Smoke Signals Farewell

Decade: Ten years in NASCAR’s top tier series with the same team and the same crew chief is an accompishment in itself, but add in 33 victories and two championships and you have something special. Something special came to an end when the checkered flag fell on the final race of 2008 today and Tony Stewart turned his final lap for Joe Gibbs Racing. He didn’t manage to win one (more) for the Gibber, but they had a strong showing, leading for a few laps in the final stages of the race before having to come in for a splash of fuel. Stewart starts a new phase of his career next season as driver-owner of Stewart Haas Racing, knowing he’ll have to build his team considerably to regain the level of success he achieved at Gibbs. Hard not to admire him for taking the risk, and here’s hoping he’s a success in his new venture. I’m betting he will be.