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One word.
That’s all it took to turn Haas CNC Racing from a Sprint Cup afterthought into one of the most powerful teams in NASCAR. That word was Stewart.Since Tony Stewart took an ownership role in the team after the 2008 season, changing the name to Stewart-Haas Racing, the organization that once was lucky to have a driver make a race is now one that has two drivers in the Chase.It’s all because of Stewart and his ability to surround himself with the right people. His choices have turned the Kannapolis, N.C.-based team into one of the sport’s elite, competing alongside Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing and Richard Childress Racing.Not bad, especially when you consider Stewart wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when he made the switch from Joe Gibbs Racing after winning a pair of championships."At this point it’s easy to say we’ve exceeded our expectations for what we thought and what everybody else thought we could do," said Stewart, who will be bidding for his second victory at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday. "We’re happy about it. I don’t know that I would change a thing so far to this point. It’s been a pretty smooth ride for the first 32 races of the year. I’m like a proud father of our organization. I’m proud of the people that we have. I’m proud of the effort they put forth."What’s made the driver-owner job easier for Stewart is his touch when putting his team together. The other driver he chose for his team — Ryan Newman — earned a Chase spot. Stewart chose Darian Grubb to be his crew chief after his time at Hendrick Motorsports. He also selected Bobby Hutchens to be the team’s director of operations. That move has been pivotal. Stewart won’t be worrying about anything but racing at the track this weekend. Hutchens will handle running the company while Stewart tries to figure out how to keep his fleeting Chase hopes alive at the Dickies 500."It’s worked out well for Tony," said Hutchens, who came from Richard Childress Racing. "He feels confident in our group. He can totally focus on the race car. I don’t think he worries about the politics or things we deal with on a day-to-day basis. He’s been awesome as a boss."The last statement probably couldn’t have been said a few years ago, when Stewart was known as much for his temper as he was for his driving. But now, Stewart has become as much a businessman as he has as a driver. He’s secured huge sponsors for his team in Old Spice, Office Depot and Burger King.He’s also been front and center with the media, talking about his new team. It’s not just lip service, either.The good vibe Stewart is giving off has been felt by his team."He’s really laid-back," Grubb said. "He’s here to have fun and build this team into a championship contender. I’ve been very impressed with him. Even when things aren’t going great, we’ve had a lot of fun trying to get better."
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