(Photo by Leon Hammack)
It was only a matter of time before THE SMOKER took his new team to victory lane! To all the nay sayers, the Stewart-Haas Racing #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy is a true serious threat for the championship for 2009. In just 12 races the #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy has, no doubt, exceeded the team’s expectations for 2009. Darien Grubb, THE SMOKER’S crew chief, was quoted on NASCAR Now this afternoon, that even though he admitted that the team’s performance for 2009 has been exceeded, the goals for the remainder of this season has and will continuously be adjusted.
The #14 team has climbed up to second position in the Cup standings for 2009. Not only has the #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy performed outstandingly, but the #39 Army Chevy has quitely maximized their performance and slipped into 8th place in the standings! With one-third of the season under our belts, both of the Stewart-Haas Racing teams have responded quite well to the challenges of competing at the highest levels of NASCAR.
Since both teams at Stewart-Haas Racing are positioned strongly in the top 12 securing, at least for the time being, a possible bid in the Chase for the Championship. Might this lead to the idea that next year might be a very opportune time to add a third race team?? After all, THE SMOKER just won a million dollars and that now bolsters the bank account very nicely!
COMMENTARY
Is it just me or has Mr. Tony Stewart toned down his criticisms, sharp tongue, and his never ending whining and finger pointing? Is it the fact that he now is personally responsibile to all of his sponsors that may have caused Tony to “mask his strips”?? Have you noticed that he has started wearing a hat with his sponsor’s logo? He NEVER did that when he was driving for Joe Gibbs Racing! What do you think?
Please take part in the poll below. Also express your thoughts, via the comment tab at the bottom of this article, on Stewart-Haas Racing starting a third race team, or Tony’s new found personality!