a sponsorship, and especially in this day and age this kind of partnership carries a little bit more weight, wouldn't you say?"

RYAN NEWMAN: "Absolutely. It's an honor for me to be part of the United States Army, the men and women that serve our country and fight for our freedom. It's a neat and unique situation for me. The first time I've gone through a transition like this with a sponsor and a team, and couldn't have put any plan together any better than to be part of Stewart-Haas Racing with the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet. So it's truly an honor, and I look forward to it."

MIKE ARNING: "General Winfield, this will be your seventh year as a NASCAR sponsor, and you'll kick it off in impressive fashion with Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman. The U.S. Army is aligning itself with two dedicated racers who are extremely passionate about what they do. Is that one of the many reasons that the U.S. Army decided to go with Stewart-Haas Racing?"

MAJ. GEN. MONTAGUE WINFIELD: "First of all, let me tell you it's a great day to be a soldier, and it's a great day to be in the service of this wonderful nation of ours and its citizens. But more specifically to answer your question, yeah, we looked at it very closely. As a racing fan, I will tell you that I've watched these two individuals very closely with great interest. Needless to say, we know about the great race at Talladega last week. We know about the Daytona 500, the race that Ryan won kicking off this season. So when you think about the power of the two individuals coming together, the leadership coming from Tony's side as the owner, and then, of course, our driver (looks at Newman) under Tony's great leadership and I agree. Needless to say, that's what we were looking for. We were looking for an individual to represent our great Army. When you take a look at what this team brings to the table, the training, the teamwork, and the technology, those are the exact same things that we're looking for, the attributes that we're looking for in Army teams. So, again, there is a lot in common between the U.S. Army and racing, but more specifically, this great team of Stewart and Haas. So, again, we're excited about car 39. We're excited about the 2009 season because we know that these two individuals will be representing the Army well. And if you've seen the commercial where it says, "I've got people," whenever you see these two individuals and you see car 39 with one of them standing in front of the car, you can visualize 1.2 million soldiers standing behind them. We bring our own fan club. It is a pretty big deal. There was a great article I saw that says, "Newman Gets Bulked Up." Yes, he does, because he's a part of the "Army Strong" team."

MIKE ARNING: "Questions for our panel, please?"

Q: Tony, 23 races. Do you have an announcement pending? Do you have crew chief information? Fans want to know as much detail as they can know about your and Ryan's plans. Do you have anything to announce?

RYAN NEWMAN: "We're running the full season, right?" (Laughter)

TONY STEWART: "Yeah, you're running the full season. I didn't mean to break it to you that way, Ryan. (Laughter.) Actually, I was meaning to talk to you about that. I was going to talk to you after this. (Laughter.) No, we are very close on a crew chief situation, and there will be another announcement down the road on a second sponsor, hopefully coming soon. So I don't have the details of that to announce today. Obviously, this is a day that we're proud to be announcing the Army, obviously. We hope, just like we've said in the past here, I love making announcements like this, because the sooner I can make them, that's one more variable that's in the puzzle and the equation that's ready to go. So we're working on those, but I think you probably will be hearing an announcement on a crew chief here in the next couple of weeks."

Q: Are you interviewing crew chiefs, Ryan? Do you have a short list already selected? Have you narrowed it down at all? And second, when you were younger, had you thought about what Army soldiers thought about being in the Army, and did you want to jump out of helicopters? And any thoughts about what you want to do representing the Army?

RYAN NEWMAN: "As far as the people go -- the crew goes -- we're working. It is a short list. We're talking to some people just finalizing some of the details to make sure it's the right person in the right situation. I'm very excited about that. Look forward to it. Look forward to next year because of that, for sure. As far as the cool things about the Army, they've already told me they're going to push me out of a perfectly good airplane, so that's correct. There are some cool things, obviously, with Krissie. And my wife and the helicopter situation, to get her up in a helicopter would be really special, for me as well as her. We look forward to doing a lot of fun things together."

Q: You talked about you going to hire a bunch of new people and build the infrastructure of the team. Approximately how many people have you hired so far? And do you have a number in mind that you're going to add?

TONY STEWART: "We have a large stack of resumes right now that we're going through and assessing people at the shop that are already there, trying to assess which ones will be staying, which ones won't make the cut. But, really, we're trying to get the process of getting Ryan's crew chief hired, first, and let the two crew chiefs work together and decide who they want as people, versus Darian (Grubb) hiring everybody right now. So we feel like it's the right thing to do first, to decide who Ryan's crew chief is going to be, and let those two guys work together to know who they're comfortable with and who they have to work with. So there's still a lot of work that has to be done. That's why it's very important for us to get Ryan's list narrowed down and get his crew chief hired as soon as possible and work forward from there. We felt that was the right decision to make as far as not getting ahead of ourselves and making sure that the leadership of each team, with the crew chiefs, that they're comfortable with the people that are going to be working for them."

Q: With Gene Haas being in jail for tax fraud and his company being involved with this team, was that an issue at all in deciding to do this sponsorship and, if it was, what allowed you to overcome any issues you had?

MAJ. GEN. MONTAGUE WINFIELD: "Clearly we took that into consideration. But there were things that overrode that particular issue. First of all, we're talking about the Stewart-Haas Racing team. We're talking about a new team and more or less a new beginning. So there is some history back there, but the individual that deals with us, the individual that talks racing is, in fact, Tony Stewart. So when you think about our connection with racing, it's all about Tony Stewart, and that's why we ultimately made the decision to go with him. And then finding out that one of his home boys from the same state, Ryan, was a part of it. That was sort of the icing on the cake. We thought clearly this is a team that we want driving a Chevrolet for us, an American car. And that was the key to our decision. Yeah, there were some challenges. But, clearly, we stand by our position and we stand by this team and we're looking forward to this relationship. We know that this is a winning combination that we have with the two superstars, the two superb drivers that we have now in our corner, and planning the strategy that we can use. We'll continue to let Americans know about the opportunities that are out there for them in the United States Army, both as an officer or an enlister, because that is what this is all about. Giving America an opportunity to learn more about those opportunities, and awareness, if you will, and that is what this is all about."

TONY STEWART: "I think to help eliminate some confusion, Stewart-Haas Racing is a partnership between myself and Haas Automation. So there is no confusion there hopefully in the future, everybody understands it's not owned by Gene Haas. It's Haas Automation and Tony Stewart. It's actually owned by the company."

Q: In these perilous economic times that we're all going through here, you have, obviously, your timing of starting a big, new company and race team, perfect timing, as usual, for you. But, obviously, the question is, trying to get this ramped up and gearing up, how tough is it out there and how hard has it been? Have you thought, geez, this is, again, good timing?

TONY STEWART: "Well, depending on how you want to look at it. Obviously, from the financial side and from the standpoint of attracting sponsors to come into the sport, it probably wasn't the best time. But, at the same time, I think for me, personally, it's perfect timing. I think this is a shot in the arm that I needed for me, personally. You know, I think the opportunities and timing of being able to get Ryan on board and being able to get guys like Darian (Grubb) and to be able to get sponsors like the U.S. Army and Office Depot and Old Spice on board, that timing is good. A year from now, or a year ago, these opportunities may not have been here. So, as far as getting these ingredients in place, when you look at the big picture and you look at the economic picture, it may not be the best-case scenario. But as far as timing for all these pieces, in particular, it is good timing right now. So if I had to do it all over again, would I pick now? Absolutely. I really have enjoyed the groups of people that we've already started to assemble, and I wouldn't want to do it any other way."

Q: How involved are you able to be right now with your new team, and at what point will you start to get into the cars and doing testing and what-not?

RYAN NEWMAN: "I guess it's kind of like working two jobs at once. I've never worked one job in my life. It's a fine balance between working with the Alltel Dodge, the people at the Penske Organization, and then separating 2009 and doing what you would call homework for next year, for next year's quiz and next year's big test coming out of the box. So testing-wise, I haven't done any tests for Stewart-Haas Racing. Working on, obviously, the schedule for 2009 primarily, but also what we can do in the off-season. But getting the people together is the primary focus right now so that we can, when we test, do it the right way. I look forward to all of it. "

Q: You have two sponsors on your new car. You're going to have two on Ryan's. That seems to be the trend. It's been a trend for a couple of years now. How close are we to the single sponsorship becoming obsolete, and virtually impossible, with how much it's ratcheting up in price to sponsor a car?

TONY STEWART: "I think it depends on which corporations want to be involved, obviously. If you're a corporation that can be a single sponsor on a car for an entire season, and that's what your desire is, obviously those companies will make those decisions. For a lot of companies right now, especially in this economic time, it makes more sense to have partnerships with the car for part of the season and still get the same exposure. So I think it makes very good sense. I think this is something that we saw last year with Dale Jr.'s car, and I think it's something we'll see more of in the future."

Q: What about Stewart and Newman led you to them instead of staying with DEI? Was it a matter of Mark Martin leaving there and you not wanting to go with a young driver? Can you explain that, please?

MAJ. GEN. MONTAGUE WINFIELD: "First of all, we had a wonderful relationship with DEI, and Mark Martin was an absolutely wonderful driver for us. Our contract had ended. We had a six-year contract. You may be aware that we are required, then, to receive proposals from new organizations. And based on those proposals, we choose who it is we're going to go with. There was a proposal coming in from DEI. What we saw with Tony and Ryan were two young superstars. Two young men that are at the top of their profession. Just take a look at their records. We saw an opportunity to grow with them. We looked at them as individuals. We looked at things such as the contributions to charitable organizations, such as conservation and to animal shelters, and to what they do for young people. All of these attributes and all of these qualities fit perfectly with what it is that we want to be about. So we just saw a better opportunity. We saw a young team that we know is going to go places, and we wanted to be a part of that growth because that's what we're all about. We're looking at an opportunity to get these gentlemen out as ambassadors for Army. I think we all know we're an all-volunteer army. That means we need people to volunteer to serve with us. The only way we can get enough volunteers is if enough people see this is a wonderful opportunity. This is all part of the exposure. We're excited about car 39 and we're excited about the new season. And there is no doubt in my mind that we have the formula for success with two great drivers being part of that organization and a wonderful Army, America's Army, behind them."

Q: This team has gone from having two cars with virtually no sponsorship this year, to two cars that look like they'll be fully sponsored next year. The only difference is your name. What does that mean to you that it seems like you have that kind of clout to join a team and attract all this money? And what is the deal with the new logo?

TONY STEWART: "You like it?"

Q: Yeah, a lot.

