Gibbs to make move to Toyota-new contract for Stewart?
Quote selected text Published June 23rd, 2007 in NASCAR News
Joe Gibbs and Toyota are “a done deal” for 2008, according to several sources, though team executives said otherwise. Apparently one hangup in the talks between the long-time Chevy operation (which features Tony Stewart) and the Japanese car maker is a clause in Gibbs’ current GM contract which bars the team from negotiating with any other manufacturer until the contract is up. So sources said Gibbs has had to go through an agent in the talks.
Gibbs has a major negotiating session scheduled with General Motors in the next two weeks, which should provide the ‘yea,’ or ‘nay’ on that side of the issue.
One of the big reasons for Toyota’s intense interest in Gibbs Racing is Gibbs’ engine program, headed by Mark Cronquist, one of the best in the business.
Gibbs is also renegotiating his contract with Stewart to extend it another two years. The contract runs through the end of 2009; the new package would run through the end of 2011.
- Could Stewart leave Gibbs if they move to Toyota?
- Gibbs ‘very interested’ in move to Toyota?
- Stewart and Hamlin about to get contract extensions
- Gibbs or Waltrip lying over GM secrets?
- Stewart does not want to extend Gibbs contract this off season
so the way it sounds is that toyota is gunna pay gibbs and stuff bc they dont want to wo s&d in the engine dep.
I think Toyota sucks and they need to just get!!!!! Stay with chevy
Gibbs , America loves Chevy’s
Toyota is going to be here a while.
toyota will proble be like how dodge was
Personally, I think this is a pretty big move for Gibbs, and if it’s true, Toyota will finally have a driver that (as much as I hate to admit it) can win races week after week (Stewart), and a prodigy in the works (Hamlin). I’m not a fan of the Toyota teams, but there is absolutely no denying how big this has potential to be for Toyota, or how disastrous this could be for Gibbs and Tony Stewart. At least if nothing else, he’ll have 6 Past Champion provisionals to start the year with if Toyota doesn’t improve in the off season.
“6 Past Champion provisionals”
Well, seeing that JGR will have all three teams in the 35 in the owner’s points he won’t need to use those provisionals unless something really bad happens. But, JGR saw how quickly Toyota took over the Truck Series and now Vickers is running well (except for not qualifying this week), even Waltrip got a top ten last week. Toyota is making huge improvements every week, and with a team like JGR on board they will be victory lane very quickly.
That’s true, he’ll start the year in the Top 35 from last year, but that only lasts six races (I believe). Dale Jarrett had been consistently in the Top 35 for years and years, even with bad equipment haunting him at Yates there in the end, and now he’s struggling to make races. Do I think that honestly that would happen with Stewart, no, probably not, but the possibility is there. Honestly, Gibbs has had so much success in GM products (Both Chevrolet and Pontiac), I don’t see the logic behind the move. Toyota must be offering him a payday like you wouldn’t believe to leave the number one manufacturer (Going by statistical fact alone) in the Cup Series, to (once again statistically) the worst. Like I said, this could be really big for Toyota, a huge team like Gibbs could really help them improve. But if they start the next season like they started this season, you can count on hearing more Tony Stewart rants than you’ve ever heard before.
I love this move by both Gibbs, but, Toyota. This is great for racing!
One could make the case that the reason Toyota has struggled like it has this year is because of the pathetic teams it has under contract this year. They are two start up Oraganizations with MWR and RBR, and then a BDR that hasn’t been a real winning team ever. Dale Jarrett is the only one of the seven Toyota drivers to have ever done ANYTHING in their Nextel Cup career. and hasn’t been really consistant in the last few years. If they had a team the caliber of JGR or drivers the caliber of Stewart and Hamlin, they will make hufe improvements both on and off the track.
How about this, Toyota sucks. End of story.
I cannot believe that Gibbs is even considering Toyota. Toyota should have no room in NASCAR.
This is very disappointing, what a huge mistake Gibbs is making if this is true. I guess you can forget about any more championships for Tony or Denny’s first, if they are in Toyotas anyway.
I don’t think Gibbs should make the move to Toyota.. I hate Toyota, personally, and don’t think that Tony and Denny will have much support there. Stick with Chevy.. it’s American.. we KNOW how to handle Chevy’s.. not everyone is positive about Toyota’s.
HEy now Tony will have something else to whine about!!!!! He was running out of reason to cry. Now he’ll have a whole new season with a new car to get some tv time to whine!!!! Great for the Homodepot team!!!
