Landscape of garage set to change with financial woes (cont'd)

It seemed unlike Stewart. But beginning next February, the Haas CNC hauler will bear his likeness and his name. He's starting up Stewart-Haas Racing and will field two cars -- one to be driven by himself and a second to be driven by Ryan Newman, who is leaving Penske Racing after driving the No. 12 Dodge for owner Roger Penske since 2000.

As J.D. Gibbs watched Stewart work the crowd and saunter away, he admitted he did so with mixed emotions.

On his terms

Tony Stewart wasn't victim of cutbacks, but Sunday was his last race with longtime employer Joe Gibbs Racing.

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"It's bittersweet," Gibbs said. "But look, we're still going to see him. It would be different if he was just going away. He's still going to be in the sport and still be a part of it. I told him, 'As a fellow owner, feel free to call. I'll give you my two cents and we can commiserate together -- because you're going to need to do some commiserating.' "

Gibbs said his operation is "blessed" because no Monday cuts from its employee force were planned. He did admit that some employees were let go -- he wouldn't specify how many -- when a motor program JGR had been running to supply engines for the No. 96 Toyota of Hall of Fame Racing was terminated some time ago.

There are rumors that the struggling HOF operation will be going away entirely, but Gibbs said he expects it to return "perhaps as a part-time deal" next season. Either way, it will be part of the changing landscape in the garage as well.

Gibbs admitted it won't be close to the same, with NASCAR's team operations merely the latest collateral damage in a slumping national economy that may get even worse before it begins to get better.

"In the 17 years we've been in this, this is the third time we've kind of seen it really take this type of hit. It might be the worst, I don't know," Gibbs said. "Before you only had 38 or 39 [full-time] cars showing up every week. Now, because you went from 53 [at the season-opening Daytona 500 two years ago] to 39 or 42 next year, that's kind of a bigger deal. I think you'll still see full fields, but I think there will probably be some guys just showing up to get their car in and then parking it.

"But it's not just racing. It's every industry. Whereas before it was just racing hurting a little bit, now it's across the board. I think everybody understands that and knows that it's just part of life."

The human element
Both Siegel and Gibbs said the most difficult aspect of their jobs is when they must tell an employee that his services are no longer required -- or at least no longer affordable for the company.

That's because their companies are smaller and operated on a more personal level than larger corporations that operate outside of NASCAR (and maybe used to feed sponsorship dollars to the stock-car behemoth). Even the big bosses in NASCAR know the guys who work in the shop, and realize how devastating the loss of a job in this economy can be.

"When you travel every week and you get to know people on a personal level, it's a lot more emotional than if you're sitting in a corporate headquarters somewhere and you just say, 'OK, well, we're going to lay off 50,000 people or whatever.' It is very personal," Siegel said. "And people in this sport are incredibly passionate. I love that. People do this because they love it. A lot of people go to work to earn a living and do a job. People are involved in racing, by and large, because they just are so passionate about it. I think that emotionally has an even greater impact -- when you're not able to do something that you love so much." (Continued)