Gibbs team still waiting on season's first Cup victory (cont'd)

"I think, overall, we need the finishes," Gibbs said. "I think we're pleased to see what's gone on and the progress that's been made there, we just haven't had the finishes. That's what you have to have. We still need to get that. But as far as the improvement and the guys working well together, that's been a big encouragement for us."

Texas brings hopes of a breakthrough. Although the Gibbs gang adapted to the Car of Tomorrow as well as any other operation, their track record at the 1.5-mile oval north of Fort Worth includes a win by Stewart and three top-10s in as many starts by Hamlin. This weekend Gibbs will also have his eyes on the Busch circuit, where 19-year-old developmental driver Brad Coleman will attempt to make his series debut.

Coleman is part of a burgeoning development stable at Gibbs that also includes Aric Almirola, a Busch driver who made his Nextel Cup debut at Las Vegas and will also attempt to qualify for events at Charlotte and Dover. Previous plans for Almirola to race at Richmond were scrapped because of the team's emphasis on the Car of Tomorrow. The 23-year-old Tampa native appears a prime candidate to land a Nextel Cup seat when Gibbs eventually expands to four cars.

"It's a possibility," Gibbs said. "We haven't really sat down and talked about it. We'll do a fourth car eventually. We're in no hurry to do it. It's not like there's really pressure on us or him. If things go well and we can get him some good cars to race, he can do the rest from there. It would be a great option for us."

The Gibbs Busch program could be expanding as well. Developmental drivers Joey Logano, 17, and Marc Davis, 16, will compete this year in Gibbs-backed cars on NASCAR's touring division. If both drivers continue to progress, they could find themselves in Busch cars when they turn 18 next year, with full-time Busch rides waiting in 2009.

"I think, hey, when they turn 18 in the middle of next year, put them in some Busch stuff and let them go run that a little bit," Gibbs said. "I think the good news is, before then we'll have an idea of whether they're ready to go into Busch now or they need a few more races."

But those are all long-term plans. The team's immediate focus is on Texas, and recording a victory that seems long overdue.

"It's kind of like growing up in the NFL, where the only thing that matters is your report card on Sunday," said Gibbs, whose father, team owner Joe Gibbs, is also head coach of the NFL's Washington Redskins. "We're here to run well and win races. I think we're close, but until you do it, you still have something left to prove."