1on1: Joe Gibbs Racing

Normally for this feature we go 1on1 with an individual. In light of all that has transpired recently, that changes this week as we engage in a 1on1 conversation with Joe Gibbs Racing.

Q: Any words of advice for Tony with his new team?

Joe Gibbs: I'd say as far as giving advice, certainly if Tony came to us and asked anything, if there was anything there going forward, we'd talk to him. But I think Tony is a pretty confident guy. He's owned other race teams, so I can't picture him asking us for much advice. I'd be willing to talk to him, but he hasn't asked for advice and we certainly haven't been giving him any.

Joe Gibbs Racing

• A future without Stewart
• Eyes turn to young Logano
• Caraviello: Fit for a King?
• Zipadelli staying with 20 car
• Video: Stewart, Gibbs on TNT
• Silly Season 2008: In and out

Q: As strong as JGR appears to be even without Stewart, is there any apprehension about the future?

J.D. Gibbs: I think when you look at our history -- the driver is such a key part of what you do with a race team, a huge part of what you do. But when you look back, this isn't anything new for us. We've been through it before with Dale Jarrett; he kind of left early. We've been through it before with Bobby Labonte, who left early. And now we're going through it with Tony. Each of those are difficult, but I think each ended up as well as you could have hoped because they invested a ton in Joe Gibbs Racing and we invested a ton in their career.

I think when you leave, you realize that you have a better opportunity or something different. We understand that. It's hard, but when you get a chance to talk to those guys down the road, we both appreciate how we handled that. And that's what we're trying to do here with Tony and Tony's doing a good job for us with the way this is winding up.

Joe Gibbs: I really think when you're always talking about the future in this sport and pro sports in particular, I think our best approach and what we kind of preach is to stay humble. It's a humbling sport and that we see from year to year that some teams will be up and some will be down. The struggles that you have in all pro sports, I think it's very humbling -- I've always looked at it that way. I've never felt like I could relax. Stay humble and then hungry -- getting after it.

J.D.'s focus, what he says a lot of the time is we have 450 people working there not for us, but they're part of our team and our family. That's our focus. Every single thing that we do is to try and focus on us and what's best for them and this sport and what's best is to run up front and be fast.

Q: You have identified Joey Logano as a candidate to possibly replace Stewart in the No. 20 car. Will Joey be in a Cup car at least part-time by the end of the year -- and for him to get in the No. 20 car, do you need to convince (current primary sponsor) Home Depot he's the right guy for the job?

J.D. Gibbs: All of our decisions involve our crew chiefs, Jimmy Makar (JGR senior vice president), our key guys at JGR -- and when everyone agrees this is the direction we should go, whether it's a change of manufacturer, bringing a new driver on board or whatever, then we move on it. In the past, if everyone agrees on that then we're usually in pretty good shape. When we get to that point, that's when we'll let everyone else know. ... Home Depot obviously will be part of all those discussions.

Joe Gibbs: I think everybody who has been around Joey off the track, when you kind of watch him do TV stuff, we all think he's very mature for a young guy like that. He's got a great family. I don't think it's anything off the track (holding things up). Obviously our whole race team has been focused on what is the best thing to do toward the end of this year. We've had some conversations with NASCAR, too (about having an 18-year-old such as Logano race on the Cup side). We're pointing toward that. As to exactly what that's going to look like, I don't think right now is the time to say, but we'll be getting to it pretty quick. (Continued)