TONY STEWART: "As far as the sponsorships, it's very flattering. It was very flattering from day one. Even before we made the announcement, companies that had come to us and were excited about the opportunity that they became a part of this and they wanted to talk to us right away. Same with crew guys and crew members throughout the garage who said if you're going to do something different, we want to be a part of it. That side is very, very flattering. It's not just because of myself. As soon as Ryan came into the equation, the same sequence that happened when I made my announcement happened again when we made Ryan's announcement. I mean, Ryan has brought a lot of people and a lot of excitement to the organization, too. I don't think it's just me. I think a lot of it is due to Ryan, also. The new logo is something that we wanted to, obviously, have something that was a reflection of my personality and passion. I've kind of always had that old-school attitude, and that is what the logo is all about. It has that "V" (shape) at the bottom, what you would see on the bottom of the Chevy logo, and it just has that old-school feel. So that's what the new logo's about."

Q: General, just to clarify, you said you had a six-year contract with DEI. I think most of us have thought that the military just does one-year deals. Is that six one-years?

MAJ. GEN. MONTAGUE WINFIELD: "You're right on it. It's always one year. It wasn't all DEI. There were several companies before that. I gave you the short answer. Now you have the more detailed answer, yes, it was that way."

Q: Do you have six one-years with Stewart-Haas?

MAJ. GEN. MONTAGUE WINFIELD: "It's one year at a time."

Q: This year, there are four teams in the Chase. Twelve spots, but only four teams. What is your vision for Stewart-Haas to be a part of that elite-type group? Do you have a timeline or something laid out in front of you that you'd like to crack into that club?

TONY STEWART: "Yeah, next year. Love to. Obviously, we wouldn't have started this program if we didn't feel like we could have immediate success. Obviously, there are no guarantees of when that's going to happen. But if that were the case, we'd all be Las Vegas bookies and sitting in air conditioning like you guys do most of the day. Not that you don't deserve the air conditioning. But we feel like -- and Ryan and I have sat down and we feel like it's kind of like -- a gigantic puzzle. There is every piece of it: engines, chassis, people, sponsors, the leadership and the organization. We feel like we don't have all those pieces in the equation, yet, but we have a lot of very key pieces that are going to make us feel like we can be successful right off the bat. We're going to Daytona with the attitude of trying to win the Daytona 500. So we've obviously got a guy that knows how to win it. We've got a guy who knows how to get us to the last lap of it. So we feel like we've got two of those major pieces covered right off the bat. So, I honestly feel like we have the pieces that are in place, and pieces coming into place that will allow us to possibly want to be one of these organizations that cracks into that elite group and gets one or both cars into the Chase next year."

Q: You talked about one level of energy and excitement when you made your initial announcement, and another one when you made the announcement that you signed Ryan. Does winning last week at Talladega, does that help this team at all with your level of energy and excitement even though it's a different team that you won with?

TONY STEWART: "Yeah, I'd have to believe so. I think proof of that was when we were coming down the pit road to victory lane. It wasn't just guys from Joe Gibbs Racing. We had guys from the 70 car team and the 66 car team that were out there congratulating us, too. And you could see the excitement on their faces. So I do feel like it's transferred over to the new team already, also."

Q: You brought up the 66 and the 70 car. How close are you following the owner points position with the 66 based on how it turns out it may affect your ability to be locked in for the '09 (Daytona) 500?

RYAN NEWMAN: "I definitely have an eye on it. There is an interest in there, not just for the team, but for the future of next year as well. This situation is unique in the fact that Tony has his champion's provisional. Realistically, we only need one team to be in the top-35. So Scott (Riggs) is doing an excellent job right now. It's very important for us to have at least some kind of insurance going into Daytona. But we don't want to rely on it. You know, we'll just keep going the way we're going and doing things the way we're doing them. When we get there, hopefully, we don't even have to worry about any of that stuff."

MIKE ARNING: "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for your time. We certainly appreciate it.

-credit: -TSC-

Ryan Newman Army Strong

2008-10-09T19:13:00.001-04:00

CONCORD, N.C. – Ryan Newman’s strong credentials in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series just got stronger with the announcement that the U.S. Army will sponsor the reigning Daytona 500 champion and his No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet in 22 point-paying Sprint Cup races in 2009, along with the non-points NASCAR Sprint All-Star race May 16 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. For the remaining 14 races, the U.S. Army will serve as an associate sponsor on the No. 39, which will be owned by Tony Stewart.

“With Tony Stewart’s leadership and Ryan Newman behind the wheel, we know that the new U.S. Army NASCAR Racing team will demonstrate the same mental, emotional and physical strengths found in each Army Strong Soldier,” said Maj. Gen. Montague Winfield, commanding general U.S. Army Cadet Command. “We are confident that this team of Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman will demonstrate the same ethos that guides our Soldiers – putting the mission first, a refusal to accept defeat and a never quit attitude.”

Newman, a winner of 13 Sprint Cup races, including this year’s 50th running of the Daytona 500, will be a teammate to Stewart, the two-time Sprint Cup champion who will drive the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet in 2009.

“I am extremely honored for the opportunity to drive the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet and proud to represent the men and women who serve and protect our country,” Newman said. “The dedication, teamwork and passion of the Soldiers who defend our country is inspiring, and it will drive myself and everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing to become one of the elite teams in the garage. Every time I drive the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet and this crew competes at the track, we will give it everything we have to get to victory lane.”

The partnering of the U.S. Army with Stewart-Haas Racing gives the organization strength as it prepares for its inaugural Sprint Cup season in 2009.

“There is no group of people more dedicated to service and committed to excellence than the men and women of our armed forces,” Stewart said. “We take great pride that the U.S. Army has chosen Stewart-Haas Racing as the team to lead its NASCAR effort.”

Future U.S. Army driver Newman is from South Bend, Ind., and he was the 1999 USAC Silver Crown Series national champion. He compiled quite a record in USAC before embarking on his stock car career. The Purdue University alum who graduated in 2001 with a degree in vehicle structural engineering racked up 17 USAC wins before making the move to stock cars with Penske Racing in 2000.

The learning curve was short, as Newman won three out of five ARCA RE/MAX Series races that year to begin his fast track to the elite Sprint Cup Series, where in addition to his 13 wins, he has 43 poles.

Newman and Stewart bring together a combined 57 USAC wins and 46 Sprint Cup wins, as Stewart also honed his racing skills in USAC’s Sprint, Midget and Silver Crown divisions. Both are former Raybestos Rookie of the Year winners in Sprint Cup, with Stewart claiming the honor in 1999 and Newman earning the title in 2002. Both drivers have also qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup, with Newman earning a berth in the Chase’s inaugural season in 2004 and again in 2005. Stewart joined Newman in the Chase in 2004, won the championship in 2005 and returned to the Chase in 2007 and again in 2008.

Army Joins Forces With Ryan Newman

2008-10-09T14:03:00.001-04:00

CONCORD, N.C. — Two strong teams joined forces today as the U.S. Army announced it will sponsor Ryan Newman, the reigning Daytona 500 champion and his No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

"With Tony Stewart's leadership and Ryan Newman behind the wheel, we know that the new U.S. Army NASCAR Racing team will demonstrate the same mental, emotional and physical strengths found in each Army Strong Soldier," said Maj. Gen. Montague Winfield, commanding general U.S. Army Cadet Command. "We are confident that this team of Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman will demonstrate the same ethos that guides our Soldiers - putting the mission first, a refusal to accept defeat, and a never quit attitude."

Newman, a winner of 13 Sprint Cup races, including this year's 50th running of the Daytona 500, and Stewart, the two-time Sprint Cup champion who owns the No. 39 car and will drive the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet during the team's inaugural Sprint Cup campaign in 2009, have stepped up to be full partners in making the U.S. Army's NASCAR involvement a successful program in support of the Army's enlisted and officer recruiting missions.

"I am extremely honored for the opportunity to drive the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet and proud to represent the men and women who serve and protect our country," Newman said. "The dedication, teamwork and passion of the Soldiers who defend our country is inspiring, and it will drive myself and everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing to become one of the elite teams in the garage. Every time I drive the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet and this crew competes at the track, we will give it everything we have to get to victory lane."

The 2009 Sprint Cup season will be the U.S. Army's seventh as a primary NASCAR sponsor. The U.S. Army will be the primary paint scheme for 22 point-paying Sprint Cup races in 2009, along with the non-points NASCAR Sprint All-Star race May 16 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. For the remaining 14 races, the U.S. Army will serve as an associate sponsor on the No. 39, which is owned by Stewart.

"There is no group of people more dedicated to service and committed to excellence than the men and women of our armed forces," Stewart said. "We take great pride that the U.S. Army has chosen Stewart-Haas Racing as the team to lead its NASCAR effort."

Newman joins current National Hot Rod Association Top Fuel Champion Tony Schumacher on the Army Racing Team. Schumacher is seeking his fifth consecutive and sixth overall championship.

Newman, a 2001 graduate of Purdue University in 2001 with a degree in vehicle structural engineering, has earned a berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup on three different occasions (2003-2005), and owns 43 career pole wins during his seven year NASCAR driving career. In addition, he captured Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors in 2002. Together, Newman and Stewart have combined for 57 USAC wins and 45 Sprint Cup wins during their amateur and professional driving careers.

Newman Sponsor Announcement on Thursday?

2008-10-07T17:27:00.003-04:00

David Caraviello of NASCAR.COM reported today

Another piece of the Stewart-Haas Racing puzzle will be fit into place Thursday when the race team will unveil the U.S. Army as primary sponsor of Ryan Newman's No. 39 car for next season, sources have confirmed to NASCAR.COM.

The announcement is scheduled to be made at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Lowe's Motor Speedway, site of this weekend's Sprint Cup event. The Stewart-Haas organization now has both its Chevrolets sponsored for next season -- no small feat in this economy -- with Office Depot and Old Spice set to back the car of team co-owner Tony Stewart.

It's another setback for Dale Earnhardt Inc., which had the Army on its No. 8 car this season. DEI driver Paul Menard announced last week that he and his Menard's sponsorship would be moving to Yates Racing for the 2009 campaign.

But for Stewart, a two-time series champion who won Sunday's event at Talladega Superspeedway, it's another big step toward his debut as a Sprint Cup car owner.

"I'm really excited about having the opportunity to be hands-on and be a part of getting things going for next year and trying to get the key people hired right now and dealing with all the people at the shop that I haven't had a chance to work with yet," he said Monday on a conference call with reporters. "It's an exciting time for me. It's the busiest I've ever been in my life right now."

Let's hope he's right. And let's hope they announce Ryan's new crew chief at the same time.

Barker Won't Be Part of Stewart-Haas Racing

2008-10-01T13:26:00.003-04:00

We may not know who will be Ryan Newmans crew chief but at least we know who won't be. Lee Spencer reported this morning that Bootie Barker, crew chief for Scott Riggs and the number 66, will be the crew chief for Michael Waltrip and the No. 55 Toyota in 2009.

