http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/blog/from_the_marbles/post/The-Daily...
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008 8:49 am EDT
The Daily Dose: Still trying to figure out this Stewart Haas thing
By Bob Margolis
While I was away on vacation last week, I happened to miss the press conference announcing Ryan Newman as the second driver for the new Stewart Haas Racing team.
Did anyone (other than Newman fans) get excited about this? And should we even care?
Not me. I'm still scratching my head over this whole Stewart Haas Racing deal.
There's an old saying that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. The NASCAR road is strewn with the debris of race teams owned and operated by active drivers. Is Stewart that egotistical to believe that he can be the first to break the streak?
Giving up the seat and then owning a team appears to be the more successful path to take.
Stewart has mentioned (several times) that he has talked with Robby Gordon about being a team owner. That's like planning an ocean cruise and talking to the captain of the Titanic about which route to take.
For those of us who know, Gordon's operation is barely staying afloat. After rejecting an extremely generous bid to sell his organization to team owner George Gillett, Gordon has conveniently put himself between a rock and a hard place. He hasn't paid himself in nearly a year and his team is essentially un-sponsored and without a manufacturer agreement for 2009
Not the kind of reference I'd be using, Tony..
Who will be running Stewart Haas Racing? Joe Custer? I don't think so. Nice guy, but given his track record, he's certainly not the kind of big league player needed for this operation. I think Stewart knows that and I expect we'll have an announcement within six months of new leadership.
And finally back to Newman. Is there a more overrated driver in NASCAR today? Two wins in the past 131 outings doesn't scream "hire me." It's been five years since Newman had his "glory" season. That's a long time for a sport that thrives on "what have you done for me lately." Maybe it's the Hoosier connection or something, but Stewart certainly could have done better.
Don't get me wrong. I like Stewart. I like him a lot. And I wish him nothing but the best. But, there's something about this whole Stewart Haas Racing deal that just doesn't feel right.
That's how I see it.