Gibbs poised to drive atop NASCAR with Toyota's cash

No longer content to share GM's attention with Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs' decision to partner with Toyota has grabbed the attention of the entire sport. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

No, that noise you just heard wasn't another Toyota engine blowing up. Nor was it Michael Waltrip kicking the bumper of his No. 55 Camry in frustration, failing to qualify for yet another Nextel Cup race because of a weak Toyota engine.

No, that noise was the balance of power in NASCAR shifting.

Oh, Hendrick Motorsports is still the lead dog, and is adding more teeth with the addition of Dale Earnhardt Jr. And despite Jack Roush's Chicken Little routine -- he's right, the sky is falling -- Roush Fenway Racing will be a powerhouse for years to come. Even Richard Childress Racing, which will ultimately suffer the loss of its cornerstone wireless sponsor, will still be a force to be reckoned with.

But starting in 2008, Joe Gibbs Racing will be the team to beat in Cup racing.

Gibbs' switch to Toyota is the shot heard around the world. The move is exactly what Roush was afraid of when he warned of the Japan car maker moving into NASCAR's highest level for the first time before the beginning of the '07 season. Roush was afraid that Toyota's spending habits would change the dynamics and economics of NASCAR. (To oversimplify things, the car maker has gained a reputation of paying its way to the top of every form of racing in which it has competed.)

Jack got a year reprieve. Toyota went with a lineup of mostly start-up teams this season, and the grouping produced little results. Waltrip, for example, has had a miserable season. So Toyota officials went for a bigger fish and landed Gibbs, who, perhaps, was tired of playing second fiddle to Hendrick at General Motors. More likely, however, Toyota's offer was just too strong -- a blend of cash and technical support that just couldn't be passed up. Or maybe Gibbs officials reasoned that if they passed it up, someone like Childress would snap it up.

What will Toyota get? Everything they want, including one of the top engine programs in the sport and star power galore. Gibbs already does more with its money than any other team in NASCAR. It could be scary what the team might produce with even deeper pockets.

One could make a case that Gibbs is already the top team in stock-car racing. It has won three of the seven Cup titles since '00, one more than the two each of Hendrick and Roush. And this season, Tony Stewart is second in the points standings and Denny Hamlin third.

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