Hopefully, if the rumors about Army coming on board are true, we'll get a crew chief announcement at the same time the sponsorship is announced.

What Will October Bring?

2008-09-30T20:31:00.003-04:00

It's been a very quiet month in the Stewart-Haas Racing world. At least to those of us watching from the outside. I'm sure it's been hectic on the inside.

Rumor has it that the Army is coming onboard to sponsor the 39 Chevy of Ryan Newman. Captain Thunder Racing report today that

Sources close to the situation confirmed today that the U.S. Army would not be renewing their sponsorship with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. after the 2008 season. Representatives from the U.S. Army let Dale Earnhardt, Inc. know this afternoon that they would not be returning to the #8 for 2009. Beginning in 2009 the U.S. Army will be the primary sponsor of Ryan Newman in the newly formed Stewart-HAAS Racing venture led by two-time Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart. The formal announcement will be delivered at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway on Friday October 10th when Stewart-HAAS Racing and the U.S. Army unveil Newman’s new #39 racecar.

Let's hope that's true since it's getting a little late for a top level team to not have a sponsor lined up.

Elsewhere, Ryan still needs a crew chief,they are still looking for a Vice President/General Manager now that Jay Frye stayed with Red Bull and Robbie Loomis says that he is staying at Petty Enterprises.

There's lot's of things that still need to be done and Oh yeah, it's time for Talladega. There's still 7 races to go this year.

On a personal note, the design of this website is coming along well. Since Tony is under contract through the end of the year, and takes ownership of Stewart-Haas on the first, I thought I'd wait to roll out the new design until then. It will be a lot easier to finish once they get Ryans sponsors signed and announced but there will be time.

As as aside to the Tony Stewart Fans, I noticed that the Tony Stewart Store has a message that they will not have any SHR items for sale until the 1st of the year. Another contract thing I guess. They are having a huge clearance sale though on Home Depot merchandise.

Have a great day and I'll write when I know more.

Video: Stewart-Haas Racing Press Conference to Announce Darian Grubb as Crew Chief for Stewart

2008-09-05T21:07:00.005-04:00

Courtesy of Scene Daily, here's the video from todays press conference announcing Darian Grubb as the crew chief for Tony and the #14 car next year. Edited to add part 1

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Transcript: Stewart-Haas Racing Press Conference to Announce Darian Grubb as Crew Chief for Stewart

2008-09-05T20:57:00.002-04:00

SEPTEMBER 5, 2008 - Richmond International Raceway

TONY STEWART: Two-Time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion
DARIAN GRUBB: Hendrick Motorsports' Engineering Manager
for the Nos. 5 and 88 Sprint Cup Teams
MIKE ARNING: Moderator, Vice President of True Speed Communication

MIKE ARNING: "Want to thank you for joining us this morning. It's pretty cut and dry. We have Tony Stewart, two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, as well as Darian Grubb, the lead engineer of Hendrick Motorsports 5 and 88 teams. Tony, talk about why we're here today and this latest step with Stewart-Haas Racing."

TONY STEWART: "Well, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out we hired Darian Grubb as our Office Depot/Old Spice No. 14 car crew chief for next year. And this is something that is another key step in the equation of us getting on our feet next year and getting everything pointed in the right direction. So we've got a team leader now and somebody that I feel very comfortable and confident in. I'm just excited to work with Darian. The little bit of time that we have spent together so far, I'm really excited to get things started for next year and feel like Darian is going to be a very key part of helping us grow our program to get Stewart-Haas Racing where we want it to be."

MIKE ARNING: "Darian, this is another big step in your NASCAR career, but fitting you are doing it here in Richmond (Va.). You are a Floyd (Va.) native and a graduate of Virginia Tech -- talk about this moment today."

DARIAN GRUBB: "It's a very huge moment for me, just everything I looked forward to in my life and challenges I've been presented with and being able to step up each time and just get that opportunity with Tony; the capability he has as a driver in the past championships and the future heading forward is just extremely bright and just happy going into today and to be able to do it here in Virginia is an extra bonus."

Q: For both of you, Darian, have you or are you going to talk to Zippy (Greg Zipadelli, crew chief No. 20 JGR Toyota) any about life with Tony on the racetrack, in the hauler, that sort of thing? And Tony, do you think that kind of conversation is necessary any more about you?

TONY STEWART: "Absolutely. (Laughter) I mean it's - and more so, it's about relationships, and you guys know that. I mean, you build a chemistry and that's something that Zippy and I, we had to do it from scratch starting in '99. So actually last week when we had dinner, I mentioned that to him, that I thought that would be a great idea and that - not so much that you don't have to, but just having an idea of just simple things like if you say it's a little loose or a little tight, those are things that it can take Darian and I weeks to figure out; when I say it's a little this, he needs to know exactly how much a little is to me versus a little from somebody else. Not only on the competition side, but if I'm having a bad day, how do you shorten the curve there and keep me focused on what's going on. I do think it's a very logical question and a topic that we talked about at length at dinner last week."

Q: I was thinking a little bit more about the times that you made Zippy cry.

TONY STEWART: "Yeah, I think we are through most of those parts. We are on the down side of that hill. Still, it's just like anything else, as a driver, there may be ten things that I tell Darian and the first nine may not mean anything, but that tenth one may click something that he says, 'OK, I know exactly what I've got to do now.' It's a situation now where the more information you have, the better. And it's that way as far as, you know, Zippy spending time with Darian and saying, you know, this is how we've worked together over the last 10 years and there's a lot of notes to go off of over there."

DARIAN GRUBB: "Any time you have someone that's got a 10-year year relationship, you're foolish if you don't talk to that person just to see how things go and take those comments and see what they really mean. A 10-year relationship, it's going to be hard to build that history up and you really can't create that just right off the bat. Zippy is a good guy and good friend of mine and co-worker in the garage and it's one of those things, I'm not going to have a hard time giving him a call if I have an issue or something I want to talk to him about."

Q: Darian, as I recall, when you left the 25 car, you basically said that you had preferred to be a race engineer at that point rather than the crew chief. When did you change your mind and take this opportunity with Tony? And second, given the relationship with Hendrick Motorsports and Stewart-Haas in the future with chassis and engines, how closely will you continue to work with them?

DARIAN GRUBB: "First question goes all the way back to when I did the deal with the 48 a couple years ago. It was one of those things I didn't ever look for in the next step of my career, but as soon as those opportunities come up it's just something that you can't pass up. And the opportunity here to go forward with Tony and Stewart-Haas Racing and the chance to build a championship-contending team and go out and just fight from the ground up and build something with all of these people and everything, get it built around my past history with Hendrick Motorsports; and I've been there for six years, and of course, there's going to be a lot of things that I'm going to take from that organization just to go and start building that one, because it's hard to go against Hendrick Motorsports and the way they do business. And I'm going to use that and my experience from six years to temper the way we run the Stewart Haas organization. The chassis and engine department and the support they put into it is second to none, and I'm not concerned at all and I have a lot of people there I know I can put my trust in because I've worked with them for the last six years and I won't have a problem with that at all."

Q: Talk about an engineering-based crew chief versus seat of the pants; now you have an engineering-based crew chief for the operation, how much of an engineering crew chief was Zippy and how different will it be with Darian?

TONY STEWART: "Well, we haven't worked together, so I don't know exactly how it's going to work. You look at Darian's past and what he accomplished with the 25 car and the times that he had to go over and work on the 48 car, the results are what we look at. It's not necessarily how you get to the end of the road to get to your goal. It's just the fact that he can get to the goal and, you know, that we have that confidence in him. I think with this car, it's a more engineering-type background that it seems like you have to have, anyway, and seat of the pants still doesn't hurt anything. It's practical knowledge versus book knowledge. So you know, it's a combination of the two and like Darian said, it's hard to know how it's going to work right now between us and how his style is going to be different than Greg's (Zipadelli), but at the end of the day, we've already got the major ingredient there and that's that we both have the same passion and desire to be successful winning races and winning championships. That part is something that you don't have to fix. Now how we get to that in goal is yet to be determined but we at least are focused on the same direction right now."

Q: Darian, after you won the races with Jimmie (Johnson) in 2006 when Chad (Knaus) was suspended we all assumed you had people knocking on your door and want to go move over and become a crew chief in their organization; how much of that actually happened and did you get offers in the aftermath and were you tempted to leave?

DARIAN GRUBB: "Never been tempted to leave, but yes, I have had offers. There's always been conversations going on with that, but I've never wanted to step outside of the Hendrick Motorsports organization until this opportunity came up. Just extremely excited to be able to continue my Hendrick knowledge and being able to use those chassis and engines going forward, and just keep building that organization strength outside of Hendrick Motorsports. This opportunity is just a great chance for me to be able to step out and be able to almost take off on my own and help build up the organization and surround myself with the good people that are capable of going and winning championships."

Q: Tony are you going to name a technical director, or have you surpassed your salary cap?

TONY STEWART: "I surpassed it when I signed up. I keep telling Joe Custer (General Manager, Haas-Stewart Racing) that I'm going to teach him how to spend money. No, you know, it's more right now Darian and I talking and deciding what people does he want at this point. You know, we discussed things last week while we were in Fontana, (Calif.), and I think there's a situation where you can get too many people too early. So Darian and I work really closely together right now, and try to get a game plan on what people we actually want and what positions, and evaluate where we're at over at the shop right now. So we just take it one step at a time right now and figure out what people we want."

Q: Earlier Jeff Burton talked about a matchup between driver and crew chief and how it's different for every driver or crew chief. What makes this relationship a good team?

TONY STEWART: "He's got pretty good wit and humor like we do. It didn't take long in the first meeting to figure that out. You know, like I say, when you have a common desire to win races and championships, that's the first part of it right away. But you know, just spending time together, the more time we spend together, the more we laugh, and last week, half of our dinner, we had a two-and-a-half-hour dinner; which getting me at a restaurant at two and a half hours to sit in one seat is almost a feat in itself. Probably half the dinner was as much just talking personal stuff as it was talking on the professional side, and what we were going to do, and that's how it starts. You know, you don't just walk into a room with somebody and say, hey, I'm Tony, I'm Darian and you sit down and you start working and everything clicks. It's knowing each other inside and out and having, you know, just simple things like going to dinner last week was a huge step for us to go and just get to know each other better, and you know, when we had him at the shop, just seeing the - just seeing the look on his face when he was at the shop and we were talking to him about coming over was what told me that this was going to be the right thing for us."

Q: There's been a report this week that Jay Frye may be coming to the team. Can you address that? Have you guys made an offer?

