Who’s Going to Fill the #20 Seat at Joe Gibbs Racing?
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Good morning, everyone. It’s another Friday here in mid-July, and it’s a hot one out there ….. which is rather fitting, because that’s the only way to describe the NASCAR scene as of late! I welcome you to another edition of our overly-glorified “Loose in Turn Three” segment. Of course you all know me, and with me as usual are my fellow NASCAR Bloggers, Bruce Simmons and Charlie Turner.
Just as we do every week, we have a trio of topics that the three of us are going to be discussing, but before we jump right into that, let’s start with some background on this week’s featured stories just to make sure that we’re all caught up. Over the last two weeks we’ve seen things already begin to shape up for one helluva 2009 season as the two biggest announcements for NASCAR’s Silly Season have taken place within that timeframe.
Last week in Daytona, Mark Martin was announced as the driver-to-be for the #5 car over at Hendrick Motorsports, which at the time was the easily the most coveted available ride on the market, and knocked down what we thought could be the biggest “domino.” Tony Stewart apparently must have had an Ace up his sleeve, though, and decided to trump that announcement with one of his own, as he announced yesterday in Chicago that Joe Gibbs Racing has granted him his release from the organization prior to the expiration of his current contract. Stewart will depart the no. 20 ride to head over to Haas CNC Racing, which will be renamed to Stewart Haas Racing next season with Stewart as a 50% owner of the company.
Stewart’s announcement now sort of realligns the “dominoes,” and sets the no. 20 car atop the pedestal as the best available car on the market, and makes Ryan Newman the marquee name that could be entering free agency this offseason. Whatever Joe Gibbs Racing and Ryan Newman decide to do from here could have a major impact on the rest of the garage area next year. If Newman winds up in the no. 20 car, then that would keep young Joey Logano out of a full-time Cup ride for at least another season. If Newman joins Stewart over at Stewart Haas Racing, then the no. 12 car at Penske Racing becomes available. If he stays at Penske, then the second Stewart Haas seat will remain open.
There are still a lot of drivers out there waiting to see what these guys intend to do. Their actions will play a factor to who Casey Mears is driving for next year, and could determine if guys like David Stremme or Scott Riggs have a job in the Cup Series at all. That said, let’s take a look and see what exactly Joe Gibbs Racing should do from here.
Q: With Tony Stewart’s departure from Joe Gibbs Racing, who should they look to fill the #20 seat?
TZ: Of course, the obvious answer is Joey Logano, which is what would most likely happen, but I don’t think that’s the best course of action for them to at least pursue. Imagine this … give Logano a full season racing the Nationwide Series in 2009, and field a fourth team car to get him in a few Cup races late in the year. Instead of rushing him into the #20 seat, take advantage of the driver market while it’s worthwhile. Put a damper on all of the Stewart / Newman to Haas CNC talks, and go after Newman. Ryan’s got nothing to gain at Haas CNC in terms of ownership, so why wouldn’t he want to consider driving one of the most marketable cars in NASCAR? A 2010 lineup of Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and Ryan Newman would make it a lot easier for that organization to handle losing Smoke.
Bruce: You already put out the good answer with Joey Logano filling the seat, and my Ryan Newman fan mode likes the idea of him moving to Gibbs rather than Logano filling the seat right away. But the chemistry of driver and crew chief: That’s out next concern!
The other aspect to ponder is with the economy in the down slide that it’s in, is fielding a fourth car going to be worth it for Gibbs? Food for thought.
Charlie: Joey Logano has been doing most of the CoT testing for Joe Gibbs Racing this year. He won’t be any younger than Kyle Busch was when he started with Hendrick Motorsports. That #20, Home Depot Chevy with Stewart at the wheel was one of NASCAR’s most recognizable brands. That’s gone after 2008. Might as well start building the new #20 right off the bat.
Now, Ryan Newman moving over to Joe Gibbs Racing next season is certainly a possibility - and, probably a dream come true for most Flyin’ Ryan fans - but, the consistent rumors floating around right now would put Newman driving the car opposite of Smoke over at Stewart Haas Racing.
Newman was tearin’ up the track his first couple of seasons in the Sprint Cup Series, but ever since Matt Borland departed as Newman’s crew chief, the road’s been a little rocky for the no. 12 team. He’s shown signs of life this year - particularly with his win at the season opening Daytona 500, but the team has had their struggles as well, and Newman now currently sits outside the top-15 in points with just 8 races remaining until the cutoff for the Chase. Read more on this over at Bruce’s NASCAR Bits ‘n’ Pieces as we answer the question of:
Moving down to the Nationwide Series for a moment, rumors have begun to circulate that the Navy may be pulling out of their sponsorship program there with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and JR Motorsports. The organization picked up their first two wins earlier this season with both Mark Martin and Brad Keselowski pulling into Victory Lane, but with a lack of backing from the Navy, this could potentially jeopardize the operation as it stands now.
There was some talk earlier in the season as to whether or not Earnhardt would be looking to promote JR Motorsports up to the Sprint Cup level as early as next season, and then most recently there has been rumors (though they’ve already been denied) that DEI could be looking to sell or maybe even grab hold of some financial backing. Head over to On Pit Row to read the rest on this one as we answer the following question:
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2 opinions for Who’s Going to Fill the #20 Seat at Joe Gibbs Racing?
Clance' McClannahan
Jul 11, 2008 at 7:55 pm
“No one has left a comment yet. You know what this means, right?”
It means I am first or no one is reading this.
It’s funny that Ryan’s scope says this:
This is an excellent time for all kinds of mental work and for negotiations and dealings with others. You should feel mentally alert now and able to put forth your point of view on any matter so that others understand it. Whether they agree with you or not, they will at least respect your opinions. In negotiations with others, you will be able to assert your position and make it carry, if that is your intention. This a good time for planning, writing or any other predominantly mental work. You have a good grasp of how situations relate to you personally, and you can make plans accordingly. This is a favorable time for traveling, because you have lots of energy and want to be on the go. It is most favorable for travel that involves physical effort, such as walking or bicycle riding.
I would love to see him race with Smoke, but I must admit that my partiality to my 2 fav drivers may be clouding my judgement.
Would JGR put the money into Ryan that he deserves? I’m not sure they would. Ryan has the potential to be a champion no doubt, but Logano, in the long term may look to be a better investment. The kid’s still moldable.
Tim Zaegel
Jul 11, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Obviously Logano is the long-term investment for Joe Gibbs, and he should be … but, my point is that their original plans were to keep Stewart in their stable and build a fourth Cup team around Logano. They can still do that, but it would be Newman in the #20 and not Stewart. If they could sign Newman to a deal, I don’t see any reason for them not to push forward with adding another team.
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