So…how do you tell when there is an off – weekend in NASCAR? The rumors start to fly- especially ones about Tony Stewart.  This weekend the rumor was WWTD (What Will Tony Do). The “silly season” rumors about Tony are running rampant out there in blogland, and have bloggers and journalists alike singing “will he stay or will he go?”  For those not in the know, Tony’s current contract with Joe Gibbs racing (JGR) runs through the end of the 2009 racing season and already people are speculating as to what Tony will do (mostly because they can’t talk about the length of his hair because he cut it and the whole tire debacle has since died down somewhat).

In my research, the “internet” has decided that these are the “choices” Tony has as to what his future in NASCAR will be:

1. Move over to Haas Racing as a driver/part owner (a la Jeff Gordon with HMS).
2. Move over to Richard Childress Racing (RCR).
3. Start his own team and drive for it (a la Michael Waltrip Racing).
4. Stay with JGR perhaps as a driver/part owner in fourth team.

There seems to be an insistence among “fans” (and I use that term loosely because these “fans” are posts from internet discussion groups) that Tony does not like the fact that Joe Gibbs racing went to Toyota. Obviously I don’t know what Tony’s feelings are about it because I don’t know him and he doesn’t know me from a hole in the wall.  And if you asked him right now he would tell you what he has been saying (he doesn’t care) because right now Toyota is the company paying the bills.   I can tell you that as a long NASCAR fan I really don’t care what manufacturers are in the series.  Personally favorite drivers of mine have never followed any particular manufacturer, except for maybe Bill Elliott because my mom claims I picked him because he drove a Ford and we had Fords…but I was probably about 8 at the time so forgive me that one trespass.   I have owned two Chevy’s and one Toyota (and don’t think I didn’t catch hell from my family being the first one to own a non-American made car) in my “driving” life and I can tell you right now that the Toyota was more reliable than the one Chevy (the other I have only owned for about five months now so I can’t really tell you on that one).  Not to mention the fact that my Toyota Rav4? Was made in Ohio.  My Chevy that I drive right now? Made in Mexico and Canada.  I hear the typical “American Sport should have only American Manufacturers” argument- but that argument doesn’t fly with me because Americans in general don’t only drive American made cars. But now I am digressing.

So let’s say that Tony does want to go back to driving for GM.  Between the Haas/RCR – I just have a hard time seeing Tony with Haas racing.  Granted speculation is that he would have an interest in the team itself, much like the interest that Jeff Gordon has in Jimmie Johnson’s race team, not to mention that Haas has technical support from Hendrick Motor Sports (according to Lee Spencer anyway).  I still  just don’t see Tony moving over to HAAS.  If he was going to move to a different team I would bet on RCR.  I think that between the two options there RCR has a high quality team that would put him in more competitive cars.  Not to mention the fact that I think RCR has a tad bit deeper pocket than Haas racing and would be more willing to lay down the bank that Tony is looking for (and who can blame him really). Remember people, this is just my take on the matter.

I don’t even think that starting his own team is an option, so I won’t even entertain the idea. It’s not that I don’t think Tony could do it. I am sure he could do almost anything he put his mind into- I just don’t think that he is of the mind to do this.  If he was I think he would start like Kevin Harvick has and start with Craftsman Trucks or Nationwide and then maybe move into Cup.

I am of the same mind as Jeff Hammond though, in that I would be surprised if he left JGR.   He has won two championships with JGR. He is currently solidly in the top 12 (tied at this writing for 6th place with teammate Denny Hamlin) and while winless he has been fairly consistent with top ten finishes this season (and true Stewart fans know that typically his team doesn’t heat up until the second half of the season).  I can’t find the article now, but recently Tony himself was quoted as saying he wanted to finish out his NASCAR career with JGR.   JD Gibbs has been quoted in saying that their hope is that JGR will be where Tony retires (and thus one would assume extend his contract).  As a fan I would follow him no matter what team he ended up with…because obviously he felt that his needs weren’t being met with his current team. But I can say that I do not want to see Tony leave Joe Gibbs Racing.