TONY STEWART: "Just like I told you last week, when we have something to announce, we'll tell you, and we're announcing our crew chief this week."

Q: We just have to ask about it when it comes up. Going back to what you said about Darian, knowing he's friends with Zippy, did Zippy recommend him and are there similarities? Do you see a little bit of Zippy with Darian?

TONY STEWART: "When we were trying to figure out who was going to be my crew chief, obviously when we got it narrowed down to who we thought was the guy, I went to Greg and said, 'What do you think?' And Greg was very high on Darian. So that was something that was important to me. I mean, if the guy that I've been with for 10 years thinks this is a good guy, then that was a huge peace of mind for me to go ahead with the next step."

Q: Just wanted to ask you about the formation of your team; how much did you use the model or the paradigm that Job Gibbs established there in terms of using that as a model for what you wanted to do, and has his presence been kind of discernable; when he's there or not there with the team; there a certain aura that he brings to the shop when he's there?

TONY STEWART: "Oh, absolutely. You're talking about a guy that no matter what professional sport he's been a part of, he's been successful with, whether it's drag racing or whether it's been the NFL or the Nationwide teams, the Cup teams. But going back to the organization, you know, that's how I've patterned, simple as my USAC teams and World of Outlaw teams, I've used a lot of the things that I learned from Joe, and I think that's the great thing with Darian and I combined, we've got a lot of experience from two different great organizations that have been very successful, and I think you can take the best of both worlds and try to work off of that. It doesn't mean that either one is better than the other necessarily but both of the organizations that we have both been with now have had pretty good track records in this sport. So we come from two sides that have a lot of knowledge and a good base to build a program off of."

Q: I think it was 2006, you came into this weekend in pretty good shape, it seemed, in the points situation, and then you ultimately missed the Chase. What was that disappointment like for you, and that realization?

TONY STEWART: "That was terrible. You know, we started off the day in the practice that we're going to have here in about an hour, and went from having a car that was pretty decent and within a tenth of where we needed to be to be the best car out there to all of a sudden crashing it and having to get a backup car out. So that kind of set the tone for the weekend and got everybody on pins and needles and then the next thing we knew in the race, we couldn't get a handle on it and just missed it. But it's a - at the time it's a feeling of disbelief, because up to that point, we had never not been in the Top-10 in points in our entire career. So you know, to miss the opportunity to run for the championship and make the Chase was something that we never dreamed as a team that we would ever be in that situation."

Q: Can you talk about the 2005 (Championship) run, just sort of look back, some key moments for you there?

TONY STEWART: "Obviously winning the Brickyard was huge. That was something that was really, really big to me, and that just took a lot of pressure off, I think from that moment on for the rest of the season of just being relaxed and confident that what we were doing was right, so I think that was a huge pivot point for us."

Q: Inaudible

TONY STEWART: "Not that I can remember. We just weren't brilliant like Jimmie was last year winning four of the last five weeks. I think we were just solid in 2005 and I don't even know - I can't even remember if we won a race in the Chase that year, but we just had a lot of consistency and I think all of us had a bad race that year that kind of evened everything out. With the exception of that, I think we were pretty solid, pretty consistent."

Q: Do non-Chase drivers have a different racing responsibility during the race, like if you knew that two guys were going for the lead, are you a little more gracious with their space, with their real estate, than you would normally be with regular Chase guys?

TONY STEWART: "It's not the non-Chase drivers' responsibility to look out for us. It's our responsibility to look out for us. If we're not in it at the end of tomorrow night - everybody has their different personalities and everybody has their different style of racing but ultimately it comes down to the guys that are driving their own cars. We know what's at stake but when you're in the Chase you know what's up for grabs the last ten weeks and you know that if you put yourself in a bad position, what you have to lose is normally a lot bigger than what you have to gain by putting yourself in a bad spot. I don't believe that it's guys that are not in the Chase, I don't believe that it's their responsibility, because there are a lot of those guys that are still fighting for their jobs and still trying to keep themselves in the top 35 in points, that have bonuses if they finish, you know, at certain spots in the point standings at the end of the year whether they are in the Chase or not. So it's not really their responsibility as much as it is the drivers that are in the cars that are in the Chase."

Q: I'd like a comment from both of you, at some point, 1.5-mile tracks became the track of vogue and the racing was really good there and now going into the Chase this year, those tracks seem to be the ones where both of you guys have a tough time getting your arms around them; can I get a comment from both of you on the 1.5-mile tracks?

DARIAN GRUBB: "From a Hendrick Motorsports' standpoint, it's just another evolution of the Chevrolet with the Impala SS and going to the racetrack and finding a package that works. It's just another engineering project and everything that we have taken on that we may have been a little behind on the start to be able to get those things going but hopefully we are heading in the right direction. We've done a lot of testing, and you know, the majority of the Chase races, we are pushing really hard to make sure we get those packages figured out. And obviously Jimmie's performance from last week shows the 48 has it figured out, but there's still issues. The 24 wasn't that great, and the other car wasn't that great either. We are still in discovery phase and hopefully can get a win now going forward."

Q: What do you have to go through in the process to get your arms around it?

DARIAN GRUBB: "I think it's just a property of the car. We figured out a lot of the short track things earlier. It was a little bit easier process we think because we got so much more of a head start on it. But then last year, middle of the season you're trying to race two different styles of cars trying to keep up with all of the changes week-to-week and change parts and pieces in the haulers and stuff -- it's a big project, much less trying to get yourself ahead. So playing the catch-up game now but I think we are making headway.

Q: Can you talk about why it's been difficult for the drivers to really get their arms around those tracks?

TONY STEWART: "I don't think it's the drivers that have had such a hard time figuring the tracks out. It's a learning process of learning a new style of car that is a very technical race car. I mean, when you're dealing with bump stops and bump rubbers and shims and everything else, the packers that you're using in these front shocks, it's very easy to get a car unbalanced, I believe. So you know, that's why it makes it so critical right now to - when you get the car in that window, that window seems to be smaller to keep the car adjustable during the race. You know, if it it's not close to start with, you're not going to get it the rest of the way there. You very easily -- just like last week, we had a car that was decent during two-thirds of the race, and during the last third of the race we tried to make it better and ultimately ended up making it really, really bad trying to make it better. So it's a car that is very sensitive to change and what you can and can't do with it. And I don't know that it's so much been a handle for the drivers as much as it's been a challenge for entire organizations to figure out what that car likes and dislikes and what we can do as drivers, what the crew chiefs and engineers can do to make that window of balance be a little bit bigger and wider where we can keep the cars nicer during the race."

Q: Could you talk a little about from driving go-karts on and driving that record, and can you talk about who your racing heroes and role models were? I think we know one of them, and could you also talk about, are there people out there somewhere in the NASCAR series now that you see and you look at them sort of like A.J. Foyt spotted Tony Stewart; in other words, that kid is going to be really good.

TONY STEWART: "Obviously Foyt has always been my No.q hero. Steve Kinser was, in World of Outlaw Racing; Rick Mears was in IndyCar Racing. But you know, you see guys every day. There's so many young guys that are running different types of cars right now that there's not just one or two guys now that stand out anymore. You literally look at Indiana and you see a couple of kids and you look somewhere else and you see a couple more. There's a lot of young talent out there that's good talent. So you know, that's the good thing about the future of auto racing is we are not going to lack in the talent category with guys coming up."

Q: A lot of people looking into the Chase will look at Kyle (Busch) and Carl (Edwards) as the favorites, possibly Jimmie with his run lately; why should somebody consider looking at you as the title contender, or even any of the other guys?

TONY STEWART: Well, we are in it, first of all. You have to be in it to win it. So just making the Chase in itself is an accomplishment. You are not a weak team if you've made the Chase. But you know, those three teams and drivers that you've mentioned, obviously their track record speaks for itself this year, so that's why people are putting those guys ahead of everybody else right now."

Q: For many years of experience, I expect that you're going to take the Chase one race as a time

TONY STEWART: "That would be a great guess."

Q: We've seen drivers like Jeff Gordon struggle this year with the new car and the Chevrolet. How will switching back to Chevrolet and this new car - what is that going to take? Do you think that you're going to have to struggle with that, or how much will Darian help you adjust to switching back to Chevrolet?

TONY STEWART: "I promise you, that will be an easy switch for me. That's the least of my concerns. I mean, that's a proven variable that's been consistent for more years than I've been a part of this sport, and will continue to be after I've left the sport. So that's one variable you don't have to worry about, Chevy's package. You look at the history books and it's easy to figure out that's going to be the smallest part of the equation is that change. So that's the one that we have a lot of confidence in right off the bat. So there are a lot of other things we have to work on other than that."

Q: Has assembling a team and everything that's gone into that, has that affected your focus or ability to compete on the track this year, do you think?

TONY STEWART: "Not at all. I mean, that's why this morning is important, for both Darian and myself, we both have jobs to do outside of what we're doing next year for the remainder of this year. So once we both leave this press conference, we'll shift gears and be back to what we're really here for this week, and that's Darian working for Hendrick Motorsports and myself working for Joe Gibbs Racing the remainder of the year. It was important to be here today to inform you guys of what's going on officially, and once we get that done, it's going back to what we have to do and what we're passionate about for rest of the year before we get a chance to do this job together next year."

Q: Joey Logano gets his first start here this weekend; are you as interested as us to see how he will do, and what are your thoughts on him?

TONY STEWART: I'm excited about it. I'm excited for Joey, and he deserves this opportunity. I hope he has fun this weekend because that's what his first race in the Cup car should be. I hope you guys won't smoother him so bad that he can't enjoy it. This is something that first - your first time in a Cup car at a Cup race, you only get to do one time. So, I'm excited for him. I hope that it's everything he wants it to be this weekend. You know, I'm excited for him because he's obviously going to take my car next year. So I'm as excited for him as he is for him going into this weekend, because I know it's a huge step in him getting ready for next year. And as close as I am to the Gibbs family and to Zippy and all the guys on the team, it's important for us to get him in a car right now. So I think he will be great this weekend and I hope it's just a nice, smooth weekend for him this weekend."

Q: I know you and Kasey Kahne are good friends and have similar backgrounds and things like that; he's a bit of a long shot to make this Chase. Would it surprise you to see Kasey race his way in, and what is it about him that you think this is overcome - that he could overcome the depths that he has?

