Tony Stewart Leaving Joe Gibbs Racing

A 10 year run at Joe Gibbs Racing looks like it is coming to an end for Tony Stewart. The Gibbs racing team is expected to let Stewart out of his contract at the end of this season.

Team owner Joe Gibbs was trying to sign Stewart to an extension but the talks have gone nowhere. Stewart wants to try things on his own.

Gibbs did not want to let Stewart go but really didn’t have much choice. Gibbs is expected to replace Stewart with Joey Logano who is only 18 years old but the future star of NASCAR betting.

It is also possible that crew chief Greg Zipadelli will stay with Gibbs and handle Logano’s car.

That would break up the longest driver-crew chief relationship in NASCAR. Stewart and Zipadelli have 32 wins in NASCAR odds and have won two NASCAR Championships together.

It is likely that Stewart will become part owner of the Haas-CNC Racing team starting next season. Stewart may also realize that owning a team is the way to make the bigger money, similar to what Jeff Gordon is doing.

The 2008 NASCAR betting season has seen Stewart go winless so far. He has won at least two races every year but nothing has gone right for him in the 2008 NASCAR betting season.

Stewart is also expected to go back to driving a Chevy. Gibbs went with Toyota but Stewart is expected to go back to Chevrolet. The expected move of Stewart to Haas-CNC would give Stewart about half ownership in the team and possibly pair him with Ryan Newman as the two drivers on the team. The team would be renamed Stewart-Haas Racing.

Currently the team has Scott Riggs and another car that has had several drivers but the team has done nothing in NASCAR betting in 2008. A pairing of Stewart and Newman would make the Haas team a force in NASCAR odds each week and a popular NASCAR betting choice.

If you are used to seeing Stewart as the #20 in NASCAR betting you may want to get ready for a change next season. It is rumored that Stewart will pick the #14 in tribute to his hero A.J. Foyt. Sponsorship for Stewart will also change as it is expected he will have Old Spice and Office Depot as the two main sponsors.

Newman would probably have Jack Daniels has his primary sponsor since Clint Bowyer will have UPS next season.

Early NASCAR odds to win the Lifelock 400 on Thursday at BetUs.com have Tony Stewart at +800.