One of the greatest combinations in NASCAR Sprint Cup history will come to an end this weekend when Tony Stewart competes in his final race for Joe Gibbs Racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
After the checkered flag falls, Stewart will move on to become owner/driver at Stewart Haas Racing, where he will field a two-car effort that also includes Ryan Newman. Stewart will be replaced in the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota by 18-year-old Joey Logano, who, despite rumors that the team is having second thoughts about moving him up to the Cup Series, has been given the seal of approval by Stewart.
“It’s something new, and a group of guys that don’t normally work together on a Cup car,” Stewart said. “That’s a team that Gibbs has had to put together to try to get Joey [Logano] some seat time for next year. I’m glad they’ve done that. They haven’t seen the results that they want, but we all know that Joey is better than that, and once he gets in the 20 car, that will remedy itself.”
“You hire people off their work ethic and passion,” Stewart said. “It’s not so much on how they work with me, but rather how they work with each other. They only have to deal with me for a few hours a day; they are the ones that are together from 6 in the morning until 6 in the evening.
“The reason we have so many people applying for positions with our new team is because they understand our passion and desire to be successful. Nobody has blinders in the garage area. Everything that has happened they have seen.”
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