TONY STEWART: "The kid is one of the best competitors that I've ever been around. If anybody can race their way in, it's him. And at this point, you learn that nothing surprises you in this series after a while. You become immune to the shocks of this. But anything can happen tomorrow night. And we're not locked in, and we only have to finish 36th or better, and we know that that could be turned, and the confidence that we have that we're going to make it can be turned upside down in a matter of one corner. So you know, nothing will surprise me right now. It's all a matter of math right now, and pretty much everybody in this room is good in that category and they know they are sitting next to somebody that is - and it's one of those things that you guys know before we get out of the cars what the scenarios are and what has to happen in those last five laps for somebody to race their way in and kind of what the picture is painted before it's over."

Q: Kyle (Busch) has done a lot of impressive things this year; what's the one thing that's impressed you the most about him?

TONY STEWART: "I think how well he's handled everything. It's easy when you get on a roll like that that people look at you, and success brings a lot of mixed feelings and fans, and I think he's probably handled that better than you could ask for anyone in his position to handle that."

Q: Have you thought about how it's going to be different working with this kind of driver versus Casey Mears and Jimmie Johnson? How will it be different?

DARIAN GRUBB: "I don't think it will be any different at all. I've been outside the lines talking to Tony away from the racetrack and stuff and the attitude and stuff is just completely different. He's just a genuine, normal guy, as you are outside the racetrack. He's just a guy you can sit and talk to and joke with and carry on. My wife and I hung out with him and just - it was just a good time. So I think we are going to be able to get along just fine, and he's a race car driver and a race car driver's driver, so everybody respects him. I respect that very much and I'm very excited about going into next year with that."

Q: You have both yourself and Ryan Newman coming in from teams you've been with pretty much the majority of your career, how much of an adjustment is that to come in fresh on a new team, obviously in your situation, you own the team, but for Ryan to come into a brand new team, what are the steps to take getting acclimated to that team to start successful next year?

TONY STEWART: "It's just coming and spending time with the guys that you're going to be working with. None of us just started as (Sprint) Cup drivers so we've all come through different steps and worked with different people along the way. This is just another change in that equation. It just happens to be in the same series that we've been a part of for quite a while now. So from that side, it's just getting to know the people that you're working with. This series to me, the majority of the success in this series is due to people, not due to fancy race cars and trick pit strategies and this and that. At the end of the day, the consistency and the results boil down to the people that you have. When you make a change like, this it's getting to know the people that you're with and being comfortable with them every week and having that trust in them that you know that they are doing the right job."

Q: There are obviously a lot of crew chiefs out there with more experience atop the pit box; what is it about Darian -- that he only has a year and a few races atop the pit box that made you want to hire him?

TONY STEWART: "You look at the stats that he's accumulated over that short amount of time and just the confidence that he brings. He's not a guy sitting up here that, you know, doesn't have the confidence that he can go it out and do the job. When we sat down with him, we saw that and obviously the stats on paper were what we were confident with, his association with Hendrick Motorsports and knowing we were going to be dealing with Hendrick motors and Hendrick chassis, we feel confident that's the right equation and having somebody like Darian that's very familiar with that system right off the bat brings even more comfort and security to the program and spending time with him, just seeing the confidence in his eyes and his voice when you talk to him, you know that he's the right guy."

MIKE ARNING: "Thank you very much for your time. We certainly appreciate it."

-credit: shr-

Darian Grubb to Serve as Tony Stewart’s Crew Chief at Stewart-Haas

2008-09-05T13:28:00.001-04:00

Virginia Native Comes Full Circle with Announcement at Richmond International Raceway

RICHMOND, Va. – Stewart-Haas Racing has signed Darian Grubb to a multi-year contract to serve as crew chief for driver/owner Tony Stewart and the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet upon the conclusion of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, team officials announced today at Richmond International Raceway.

The 32-year-old from Floyd, Va., comes to Stewart-Haas Racing from Hendrick Motorsports, where in six years since joining the multi-car organization, he rose from team engineer with the No. 48 Sprint Cup squad in 2003 to Hendrick Motorsports’ engineering manager for the Nos. 5 and 88 Sprint Cup teams. Grubb also has extensive experience in the role of crew chief, as he served as the interim crew chief for the No. 48 team during the first four races of the 2006 Sprint Cup season, where he led driver Jimmie Johnson to a pair of victories – including the Daytona 500 – as well as one runner-up finish and a sixth-place effort. Johnson went on to win the Sprint Cup championship in 2006.

Grubb also spent the entire 2007 Sprint Cup season as crew chief for Casey Mears, leading the young driver to his first career Sprint Cup win in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. The duo also earned a pole at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., and racked up five top-five and 10 top-10 results to record a solid top-15 finish in the season-ending point standings.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for me to not only work with a driver of Tony’s caliber, but to help build an organization into one that can win races and eventually contend for championships,” said Grubb, a 1998 graduate of Virginia Tech where he earned a mechanical engineering degree in a co-op program with Volvo Trucks and General Motors. “I’m honored to join Tony and the Stewart-Haas organization. I’m really excited about taking this next step and I feel it’s a challenge I’m ready for.”

Grubb’s early success as a crew chief caught Stewart’s eye long before Stewart-Haas Racing was even an option for the two-time Sprint Cup champion.

“Darian is incredibly smart and ultra-competitive, and I saw that firsthand when he took the reins of the 48 team and won the Daytona 500 right out of the box with them and again at Las Vegas,” Stewart said. “He’s exactly what we need for the success we want to attain as a company, but he’s also exactly what I need in a crew chief. He’s thorough, he’s confident and he’s not afraid to tell me what I need to hear. As a driver, that’s who I need on top of my pit box, and as an owner, that’s who I need on our race team.”

Grubb’s ascension to Stewart’s Sprint Cup crew chief began as a teenager working on Late Model stock cars that competed at tracks throughout Virginia and the Carolinas.

After graduating from Floyd County High School in 1993, Grubb attended Virginia Tech, and with his mechanical engineering degree in hand, joined Volvo Trucks as a design engineer in 1998.

While he had a mainstream job, racing was still a big part of Grubb’s life. His first stint atop the pit box came in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, where in 1998 he guided Jeff Agnew to the series’ rookie of the year title and season championship.

Grubb spent another year with Agnew in Hooters Pro Cup before joining Petty Enterprises in 2000, where he helped the legendary team develop the Dodge Intrepid. Grubb also served as the shock specialist and team engineer with the No. 43 Sprint Cup team and driver John Andretti through the 2002 season.

In 2003, Grubb joined Hendrick Motorsports as engineer for the No. 48 team under the direction of crew chief Chad Knaus and team manager Brian Whitesell. Grubb remained in this capacity before being promoted to lead engineer for the Nos. 24 and 48 Sprint Cup teams in 2005. He became Hendrick Motorsports’ lead race engineer in 2006 while simultaneously serving as the No. 48 team’s race day engineer, where he helped the team earn five wins, one pole, 13 top-five finishes and a series-best 24 top-10 results en route to the first of the team’s back-to-back championships.

Grubb resides in Mooresville, N.C., with his wife, Yolanda.

Stewart to Name Grubb as Crew Chief on Friday

2008-09-04T12:54:00.002-04:00

Several internet sites are reporting that Tony Stewart will name Darian Grubb as the crew chief on the Stewart-Haas Racing 14 car tomorrow.

Grubb is currently an engineer with Hendrick Motorsports. He previously has filled in as crew chief on the 48 car of Jimmie Johnson for 4 races while Chad Knaus was on suspension in 2006. During the suspension Johnson won the Daytona 500 again at Las Vegas, while posting a 2nd at Fontana and a sixth at Atlanta.

Last year Grubb was the crew chief for Casey Mears and helped Casey to his only NASCAR win, a victory in the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte.

Darian Grubb Accepts Crew Chief Position for Tony Stewart

2008-08-26T22:48:00.003-04:00

Jim Utter of the Charlotte Observer is reporting that Darian Grubb has accepted the position of crew chief for Tony Stewart next season.

Grubb has been rumored to be the new crew chief for the #14 for awhile. Grubb works as the engineering manager with the 5 and 88 teams at Hendrick Motorsports. He is expected to remain at Hendrick until the end of the season.

Grubb took over in 2006 when Chad Knaus was suspended for cheating at the beginning of the year, leading the team to 2 wins, including the Daytona 500.

In 2007 Grubb crew chief for Casey Mears winning the Coke 600. He moved back into the Hendrick engineering department at the beginning of this year.

Stewart and Newman Knocked Out of Bud Shootout

2008-08-26T22:46:00.000-04:00

NASCAR announced the new rules for the Budweiser Shootout and Stewart-Haas Racing drivers Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman weren't invited to the party. Under the new eligibility rules, the top six drivers in owner's points for each car manufacturer is in the race. Under the old system, Anyone who won a pole the year before or had won the Shootout in the past was eligible.

Since the numbers 14 and 39 (currently 66 and 70) are buried in the points (34th and 43rd) neither Tony or Ryan is going to be in the Shootout. What we end up with is that neither Stewart, a 3 time Shootout winner, and Newman, the defending Daytona 500 champion,are eligible for the race, while a driver who hasn't even made his first Cup start yet, Joey Lagano, could win it driving Tony Stewarts old car.

What makes this a bad situation is that nearly everyone agrees that the Shootout is the best testing session available for the Daytona 500. The day after the Shootout is qualifying for the 500.

Newman Gets A New Number

2008-08-19T11:30:00.001-04:00

What's in a number? Tony Stewart chose the number 14 for his new race car at Stewart-Haas Racing because it's the number his hero A.J. Foyt drove. He chose the number 4 for the second car at SHR because it was the number of the first car he raced. Technically, it was a go-cart but it was still his first number.

Last night on his Siruius Satellite Radio show he announced that Ryan Newman will be driving the 39 car, rather than the 4 car. Tony said that the number was special to Newman, because it's the number that Ryan was running when he won his first USAC Midget race. In addition to giving Newman a number that is special to him, the move is a nod to NASCAR history as it leaves the number 4 available to Morgan-McClure Motorsports should they move back into the Sprint Cup.

Morgan-McClure Motorsports has run the #4 since 1983, winning the Daytona 500 three times, and picking up 14 total wins. Some of the drivers that have piloted the #4 for MMM are Ernie Irvan (7 wins), Sterling Marlin (6 wins), Bobby Hamilton (1 win). Although they are not running in the Sprint Cup this year, they have expressed that they intend to run at NASCAR's top level in 2009.

Newman Joins Stewart-Haas Racing - Press Release

2008-08-18T01:21:00.001-04:00

Here's the announcement from the official press release.

BROOKLYN, Mich. (Aug. 15, 2008) – Stewart-Haas Racing has signed Ryan Newman to a multi-year contract to drive the team’s No. 4 Chevrolet beginning with the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Newman, winner of 13 Sprint Cup races, including this year’s Daytona 500, will be a teammate to Tony Stewart, the two-time Sprint Cup champion who will drive the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet in 2009.

