| Stewart and Zipadelli to part company | Wednesday 7/9, 3:16 PM CT |
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Tony Stewart may be leaving Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), but it appears Greg Zipadelli will remain with the No. 20. The announcement from JGR says that Stewart's parting "will end the longest active driver/crew chief relationship."
Our View: Their association was something special and it’s going to be difficult to imagine another crew chief who can help keep Stewart's emotions in check. |
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| Stewart leaves JGR | Wednesday 7/9, 1:44 PM CT |
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It's official: Tony Stewart will leave Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) at the end of the season and an announcement about where he will land is expected on Thursday. He is rumored to be taking partial ownership of the Haas-CNC teams.
Our View: Better to reign in hell than to rule in heaven? Stewart will end up taking over a ride that is either barely inside, or outside of the top 35 in owner points and will have a lot of work to do in 2009 to make the team competitive. |
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| Burton's streak ends | Wednesday 7/9, 12:19 PM CT |
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It's over. Jeff Burton took a couple of trips into the wall at Daytona. He survived one spin, but when he and Casey Mears crashed on lap 141, the damage was too much to overcome. That snapped a 23-race streak of top-15 finishes.
Our View: Consistency has kept him near the top of the grid in terms of points, but to win the championship he needs victories and top-fives during the Chase. Perhaps the team can refocus after this setback. |
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| Mears, Stremme frontrunners for No. 12 | Wednesday 7/9, 10:59 AM CT |
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A lot of puzzle pieces still need to fall into place—assuming that the "first rumor" of Tony Stewart turns out to be true. If Ryan Newman joins him at Haas-CNC, Casey Mears and David Stremme are the most likely candidates to take over the No. 12.
Our View: This may well be one of the most complicated rumor mills in recent years. One thing is certain: Program sales will be brisk for next year's Daytona 500 with all of these changes. |
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| UPS to No. 07? | Wednesday 7/9, 9:59 AM CT |
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Silly season doesn't only affect drivers; a number of sponsors are also rumored to be moving around. One such report has UPS moving from the No. 44 of David Reutimann to the No. 07 of Clint Bowyer.
Our View: That leaves sponsor Jack Daniels looking for a new driver and car and one rumor has Ryan Newman moving to Haas-CNC as a teammate to Tony Stewart. |
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