Could Stewart leave Gibbs if they move to Toyota?
Quote selected text Published August 8th, 2007 in NASCAR News
According to rumors, the decision at Joe Gibbs Racing to switch to Japanese automaker Toyota gives Tony Stewart the option to leave the team.
Tony Stewart’s contract with Gibbs runs through 2009 and according to some there is a provision in the contract with Home Depot that prevents Stewart from driving another make of car other than a Chevrolet.
So when the Gibbs Toyota announcement is made, if it is made, it will be interesting to see if Stewart is still with the team or if he moves to another Chevy team.
- Report: Stewart to start team with Bass Pro Shops, Hendrick support
- Toyota to make run at Gibbs, Penske & Yates
- Gibbs ‘very interested’ in move to Toyota?
- Gibbs to make move to Toyota-new contract for Stewart?
- Gibbs says Stewart will not be offered ownership in team
Hmm that would really make for a crazy silly season if Gibbs goes Toyota and Smoke bails out! I would think that Home Depot, Gibbs, Smoke, and all parties involved would be best served by all keeping that winning combination together.
I guess we’ll wait and see… Not only is the Toyota thing speculation at this point, but this reeks of rumors and speculation, so I’m not banking on any of it being true yet! No matter where Tony ends up and what manufacturer he’s driving for, I’ll still support him
Why would Home Depot care about the car maker? They only care about exposure and Smoke can get that driving a golf cart in the race.
Because Home Depot know that Chevy Wins and they want a winning driver! Not one getting in on the champions provisional!
Hmmm…Tony and Home Depot to TEI..sorry DEI(slip of the finger there). Next rumor please!
Well, Home Dept I am sure has contracts with Chevrolet too. non-NASCAR contracts and
that ended up carrying over to NSACAR. Like when Arctic Cat had a contract with
Chevrolet too.
Haha. I like Ricks comment.
But I really don’t think Tony will choose to leave.
I’m pretty confident he can drive any make and succeed, but I personally
dislike Tony AND Toyota :]
I can just see “TONY STEWART” giving up his shiny new
corvette for a camry. That won’t happen!!!
OMG, Tony to Hendrick?! XD
tony has a personal contract with chevy for his world of outlaw car and there motors
so he is not going to be in anything but a chevy and it is still just a rumor
This is only in regard to the Home Depot contract….. Who says Gibbs would keep HD as a sponsor? Look at what happened with Bud and Dale Jr, Bud couldn’t follow him. I’m sure Toyota will spend more money with Gibbs than HD. Dale Jr also had a contract specifically with Bud, that didn’t matter either.
HA! Yes Axel..
TEAM HENDRICK in 08.
GORDON JOHNSON EARNHARDT JR STEWART.
X]
I can visualize it already..TROUBLE! The leaders crash eachother!
4 Hendrick cars pile up in Turn 4 on the final lap of the Daytona 500!
TONY HAS SAID HE IS A CHEVY MAN …IN REGARDS TO WHAT U SAID ABOUT WHY WOULD TONY AND HD CARE ABOUT THE CAR MAKER .. COME-ON HAVE U WATCHED NASCAR THIS SEASON TOYOTA IS HURTIN AND LIKE ALOT OF PEOPLE LIKE TO SAY ITS NOT WALTRIPS FAULT. THEY JUST HAVE TO PUT IN THE LAPS AND REAL RACES LIKE THE OTHER MAKERS BEFORE THEY CAN JUST STROLL IN AND MAKE A BIG SPLASH …YOU THINK TONY CAN MAKE THE TOYOTA RUN FASTER THAN ANYONE ELSE LOOK AT MY BOY KASEY KANE HE WON MORE RACES THAN ANYONE LAST YR AND THEY GOT BOLD AND CHANGED THE NOSE AND HE HAS SUCKED HINE-TITT ALL SEASON AND WE KNOW KASEY IS A HELLUVA DRIVER …..TONY AND TOYOTA NOPE ….WE CAN START ANOTHER ROUMOR TONY TO SIGN WITH JR MOTOR SPORTS AND DRIVE UNDER CHAD KANUS OR HOWEVER U SPELL IT .THATS ABOUT HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS STORY!!
I dont think Hendrick wants Mr. Cry baby he is getting rid of one big crybaby
in Bush and he doesnt need any more.
I can’t believe Joe Gibbs is selling his soul to a FOREIGN company.
Well the rest of the country is too so why not.
I hope Tony does leave Gibbs if he does go with the foreigners.
SHAME ON JOE GIBBS
Next year with the COT is is all about team and engine….nothing else. tony can easily win in a Toyota.