The announcement pairs two Indiana natives and two former United States Auto Club (USAC) champions under one roof.

Newman is from South Bend, Ind., and was the 1999 USAC Silver Crown Series national champion. Stewart is from Columbus, Ind., and a four-time USAC champion, as he won the 1994 USAC National Midget championship before securing the USAC “Triple Crown” in 1995, where he won the National Midget, Sprint Car and Silver Crown titles in a single season – the first driver to do so.

“We’re obviously very excited to have Ryan join our team,” said Stewart, who will serve as both driver and owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, with Stewart owning Newman’s No. 4 entry. “Long before Ryan came to NASCAR, I knew he was talented. His success in USAC has continued in stock cars, and to have someone of his caliber as my teammate makes both the driver part of me and the owner part of me very happy.”

Newman compiled quite the USAC record before embarking on his stock car career. The Purdue University alum who graduated in 2001 with a degree in vehicle structural engineering racked up 17 USAC wins before making the move to stock cars with Penske Racing in 2000.

The learning curve was short, as Newman won three out of five ARCA RE/MAX Series races that year to begin his fast track to the elite Sprint Cup Series, where in addition to his 13 wins, he has 43 poles.

“All I want to do is win, and Tony is a proven winner as both a driver and a team owner,” Newman said. “Tony is a racer who has seen all sides of this sport. He knows what it takes to win, and I know that he’s going to give me everything I need to be successful.

“We share the same goals, the same background and the same mindset. There’s a comfort level at Stewart-Haas Racing that’s very unique, and it’s why I’ve made it my new home.”

Newman and Stewart bring together a combined 57 USAC wins and 45 Sprint Cup wins. Both are former Raybestos Rookie of the Year winners in Sprint Cup, with Stewart claiming the honor in 1999 and Newman earning the title in 2002. Both drivers have also qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup, with Newman earning a berth in the Chase’s inaugural season in 2004 and again in 2005. Stewart joined Newman in the Chase in 2004, won the championship in 2005 and returned to the Chase in 2007.

Newman, who enjoys fishing and restoring vintage cars, resides in Statesville, N.C., with his wife, Krissie.

CREDIT: Stewart-Haas Racing

Riggs Puts 66 Car Into Top 35

2008-08-17T23:23:00.002-04:00

BROOKLYN, Mich. - Scott Riggs jumped two spots in the standings with his 15th place finish today at Michigan International Speedway.

Riggs is 35th in owners points with a 12 point lead over A.J. Allmendinger.

Stewart-Haas Racing Press Conference Video

2008-08-15T19:29:00.001-04:00

Michigan International Speedway - Stewart-Haas Racing news conference with Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman thanks to Cup Scene Daily.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Ryan Newman to Join Stewart-Haas Racing Beginning in 2009

2008-08-15T12:31:00.000-04:00

BROOKLYN, Mich. – Stewart-Haas Racing has signed Ryan Newman to a multi-year contract to drive the team’s No. 4 Chevrolet beginning with the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Newman, winner of 13 Sprint Cup races, including this year’s Daytona 500, will be a teammate to Tony Stewart, the two-time Sprint Cup champion who will drive the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet in 2009.

The announcement pairs two Indiana natives and two former United States Auto Club (USAC) champions under one roof.

Newman is from South Bend, Ind., and was the 1999 USAC Silver Crown Series national champion. Stewart is from Columbus, Ind., and a four-time USAC champion, as he won the 1994 USAC National Midget championship before securing the USAC “Triple Crown” in 1995, where he won the National Midget, Sprint Car and Silver Crown titles in a single season – the first driver to do so.

“We’re obviously very excited to have Ryan join our team,” said Stewart, who will serve as both driver and owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, with Stewart owning Newman’s No. 4 entry. “Long before Ryan came to NASCAR, I knew he was talented. His success in USAC has continued in stock cars, and to have someone of his caliber as my teammate makes both the driver part of me and the owner part of me very happy.”

Newman compiled quite the USAC record before embarking on his stock car career. The Purdue University alum who graduated in 2001 with a degree in vehicle structural engineering racked up 17 USAC wins before making the move to stock cars with Penske Racing in 2000.

The learning curve was short, as Newman won three out of five ARCA RE/MAX Series races that year to begin his fast track to the elite Sprint Cup Series, where in addition to his 13 wins, he has 43 poles.

“All I want to do is win, and Tony is a proven winner as both a driver and a team owner,” Newman said. “Tony is a racer who has seen all sides of this sport. He knows what it takes to win, and I know that he’s going to give me everything I need to be successful.

“We share the same goals, the same background and the same mindset. There’s a comfort level at Stewart-Haas Racing that’s very unique, and it’s why I’ve made it my new home.”

Newman and Stewart bring together a combined 57 USAC wins and 45 Sprint Cup wins. Both are former Raybestos Rookie of the Year winners in Sprint Cup, with Stewart claiming the honor in 1999 and Newman earning the title in 2002. Both drivers have also qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup, with Newman earning a berth in the Chase’s inaugural season in 2004 and again in 2005. Stewart joined Newman in the Chase in 2004, won the championship in 2005 and returned to the Chase in 2007.

Newman, who enjoys fishing and restoring vintage cars, resides in Statesville, N.C., with his wife, Krissie.

Newman to Stewart-Haas Racing?

2008-07-31T00:52:00.003-04:00

Reports are all over the internet that Ryan Newman has a verbal agreement to drive for Stewart-Haas Racing starting in 2009. First announced by ESPN, the story has been reported by Fox and several NASCAR columnists.

If they are right, it looks like the Rocket will be driving the #4 Burger King Chevrolet, with a second sponsor still to be named.

Newman, a fellow Hoosier, will give Stewart-Haas Racing a combined 45 wins and 53 poles, not to mention 2 Brickyard 400's and a Daytona 500. They should make a great pair.

Sources say it will be another 4-5 weeks before an official announcement is made as they tie up the sponsorship and contract details.

This should be entertaining.

Tony Stewart Announcement of Sponsors and Car Number 14

2008-07-25T23:35:00.001-04:00

Tony Stewart announced his new Office Depot/Old Spice #14 car for the 2009 season.

14 Car to be Sponsored by Old Spice and Office Depot

2008-07-25T12:08:00.001-04:00

INDIANAPOLIS – Office Depot and Old Spice will serve as co-primary sponsors of Tony Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet Impala SS NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry beginning in 2009. Officials from the two companies, as well as from Stewart-Haas Racing, made the announcement today near Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Office Depot (NYSE: ODP), a leading global provider of office products and services, along with Old Spice, the No. 1 antiperspirant/deodorant stick and body wash choice for guys in the United States, have entered into multi-year agreements with Stewart-Haas Racing to sponsor the new entry driven by Stewart. In addition, both Office Depot and Old Spice are official NASCAR® partners, successfully leveraging their relationships with NASCAR and their race team sponsorships as powerful marketing platforms for their brands.

“To have Office Depot and Old Spice throw their support behind me and this race team makes me extremely proud,” said Stewart, who announced on July 10 that he had acquired a 50 percent stake in what is now known as Stewart-Haas Racing. “These are two partnerships that make a lot of sense.

“Office Depot focuses on small business owners, and with my role as a driver and owner next year, I’m both their spokesman and their customer – and I have been for years, because with two USAC teams, two World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series teams and three race tracks, you need a smooth-running office if you expect your business to run right.

“Old Spice has been with me for nine years, but our 10th year together is obviously going to be pretty big. This is a major commitment for the Old Spice brand, and we’re going to make sure the success we’ve enjoyed over the years continues.”

Delray Beach, Fla.-based Office Depot is the official office products partner of NASCAR, and its new sponsorship of Stewart, a two-time Sprint Cup Series champion, gives the multi-channel retailer continued star power in what will be its fifth year as a NASCAR sponsor.

“Tony is a successful entrepreneur who has an impressive record as a small business owner. This is one of the reasons why he is such a perfect fit for Office Depot,” said Chuck Rubin, President of North American Retail for Office Depot. “We believe that Tony’s passion to win and relentless pursuit of excellence truly embody the essence of the Office Depot brand and represent the commitments we make every single day to help our customers be successful.”

Old Spice, a brand of Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble (P&G), is the official antiperspirant/deodorant of NASCAR, and its longstanding partnership with Stewart has helped Old Spice become the leader in its category, as well as the male body wash category.

“We’ve really valued our relationship with Tony and have been growing our partnership for over nine years now,” said Alex Keith, P&G Beauty, General Manager, North America Deodorants. “It’s been a great program for Old Spice, and when he came to us with the opportunity to make it even bigger, we knew it was the right move. We’re absolutely thrilled to be on board.”

Also supporting Stewart’s Office Depot/Old Spice effort in 2009 will be Chevrolet. The winner of 31 manufacturer’s championships since coming to Sprint Cup in 1955, Chevrolet adds another powerful team to its already potent lineup with the addition of Stewart-Haas Racing.

Putting an exclamation point on Stewart’s new ride for 2009 is that his red and black Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet will carry the No. 14, made famous by the legendary A.J. Foyt.

“Tony and I have been friends for a long time,” said Foyt, a winner of four Indianapolis 500s, the 1972 Daytona 500 and the 1967 24 Hours of LeMans. “I think I first met him when he was running Midgets. It was quite a while ago so I don’t actually remember where and when. A few times he drove the Silver Crown car I had with George Snider back in the mid-90s and I gave him his first test in an Indy car in Phoenix (in 1995) and he ran pretty quick as I recall.

“In addition to being quick, he’s always told it how it is. I don’t think there’s anyone better to carry the No. 14.”

Stewart has always admired what Foyt, currently an IRL IndyCar Series owner, accomplished in a driving career that began in 1957 and spanned such racing divisions as Indy car, NASCAR, USAC and sports car racing.

“A.J. has always been my hero and will always be No. 1 on my hero list, with the best part being that we are really good friends,” Stewart said. “We obviously have a tremendous amount of respect for one another. I remember him calling me after I won my first Cup championship in 2002 and I remember how much it meant to have him call that night and congratulate me. We really do have similar pasts and carry a lot of characteristics that are the same. He is one of the greatest icons in racing worldwide and to be compared to him in any way is always a huge honor.

“We came up through the same types of cars, from Sprint Cars to Midgets, and then I went to the IRL and moved into NASCAR. A.J. ran Indy cars for a long time and still came into stock car racing and was successful. There aren’t a lot of guys that can go from car to car and still win races. It was something that A.J. was really good at and something that we have been very fortunate to replicate.

“He has given a lot back to racing and has been one of its biggest supporters. Without guys like him, guys like me wouldn’t have had a chance to succeed.”

