Gibbs family focusing on a future without Stewart

When Joe Gibbs first thought about making the transition from football coach to owner in NASCAR, he visited with legendary driver and owner Richard Petty.

"I'd really like to get into ownership in NASCAR," Gibbs told Petty.

Petty looked at him long and hard. Then he asked, "Why?"

Sixteen years later, Gibbs still remembers that day and Petty's one-word response that spoke volumes about the potential pitfalls of ownership in an expensive and highly competitive sport. Gibbs and his son, J.D. Gibbs, had pretty much the same kind of reaction when their marquee driver at Joe Gibbs Racing, Tony Stewart, came to them a couple of months ago and said he was mulling over an offer to transition into NASCAR ownership.

But over time, they came to understand that Stewart had been presented with an offer that he simply could not refuse from Haas CNC Racing. That organization offered Stewart a 50 percent stake in ownership for no buy-in, counting on Stewart's name to help them land the sponsorship dollars -- and people -- that they believe will transform them into a company on the leading edge in NASCAR.

Ultimately, Stewart went for it. And Joe Gibbs Racing eventually went along with it, agreeing to release Stewart from the contract that bound him to drive for JGR through 2009 to leave at the end of this season.

"For us, our ideal situation would be Tony drives for JGR, redoes a deal and retires here and keeps going forward. You start a fourth car down the road and that's your team. That was our hope," J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR, said prior to Saturday's LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.

"Obviously knowing where he is, in the past we kind of felt like if you have the best cars and the best guys working on it, you pay well, it usually works out. For Tony's situation, it's kind of a different situation because he's not really looking at who can provide me the best racecar to win, he's looking at other business opportunities, which I understand. I think for us, while it was discouraging, we understand where he is and obviously as an owner, half of me is kind of excited to see him in a few years and ask, 'How's this ownership thing working out, man?' Because it's a hard deal."

It is a hard deal, but both Joe and J.D. Gibbs said they believe Stewart has what it takes to be successful as an owner.

"He's the type that can do whatever he puts his mind to so I'm sure he'll be around for many years and be successful," J.D. Gibbs said. "It was discouraging for us because we had hoped he'd finish out his career here. Going back to 12 years he was with us, it just didn't work out that way. Hey, we understand that."

Joe Gibbs added: "Actually, to be quite truthful, we would have liked this to continue with Tony. ... I think the further we went with it and the more we talked about it, we just reached a conclusion that it would probably be best under these set of circumstances to go ahead and let Tony pursue another option here and let him get started and let us get started in a different direction." (Joe Gibbs, Tony Stewart on TNT)

Speaking at length with the media for the first time since the announcement on Wednesday that Stewart would be leaving JGR to form Stewart-Haas Racing, Joe and J.D. Gibbs admitted that Stewart's departure leaves a gaping hole in their organization. But they were quick to add that a plan is forming to fill that hole.

Addressing widespread and increasing speculation that 18-year-old phenom Joey Logano is the heir apparent to slide into Stewart's seat in the No. 20 Toyota at season's end, neither did much to downplay that scenario.

"I think for me personally, Joey is a candidate for anything," Joe Gibbs said in response to a direct question about Logano's candidacy to move into the No. 20, despite no Cup experience in an actual race and only four starts in the Nationwide Series. "I think that ever since we got started with Joey and his family and everything with racing, we tried to put him in everything we can. I think we have a total now of 32 tests that he's been with us in Cup cars and everything. I don't think there's one incident ever where he hasn't stood out. I think our crew chiefs have had a chance to be right alongside him.

"He couldn't have done anything that wouldn't have impressed us more. He is 18, but I think he's very mature as a racer and we've tried to give him every bit of experience since he's been with us. Obviously he's a huge part of our future. I think right now we have to make sure we work through all these things we're going through right now. We've had numerous conversations with him and his dad and we kind of know what they feel. We're just working through a process here."

They said they will try to follow the same sort of process that has worked well for them through the last 16 years, which has produced 65 Cup victories (32 by Stewart) and three championships, two by Stewart and one by Bobby Labonte.

In other words, the ownership thing worked out pretty well for the Gibbs family -- despite Richard Petty's one-word warning that it would not be an easy road. J.D. Gibbs said that he and his father issued a similar warning to Stewart about ownership, but they never doubted that the driver was probably going to give it a try anyway -- and now they wish him well.

"Our advice was the same we give to most guys that come into this sport -- don't do it," said J.D. Gibbs, smiling. "But I think he'll be fine. He has a good group of guys around him. I think he'll be in good shape.

Gibbs added that he believes JGR, which owns more Cup and Nationwide victories than any other organization this season, will be fine as well. Adding that Stewart's crew chief, Greg Zipadelli, has signed a long-term contract extension and is in place to remain in the same capacity for whoever pilots the No. 20 car next season, Joe Gibbs said he is confident the organization that bears his name is ready to face a future without Stewart after this season.

"Certainly the one thing about pro sports is that it's never sitting still; it's always changing," the elder Gibbs said. "Can we continue to perform and do what we should do? That's what we're focused on."