Cup's pool of free agents not just limited to Stewart (cont'd)

Biffle and Edwards also said they prefer to keep such contract negotiations as private as possible.

"I don't want to say anything," Edwards said. "For me, personally, just out of respect to everyone and sponsors, and the teams and the way we do business, for me it's always my mission to get that stuff out of the way and get it done as early as I can. That's how I've always tried to do it."

Biffle added that the offers of partial or complete ownership of Sprint Cup teams can be very enticing to drivers. And he should know. It's happened to him, just as it is happening to Stewart now.

"I have had offers of ownership from more than one team in the garage, and it's definitely an intriguing offer. There are a lot of things to consider when you're an athlete in the position we're in. Both Tony and I are, let's say, we're at the 60-percent point in our careers. We're not Kyle Busch -- you know, 21 or 22 years old," said Biffle, at 38 slightly older than Stewart, who will turn 37 next month.

"So at some point we need to start thinking about how long we want to be involved in this sport and what we want to do in the future. So those ideas to stay involved in the sport are very intriguing to us."

Jack Roush, founder and co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing, said that he expects to sign Biffle and Edwards to contract extensions in due time.

"Everything's going along as we hoped, and I have every expectation there will be a successful conclusion to those negotiations," Roush said.

Roush added that when someone of Stewart's stature reveals he may be interested in exploring new scenery, it's only natural for other organizations to step up and talk with Stewart about it. Roush, whose drivers are in Fords, even nominated his favored manufacturer to do what it could to lure Stewart, a longtime Chevrolet driver now behind the wheel in a Toyota for JGR, to its fold.

"I know that Ford had an interest in Tony and I would line up behind Ford in saying that if Ford and Tony wanted to get together on some arrangement that would make them happy together, I'm a Ford man and I'd do what I could to support that," Roush said.

Roush said that with what salaries are these days, top-level wheelmen such as Stewart literally are in the driver's seat when it comes to contract negotiations.

"He could actually own Roush Fenway if he just collected his thoughts and his revenue," Roush joked. "It seems to be the way business is going to be done in the garage. I don't think there are good people and bad people; I think there are business-minded people on all sides.

"It's a bazaar, as well as being bizarre."