About Office Depot (NYSE: ODP):
Every day, Office Depot is Taking Care of Business for millions of customers around the globe. For the local corner store as well as Fortune 500 companies, Office Depot provides products and services to its customers through 1,670 worldwide retail stores, a dedicated sales force, top-rated catalogs and a $4.9 billion e-commerce operation. Office Depot has annual sales of approximately $15.5 billion, and employs about 49,000 associates around the world. The Company provides more office products and services to more customers in more countries than any other company, and currently sells to customers directly or through affiliates in 43 countries.

Office Depot’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP and is included in the S&P 500 Index. Additional press information can be found at: http://mediarelations.officedepot.com.

About P&G (NYSE:PG):
Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Gain®, Pringles®, Folgers®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Actonel®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, and Braun®. The P&G community consists of 138,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

NASCAR Teleconference Transcript

2008-07-23T00:48:00.002-04:00

Tony Stewart was the guest for this weeks teleconference. He fielded a variety of questions about,the Brickyard 400, the Chase for the Championship and the status of Stewart-Haas Racing.

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to this week’s NASCAR teleconference in advance of Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. This will be the fourth race in the Race to the Chase. That’s the ten-week run that precedes the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Our very special guest today is the race’s defending and two-time champion, Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota. Tony comes into Indy tenth in the series points standings.

Now you’re a two-time winner at the Brickyard, and what does it mean to go back to that track as a defending race champion?

TONY STEWART: You’re obviously proud when you go back, especially after the first year, I don’t think we got to enjoy the win as much as we did the second year. I think the first year it was more of just a huge weight lifted off our shoulders that we accomplished a lifelong dream of ours. And I think last year it was a chance that we really got to enjoy it with our team, and you know, really we’re able to enjoy the win that night versus just the emotional drain of just finally accomplishing a goal like it was the first time around.

Q. Obviously you’re going to be moving over next year as a co-owner of the team; have you identified what you think the team is going to need to raise up to a championship level, and what’s your timetable? How long do you think it will take?

TONY STEWART: Well, I haven’t fully been able to figure it out. Obviously last week we were on vacation and I did have my first team meeting a week ago yesterday, with the guys in the shop and it was just nice to get that first meeting out of the way and get to see the faces that I’m going to see a lot the rest of this year and a lot of them next year.

So I’m not sure that I fully understand exactly what is holding them back right now but I do know that they have got good resources and it’s just a matter of figuring out where the break is in the system there. There’s obviously something that’s not exactly the way, obviously that it we want it to be or they want it to be right now. It’s just going to take some more time, and I think being able to being at the shop a lot the rest of the year will help with that.

But I know that in the short amount of time since we made the announcement at Chicago, we’ve had a lot of really good people call and want to be a part of this program, and I think that’s going to be a big key to getting it turned around.

As far as how long it’s going to take, I don’t know. I honestly don’t know the answer to that. I wish I could say that everything would be perfect by the time that we go to Daytona, but I think it’s going to be a work-in-progress right now. You look at the caliber of the teams and the quality of car owners that are out there, it’s going to be a lot of work to get caught up to where they are at, but that’s something that I’m excited about is having that challenge and taking whatever time that it takes to get it where we want it to be, and to be a team like a Joe Gibbs Racing or a Hendrick or a Roush or Childress.

Just having that opportunity is something that six months ago was barely an idea and was almost too good to be true at the time.

Q. On the team topic earlier in the season, you were weighing the decision and now you’ve made it and now you’re looking ahead, how has the pressure changed on you?

TONY STEWART: I think it’s taken a lot of pressure off of me. Obviously I’ve got a great race team and still have a great race team at Gibbs right now. We’ve battled a lot of adversity in the last nine and a half years, and obviously when your guys don’t know what you’re going to do for sure and you don’t know what you’re going to do for sure; it makes it a little bit tense, but I think we all have made the most of it. Even though it’s tense, we still have found ways to laugh and joke and cut up and keep each other relaxed to a certain degree.

So it was definitely something that was a hard process for sure but now that we’re through that, I can’t say that it’s a big weight lifted off my shoulders, because it’s like you just switched weights is all you did. We took one off our shoulders and added another one on.

If I wasn’t excited about doing, this I think that would probably bother me a lot. But, I mean, I’m excited about it and I’m excited about all the pressure that we have going into next year now. It’s something that we’ve been, looking forward to.

Q. Do you have any fear in making this move?

TONY STEWART: No, not at all. Once we made the decision and once I said, okay, this is what I’m going to do, at that point, the fear was gone. The fear was just making sure that I was making the right decision in what I felt was going to be the right thing, and, you know, once I made that decision, then that part of it went away.

Q. Being that this is the 15th running of the Brickyard, could you compare that first race in ‘99 to how it is today and your most memorable Brickyard moment?

TONY STEWART: Obviously my most memorable Brickyard moment was the first win in 2005. But obviously the cars have changed a lot since I ran there in ‘99 as a rookie, and this year is going to be another landmark year of bringing the new COT car there for the first time.

Obviously any time that there’s a change, and this is a significant year obviously with bringing a totally new designed car into the series full-time, and to the bigger tracks. So this year, will even be more different than last year and all of the races in the past.

I think as times have gone on and as the series has evolved, it’s kind of been neat to see. The one thing about the Brickyard is there’s outstanding performances by teams when they are able to win. You know, it’s not a track that you back into a win. Track position helps you, but it doesn’t win you the race. It always boils down to who has got the best handling and best handling car and the best straight line speed.

So that combination of those two is very important there, and there’s always been some really good one-on-one battles late in the race that have decided the winner of this event. That to me is what makes this race so special.

You’re not going to have one of those finishes where you’ve got two guys side-by-side coming to the checkered flag; but it’s normally going to be decided before that, and it’s also at the same time, it’s always fun to watch a team when they have a good day there, and you know, the two races that we have won there, it’s been awesome to get in that last ten laps and you know, you pray that when you’ve got a lead and that when you’re pulling away, that you don’t get a caution late and that you just have to hit your marks.

But you’ve got four opportunities to make a mistake, versus two opportunities a lap so, it always makes it more nerve-wracking and those last ten laps of the race seem like they take forever when you’re leading.

Q. Now that you’re an owner and in the sponsorship game, how do you view the climate of attracting sponsors in these economic times and how important is a driver in that?

TONY STEWART: I think it’s big obviously. It was a discussion that I had with somebody the other day, and it’s not – these sponsors don’t attach themselves to teams and drivers; winning races isn’t the priority. It’s still a matter of aligning yourself with a driver and organization that’s going to give you a lot of press and a lot of publicity.

It seems like in the last couple years, two or three years, you’re seeing sponsorships attach themselves to drivers and creating that relationship to where it’s kind of like the Gecko/GEICO. That’s been an icon, and no matter what the commercials are, that gecko is in every one of those commercials and that’s kind of how they center their marketing campaigns, it seems like.

I think the drivers are a huge part of it. Obviously the reputations of the whole organization are important obviously, but the driver is the one that’s doing those commercials and all that, and that seems to me to be where it’s kind of shifting gears from sponsorships signing up with organizations to then versus now the drivers are being lined up and teamed up with sponsors, and that association seems to be what the marketing is surrounded by. I think it’s probably more critical now than it’s ever been.

Q. Just wanted to ask, I know every year about this time of year when you go to the Brickyard you get asked this question, so I figure I would go ahead and ask it. With ownership now entering this new realm in your career, has that given you any more impetus to think about the 500 and going after it?

TONY STEWART: Actually it’s just the opposite. With this new venture, I feel like I need to focus that much more energy toward the Cup program. When I was just strictly going to be a driver, it’s a lot easier to try to do things outside the box, but I feel like now I’ve got more responsibility on me, and I’m responsible for a lot more people.

Even if logistics worked out, I don’t see myself trying to go back and run the 500 anymore. It’s just something that the amount of work and dedication that it’s going to take to be a part of this organization and try to help it be successful going to take a lot of time and effort and that’s something that the month of May, it’s a long, long event. It’s not just a three-day event like it is on a Cup weekend.

So dedicating and splitting my time up between the two events is just going to dilute my effort with what we are doing on the Cup side so, I’m just going to focus on that.

Q. With the new team next year, of course you’ll be going back to Chevrolet, have you gotten any sense at all in recent days in light of General Motors’ announcements that it’s looking at cutting back, as to whether the support that you were expecting in the first place will still be there next year?

TONY STEWART: Honestly we’ve just dealt with the racing side of it. Obviously we all know like you guys know about the economic situation, but just dealing with the people on the racing side is the important part to us right now, and as long as they say we are moving forward, that’s what we are doing.

Q. This is your last Indy with Greg Zippadelli, is there any extra sentiment associated with that and how have things been with you two since the announcement became public?

TONY STEWART: I think it’s been fine. I think we got along as good this year if not better than all the years in the past.

The thing is, when you spend ten years with somebody like that, this was something that was talked about between Zippy and myself before a decision was made on what I was going to do, and I think we both understand why we made the decisions we made, and you know, what was right for me wasn’t necessarily right for him, and vice versa.

But you know I think we’ve been around each other and with each other long enough to respect why we both made the decisions that we’ve made. We’ve all had the professional side of the relationship, but we’ve also had that personal side. He’s always going to be like a bigger brother to me, even when we’re not working together next year. He’s somebody that has spent over a quarter of my life with every weekend each year for the last ten years.

When you have a relationship like that, just because the working relationship changes, doesn’t mean the personal side does. I see us being just as good of friends the rest of this year and in the future as we are and what we have been the last nine and a half years.

Q. I’d like to ask you about the season Kyle Busch is having, winning so many races in the top three series. Being a teammate of his this year, have you discovered anything new about his abilities, has he surprised you at all with what he’s doing?

TONY STEWART: Well, I don’t think any of us expected would he have the year that he’s going to have, and not because he doesn’t have talent. He’s having a dream season, to go out and win the amount of races he’s won in all three divisions, and to be as dominant as he has; you pray that you have a season like that and they don’t come around all the time.

You know, I’m happy being Kyle’s teammate. I’m happy to be as close to him as I am right now, and get a chance to see him have the season that he’s having. I’m proud of what he has done. He’s worked hard and the results have shown from that.

You know, it’s not easy running the Cup Series and then just running a partial nationwide schedule, let alone the beginning of the year running every race, plus running as many truck races as he could.

You know, that takes a lot of commitment to do that and I’m pretty proud of him for what he’s been able to do the first half of the season. Like I say, it’s something that you pray that you’re in that situation in the future; that every year you could have a year like that. You know, you look at the history books and there’s few seasons that have been like this.