Ive been a stewart fan ever since i started watchin NASCAR, but if this is true then imma have to start lookin for a new favorite driver. Toyota sucks and never should have been allowed to enter a previously all American manufactured racing series. they oughta to take their small membered asses back to Tokyo where they can play with their little cereal box toys and leaver the real racing to American Cars.
Tony has a championship in a Pontiac and a Chevy, if they do move to Toyota that would be pretty amazing if he wins a championship in a Toyota…3 championships 3 different manufacturers.
Jeff Fan, how about you go start making excuses why your driver got caught with an illegal fender…and you cant say it wasn’t cheating because his dumb team mate got caught with one also…and how can you say “homodepot”? Look at your drivers car…When’s he going to start sporting the fairy princess colors from Dupont that you’ve been waiting so anxiously to get your hands on?
:::Que the whining homophobic reply from Jeff Fan:::
Im not a toyota fan,but if the guy above me wants to talk american? the camry is a american built car unlike ford fusion mexico! and half the monte carlo’s are built in canada!,that wouldnt be american manufactured cars! atleast japan takes care of american employees unlike the others who move jobs outta our country.
Not all American’s “love” Chevy’s…this country and automobiles in general were mainly influenced by Henry Ford.
Are these the same sources who told AutoRacingSport.com that Kurt Busch would be parked at Pocono?
If Tony ends up in a Toyota and learns how to
whine in Japanese it may become entertaining! LOL
NASCAR was born an American Racing Sport and
I believe all of our racecars should be
American models—regardless of where they’re
bodies or parts are actually made!
NASCAR is buying into making our sport anything but
an American racing sport!
NASCAR Racing was born from the days of
Prohibition….cars were american models
souped up to outrun the cops while transporting alcohol
so let’s keep our traditions!
Well hey, give them a chance, maybe they can turn that Toyota team around..
But besides that, GO CHEVY’s!
Good luck Junior! 8
I’ve followed Dale Jr and Tony Stewart since very early in their
careers. I will stick behind my drivers, no matter what team they
go to or what sponsor they switch to, or whether they drive a Ford,
Chevy or Dodge…But a favorite driver going to Toyota is the
deal-breaker. If Gibbs switches and Tony stays, I will burn
every Tony Stewart hat and shirt that I own.
My loyalty to our American Manufacturers is stronger.
Toyota, please stop trying to ruin one of the last things that is
truly American and go back to the rice patties where you belong.
I can’t believe some of the insensitive remarks coming from some of you…Sad thing is you all either drive Asian or European rides anyway…
PLEASE NO NO NO NO NO !!!!!!!!!!!! DON’T DO IT PLEASE I BEG OF YOU !!!!!! STAY AWAY FROM THE RISING SUN
Oh Great….something else for Stewart to piss and moan about!!!!!!!
Well in a few years NASCAR will be like the IndyCar series; All One Manufacturer.
I hope this does happen. For the most part Andrew is close to right, GM kept withdrawing it’s product lines from competition to boost the number of teams driving the monte carlo.
This is not the first time that a non-American based manufacturer is in nascar, jaguar was in it for many years in the 70’s and dodge is a german company too.
There is no such thing as tradition in nascar, everything changes all the time, and that will continue to be true infinitum. As far as companies go, toyota builds more cars in america that are bought by americans than do the other manufacturers in nascar.
I drive a ford truck, and I don’t care if you drive a Toyota truck, whatever is best for you is what all you care about anyway.
I don’t mind Toyo one bit. Hell, I wanna see the Hondos & Italian jobs come over. I’m tired of seeing a Chevy commercial saying “Manufacturer champion” when all they’re was before Dodge came back was either a Ford or G.M. Sorry, that doesn’t make you a champion in my book. That makes it a monopoly (which I have no issue with but don’t say you are the “Manufacturer champion”).
SHAME ON JOE GIBBS , SELLING YOUR SOUL TO THE FOREIGNERS
Been a chevy fan for 35 years, been a redskin fan for 30 years, been a home depot fan for 25 years….I am now just a Chevy fan, always have been and always will be. I will tolerate the skins but Lowe’s will get all my $ from now on. I always liked Tony and Denny, not their fault they will get stuck driving a toy car, but I will no longer pull for them. The wife knows, if I ever end up driving a toyota I have obviously lost the will to live and you may as well shoot me now….Chevrolet, the real and only Heartbeat of America.
Toyota needs to get the &%^$#@ away from nascar..
This is a redneck sport and us rednecks like american made race cars!!!!!!!!!!1