Face it, Tony looks better in a bow tie
April 25th, 2008, 6:42 pm · Post a Comment · posted by rhoeft
I knew it wouldn’t last.
Back before the current NASCAR Sprint Cup 2008 season, began, I was talking about all the changes that were coming, among them Joe Gibbs Racing switch from Chevrolets to Toyotas.
That meant seeing Tony Stewart behind the wheel of a Toyota, and, hey, that just ain’t right. I mean, this cat pretty much bleeds whatever color blood you want to associate with GM. And I wondered then if changes might be on the horizon, despite Tony’s professed allegiance to JGR.
And, what do you know? This week the buzz around Talladega is all about Tony looking at other contract offers, looking for another ride.
Call me crazy, or silly, or whacked, or whatever, but I believe it has to do with brand association. Sure, it’s also about money, but don’t forget that Tony has a garage full of of Chevrolets at home, not to mention the fact that he just did an Amorall commercial in which he drives up to a convenience store in a sweet, black Corvette.
On top of that, check out the sprint cars he owns. They aren’t powered by rice burners. Nope, big-horsepower Chevrolets, bow tie power all the way.
Those in the know say this episode is all about Tony wanting to use leverage to get more dinero out of JGR. That’s what went down in 2003, when he was flirting with a contract offer from Chip Ganassi before re-signing with JGR.
But I want to also point out that Tony is, or was, one of Chevrolet’s biggest names, one of their high profile drivers, second only to Dale Earnhardt Jr., I suspect. And don’t you think for a second that losing Tony to Toyota went over too well in Detroit.
And don’t you think Chevrolet wants him back? Don’t fool yourself if you think not.
That being said, consider this final tidbit. When it was time to start re-negotiating his contract with JGR, Tony said he was looking forward to signing an extension. That was before it was revealed that JGR would be switching from Chevrolet to Toyota.
Since then, or to be more concise, in January, Tony said he was in no rush to sign a new deal with JGR.
Coincidence? I think not.
Face it, Tony looks so much better in a bow tie.