Like I say, I’m proud being a teammate of his. I’m really proud and happy for the success he’s had this year, and you hope that the rest of the year finishes out the way that it started for him. I mean, obviously we want to go out and win the Chase just like he does and just like Denny does but you hope that they keep that momentum the rest of the year, too, and have a strong finish to the year after the way the first half of it’s been.

Q. You answered my question about Zippy but I was interested in also finding out, moving into an ownership role, do you think that you will have any more, I don’t know, say, power or pull with NASCAR when you go and complain about something like earlier in the year, you had the problem with the tires and you spoke out about Goodyear; do you think NASCAR takes the owners more seriously than what they hear from the drivers?

TONY STEWART: Not necessarily. Obviously if I have a complaint from the driver’s side they will look at it from a driver’s side. I don’t think being a car owner in the series is going to necessarily have more pull. I think they have always been really good about listening to what everybody has to say and evaluating and making their own decisions about it.

They don’t let the drivers make the decisions for them and that’s something that’s made NASCAR as successful as it’s been for the past 50 years is that NASCAR has always retained that control and they always have open ears and they tell you, that if there’s something you don’t like, come to us and talk to us about it.

I think they treat the driver issues as driver issues. I think they treat the car owner issues as car owner issues and sponsor issues from the sponsorship side. I don’t think having dual roles, though, is necessarily going to give you power over what’s going on. I think NASCAR itself holds the power to what’s going on here. I just think that whatever side of the coin you’re on as far as what aspect that your complaints are about or concerned about, that’s the side they will address it from.

Q. With all of the changes, is NASCAR an open-wheel series – (indiscernible).

TONY STEWART: In my opinion it’s an open-wheel, and when I say open-wheel, I don’t necessarily mean IndyCar Racing. Sprint car racing, midget racing, USAC races and Indiana, and they just finished up Indiana Sprint week and to me there’s a lot of late dirt model racing and pavement racing, but it’s still to me the thing I think most about is all of the midgets and USAC days in Indiana.

Q. You touched on the new car earlier, but given how notoriously difficult it is in the past in Indianapolis anyway, will we see anything different than before?

TONY STEWART: I don’t think so. I think you’ll see the same style of race. Obviously a track that has 90-degree corners versus 180-degree corners, you’re not in the – the duration that you spend in each corner obviously isn’t as long, so that doesn’t normally lead to having multiple grooves.

The preferred line is to be on the white line in each corner. It makes it a little harder to pass because of that, but you know, at the same time, I think what sometimes the fans and sometimes the media loses sight of is that you’re still winning a race at a track that has a rich history and just to have your name on a list of winners there is a huge, huge accomplishment in my opinion.

Like I mentioned earlier, most of the times, somebody that’s won the race there has won it in dominating fashion, and I think sometimes people lose perspective of what the accomplishment of winning that race is when you’ve had a dominating day like that or you’ve had a car that was just that much better than everybody else’s and lose sight and say, well, it was a bad race. It wasn’t a bad race; it was a team that figured out the equation better than somebody else and went out and had a performance that day that showed that.

I think you’ll see a very similar race to what we’ve seen in the past. You never know for sure until you get there obviously but I think it’s going to be very similar to what we’ve seen in years past.

Q. Has the pressure of winning at Indianapolis gone, and do you enjoy this week more than you would have the last few years?

TONY STEWART: Oh, absolutely. There’s no doubt about it. You know, every year that we went there, whether it was an IndyCar or a stock car and had not won there yet, just that pressure kept building. Once we won it in 2005, it took a lot of pressure off and then winning last year even took more pressure off.

I think in all reality, after each time that you’ve won there, I think it makes it easier when you go there. I think the emotional side of it, not the desire, I don’t want you guys to confuse the desire of winning versus the pressure of winning; I think the pressure goes away, but the desire is still there, and I think if anything, it makes it easier to focus on what you’re trying to do and what you’re trying to accomplish because you don’t sit there and wonder all weekend, what would it be like to win.

You know what that feeling is like and you know what to do to accomplish that goal, and it’s just a matter of going out and doing the work to accomplish it. But I think it takes a lot of the pressure off to where you can just focus better and worry about the task at hand of what you have to do to win that race.

Q. As far as the Chase is concerned, are you comfortable with the direction your team is headed right now, and who on the outside right now worries you the most?

TONY STEWART: I couldn’t even tell you any more that we’re tenth in points right now. I haven’t – I don’t even know who is 13th in the points or 14th or 15th.

As far as the comfort level, I am very comfortable where we’re at. I feel like we’ve really started to hit on things the last three or four races, and it still has not led us to a win yet obviously. Chicago I thought was a great example, for a large portion of the race, we were a contender to win and the car got away from us there, the handling got away from us the last couple of runs, but for the majority of the day, we were as fast as our teammate was, and the guy that’s been the dominant driver in all of NASCAR racing this year. To be running with him like that is exactly what we were going to have to do to probably win the championship this year.

I felt like consistently over the last three or four races, our performance seems to be pointed in a direction that we’re a lot more comfortable with and I feel like the consistency in our runs now are going to be a big key factor in the success of the rest of the season.

Q. A few years ago you seemed like you would be eager enough to get enough money to get out of NASCAR and race wherever you wanted. Was there one thing that changed your mind about that? This seems like a long-term commitment to NASCAR.

TONY STEWART: It is, but it doesn’t mean that I have to drive. I don’t know how long that I’ll be a driver, but the good thing is, I’ve enjoyed being an owner in USAC. I’ve enjoyed being an owner in the World of Outlaw Series, and I have no doubt that I’m going to enjoy this experience of being an owner in the NASCAR Cup Series.

We’ll see what direction that goes. I have an option now and I’ve always had an option as a driver of deciding when I retire and doing it on my own terms, and I still have that option and on the other hand, I have an ownership role that I might stay involved in NASCAR until I die as an owner.

It’s nice having those options and you know, like I said, the enjoyment I’ve had owning USAC teams and the world of out law teams, I feel like all that has got me ready to be an owner in NASCAR and hopefully will enjoy some of the same successes that we’ve had in the open-wheel series.

Q. Have you made any progress in getting a teammate?

TONY STEWART: We’re still working on it. Obviously I’d love to announce it sooner than later. I think it will be a key to being able to attract sponsors to the second car. We’re still working on that. Hopefully we’ll be able to get – I want to get that done as soon as I can. I feel like that’s a big key in this whole program being successful next year is having the right teammate so definitely want to get that done as soon as possible.

Q. There could be times next season where Tony the driver and Tony the owner are not exactly going to see eye-to-eye. You can’t fire yourself –

TONY STEWART: Sure, I can. It makes it easier to fire yourself if you own part of the team.

Q. How do you reconcile that next year where you’re going to maybe do things from an owner perspective and another from the driver’s perspective?

TONY STEWART: I think it’s what I’ve learned from Joe Gibbs and JD, and you know, you win races and championships with people; it’s not with fancy race cars and by having trick strategies. That’s not what happens in the long haul. In the long run it’s people.

You know, when I’m at the track on the weekend, I’m on the driver’s side. You hire the right people to do the right jobs and it’s their responsibility to do their job and it’s my responsibility to do my portion of it as a driver on the weekends. When we go back on Mondays and Tuesdays and I’m not sitting behind the steering wheel, I’m obviously an owner again but you have to have that confidence that you have the right leadership within the organization to focus on your job of being a race car driver on the weekends and knowing that those people are doing the right jobs and you have to trust that. If you don’t trust the people that you have working for you, you’re never going to be successful.

I think that’s a trust that you have to put in those people that you’ve put in those positions to do the right jobs and focus on what I need to do as a driver to be successful in my part of it.

Q. As an owner now, putting on your owner hat and looking at adding a driver, several guys out there, what’s the type of person you’re looking for in a teammate, certain mind-set or attitude?

TONY STEWART: I think so. I definitely think so. We definitely want somebody that you feel like is dedicated to what we’re trying to do and realizing that we’re taking an organization that’s not had the success that it wants and has the for sight to look forward and see what we’re trying to accomplish and see that we’re dedicated and going to put 110 percent into making this organization the best it can be.

You know, you want a driver that has that same attitude with what they do every weekend. You don’t want a guy that’s just content to run in the Top 15 or Top 20. You want a guy who has every intention every year and a realistic intention of saying, I expect to make the Chase. I want somebody that expects to win races and expects to be a contender to be a championship every year, and if they don’t have those intentions, that’s not a guy that I want driving my race cars.

Q. What about a crew chief? There’s been a lot of talk about who you might pick, and is Ryan Newman still in the running to be your teammate?

TONY STEWART: There are a lot of drivers in the running right now. It’s not narrowed down to just one driver right now.

Obviously the crew chief situation, that is obviously a big factor in what we’re doing. You know, now that we’re back from vacation, it’s kind of the full-court press now on trying to figure out not only who we’re going to have – we need two crew chiefs right now. It’s not just one crew chief.

We have to figure out exactly if we’re happy with the crew chiefs that we currently have or if we need to look outside the organization, and at the same time, looking at the leadership of what we have on the floor and deciding if the team manager’s roles and the people that are going to really be the brain trust, I guess, and the guys that you trust to get everything turned around. Those are key positions right now that are a huge focus for us right now.

Obviously the two crew chiefs whoever they are going to be whether it’s Booty or somebody different, that’s obviously a huge priority for us right now along with getting a driver and other key people in the organization signed up right now.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you and first of all, much appreciated, Tony Stewart, best of luck this weekend for you.

TONY STEWART: Thanks, you guys, I appreciate your time.

Stewart in the14 Car in 2009

2008-07-22T13:17:00.001-04:00

It looks like Tony will be driving the 14 car next years as Haas CNC Racing has applied to trademark the number 14. The trademark will help prevent people from selling merchandise with the number on it to make money off the team without paying any royalties.

I’ve looked at the trademark and it covers almost anything you can think of to put a drivers number on. The trademark was applied for on July 2nd so its obviously been in the works for a while.

Don’t forget that Tony is on the NASCAR conference call at 2 and then at 3 Ryan Newman will be on. Just a couple Indiana boys discussing this weekends race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, or is there more to this pairing than meets the eye?

This post has been crossposted from tsrfan.com as we ramp up the new site.

Welcome to Stewart Entertainment

2008-07-21T20:29:00.000-04:00

Nothing is more entertaining than racing and for me, it's all things Tony Stewart. Whether it's the Tony Stewart Racing teams in the World of Outlaws, USAC Midgets, Sprints and Silver Crown, or the new Stewart-Haas Racing, you'll find the news and commentary here. You'll also find out about some of the other people that Tony is helping to move up in the world of auto racing.

I'll still be updating the TSRFan.com website but this site will be building up to replace it.