Gibbs ready, willing and able to be Toyota flagship (cont'd)

Now, with JGR on board, the teams of Stewart, Hamlin and, beginning next year, Kyle Busch, equate to at least three Camrys being virtual locks to make each and every race of the season.

Stewart, currently running second in points, worked hard Wednesday to quiet rumors that he was unhappy about the pending move to Toyota. Stewart has a relationship with General Motors that stretches beyond his Cup team; they back teams he owns in two other racing series (USAC and Outlaws).

"This is not like any other professional sport. Things are constantly in a state of change," Stewart said. "I've had a great relationship with General Motors. From Day One, I was with GM -- and we've won a lot of races and a lot of championships. They've become part of my open-wheel program, and I'm very proud of that.

"But I joined this race team because of the leadership qualities and the quality of dedication that Joe Gibbs and J.D. have had toward this sport and will continue to have. So it's never been a question of where are we going to be and where are we going to finish our careers, but rather what are we doing to win races and to stay on top of our game. This is a decision that, as an organization, we feel like we need to make. ... It's not any disrespect to General Motors, because we've had a great relationship and we've had a great history with them. The record books show that. But at the same time, we feel like this is the right step to take to maintain that, to maintain that jump on everybody in the sport."

Stewart was asked if he believes some of his fans will react negatively to the switch, questioning his loyalty to the manufacturer that has helped him to 32 career Cup victories and championships in 2002 and 2005. He insisted that Toyota now offers him the better chance to continue winning races and championships in the future.

"You have a lot of loyalty and everything," he said. "But at the same time, at the end of the day, that's what we are here for: to win races. If J.D. and everybody else feels like this is our best opportunity to do that, I think our fans and everybody will support that. At the end of the day, it's all about winning races and championships."

Hamlin said he agreed with his JGR teammate, while pointing out, along with Gibbs, that first the goal will be to try to win one more championship for GM in his No. 11 Chevy before this season -- and their relationship -- is complete. Heading into the 26th race of the season this Saturday at Richmond, Hamlin sits fourth in points. Both he and Stewart already have clinched spots in the Chase for the Nextel Cup that will commence during the final 10 races of the season.

"It's pretty cut-and-dried for me," Hamlin said. "I feel comfortable with Toyota. We all know they'll be winners; we know they're going to be champions. Hopefully, we're the ones to bring them to that level. I think Joe Gibbs Racing is more than capable of doing it. We just need a little time to get it all together. Things are going to work out in the end, I'm sure.

"We know Chevrolet is great right now. We're winning races. We're part of their team right now and we're going to continue to be until the end of the year, but I'm really excited about the future and trying to finish out my career at Joe Gibbs Racing."

Both Stewart, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the 2008 season, and Hamlin said that they are working toward completing contract extension negotiations with JGR and that the switch to Toyota does nothing to alter those plans.

Meanwhile, the folks at Toyota gave off the distinct impression that they believe they belted a grand slam with Wednesday's announcement -- pouring hope onto a season during which they rarely have been able to so much as hit a ball out of the infield. But this deal is about the future, and now the Japanese-based manufacturer's prospects in NASCAR are joined at the hip with that of JGR's.

"I think if anybody would have said at the beginning of the season that Toyota would have been sitting at a press conference on Sept. 5 announcing that Joe Gibbs Racing was going to be part of our overall team effort for next year, I think we all would have had a hardy laugh at that," said Jim Aust, president and CEO of TRD.

"What has happened here has happened over a very short period of time. You can't pick and choose when an opportunity like this is going to come along. ... Certainly we've felt very confident all along in our abilities at TRD, with the history that we've had of championships in other series and the success we've had thus far in the Craftsman Truck Series, that we have an organization in place that can offer some value to Joe Gibbs Racing. We just look forward to getting it kicked off next year."

Lee White, vice president and general manager of TRD's operations in the United States, added that with the addition of JGR to Toyota's Cup lineup comes a different kind of pressure.

"I think when you get to the point of partnering with a team like this, you're not worried about just getting in the race anymore," White said. "I think I'll be pacing back and forth, hoping to win."