What does what has happened this year have to do with the COT Toyota program next year? NOTHING!!!!!
Im glad you were respectfull and said Mr. Cry Baby but I’m sure you were talking about JG, right.
Hendricks would love to have another great driver like Tony so I guess Johnson should start worrying now about his ride if Tony needs a Chevy car to drive. Ha Ha Ha
Know what’s sad? I could see Hendrick dropping Johnson like a bad disease without even telling him and pursuing Tony like white on rice. If Tony decides to stay with Chevy… there’s just no words as to what the hell would happen..it would be worse than the Earnhardt ordeal. I can’t see Tony at Hendricks…so i’m sticking to it when I say he WON’T be with them. I would cry for months if he ended up there. Teammates crashing every race… god, it’s hard to even THINK about it.
If tony goes to Hendricks, Home Depot wouldnt follow him, why would they? Home Depot and Lowes both together with the same team?? Would NEVER happen
Drop Mears!
I really dont know what im talking about!
I think Ron hit the nail on the head.
he’ll probably go to rcr
Maybe We will see tony in the #8 Bud Car. It’s still a Chevy and based off of DEI’s recent performance it seems as though they are geting their stuff right. Maybe Zippy could leave too rather than having to learn about a new motor and body style and have to share his knowledge with TuRD. I mean TRD.
I would die if he went to the #8 Bud car.. seriously, I would.. my entire room is orange and my life is painted orange..i’d die, lol… But of course leave it to crapface Hendrick to kick someone off a team to make room for someone else.. and weren’t there drink labels once on the same team? Can’t recall exactly what they were..but they were on the same team..I understand that it would be utterly pointless to have two home improvement stores on the same team, but with Hendrick’s great d**k sucking ability in the motor sports world, he could get his way by throwing a pretty little tantrum and tossing his big fat money around. Sorry for the way of words, but it’s true.
And.. if Hendrick kicks Johnson, there wouldn’t be any worry as to having two home improvement stores on the same team.. HMM???
amanda,
first of i gotta say i think this mess is bogus and gibbs will still be chevy next year, just cant find any logic in him going to toyota. stewart will leave if he does, so will home depot bc they can only sponsor a chevy as part of a deal where there rental vehicles are all gm.
but, if he does go with toyota, i am almost certain home depot and tony would leave together. as someone said, they can’t go to hendrick because of lowes, and im pretty sure rcr doesnt have room. so, IF any of this is true, i would see the 8 as the most likely place for stewart, but with kahne getting bud, they need a sponsor, so lets just paint that red car orange, problem solved.
After whats happened with Jr. to Hendrick and DEI expanding , nothing surprises me anymore. I think everyone that says going to Toyota is stupid cause they are slow , that was the feeling in the truck series for a year or so and now Toyota wins most of the races AND theres alot of good Ford , Chevy and Dodge teams. So dont bet the farm on Toyota being the door mat for long. Also , I understand that Tony has a Chevy contract at this time , but dont think he’s Mr. Chevy only , I have pics of his sprint cars from less than 4 years ago with Ford power and Dodge power in them. And at the time he was driving a Chevy Cup car.
well i wouldnt wont kyle bush for a team mate ether
JUstin: the Toytoa truck engine is diffrent than the Cup one (not as good at this time) and next year the Toyota trucks have to run the same engine as the cars so they will lose alot.
We’ll see
if it’s in his contract, then it’s in his contract,
that can’t be broken! there would then be legal issues
to be dealt with.
…but I still wanna hear Tony whine in japanese! LOL
If Tony went to DEI in the 8.. I would be so pissed off.
After years of rooting for the number 8 I would then have to boo it?!
Oh well, I still want this number ordeal solved for Junior at Hendricks now.
Is it gonna be the 8 or 81 ?
I can’t wait any longer! >
I’m not following the idea of Johnson getting dropped.
Doesn’t Gordon have a little part of the team? And isn’t
Johnson Gordon’s protege? And doesn’t Gordon’s words
turn golden once they are uttered? I don’t think Stewart
to Hendrick with Home Depot will work out, and I don’t see
Stewart leaving Home Depot.
I work for Home Depot and some of there rental trucks are FORD F150’s!!!! The “personal Contract” with chevy and gibbs has nothing to do with anything!! I have been a huge tony fan long before I became an employee with Depot and I personally would love to see him in an Orange Home Depot Camry!!! Go SMOKE!!!!!
An online petition to Joe Gibbs Racing has been created. This is to plead with JGR to stay with Chevy. Spread the word and sign the petition by visiting:
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/201118/
If this gets enough signatures it’ll be newsworthy and I’ll post it as a story.