Stewart, Hendrick race to the front with information sharing

Rick Hendrick's support of Toy Stewart has been pivotal to the racing star's success. Icon SMI

When Tony Stewart was considering an offer to become co-owner of Haas CNC Racing last spring, Rick Hendrick encouraged him with more than words to accept the deal. Hendrick promised a full-fledged technical partnership that included supplying cars and engines and the sharing of information from his championship-winning Sprint Cup operation.

Hendrick's support was pivotal. As a team owner in USAC and the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, Stewart understood the rigors of rebuilding a team in need of about $40 million in sponsorship and a long list of high quality people to operate renamed Stewart-Haas Racing. It took cars and engines off the to-do list for Stewart during the three-month offseason.

Since the relationship started during Sprint Cup in 2002, Haas had used Hendrick engines and acquired some of its cars as the link evolved. It was a business deal based entirely on financial considerations. Haas CNC was a classic satellite team. The relationship between Stewart and Hendrick is a deeper and stronger alliance designed to create a competitive edge for both against others.

Stewart, whose racing IQ is genius-level, did a masterful job in hiring people who know how to win races and who also can get along. Signing Darian Grubb as his crew chief away from Hendrick (undoubtedly with Rick's blessing) was a coup. He landed unheralded Tony Gibson for Ryan Newman's crew chief from the No. 8 at DEI. Last season was Gibson's first as a full-time crew chief in Cup after years as a car chief, including with Jeff Gordon at Hendrick from 1998 through 2002. The respected Bobby Hutchens came on as Director of Competition.

Six races into the season, the partnership between Stewart and Hendrick is moving ahead smoothly. Sunday at Martinsville, Stewart finished third -- the best in the history of his organization -- and Newman was sixth. The Hendrick team finished first with Jimmie Johnson, fourth with Gordon, seventh with Mark Martin and eighth with Dale Earnhardt Jr. That's six Hendrick-built Chevrolets in the top eight. The best track for the Hendrick's team -- 10 wins in the past 13 races -- became the best track so far for Stewart-Haas.

Progress for Stewart, who is a threat to win the Cup every year, and Newman, who has slumped out of the Chase the past three years, has been steady. Stewart has enjoyed four top-10s, lifting him to seventh in the points. Newman has been charging to the front, like he did on the last lap Sunday when he passed Earnhardt and Martin. Newman has posted better results every week, including seventh at Bristol, and he's up to 18th in the points.

"You know, it's coming. It just takes time," Stewart said. "It's like we say every Monday, in our competition meeting. We just got to build a database first. Once we get that established, then I think the second time we come around, we're going to be a little better yet."

So, why would Hendrick enthusiastically provide Stewart-Haas the tools to take away a championship from one of his four drivers?

This is the information age in NASCAR, which starting next year limits the number of entries from one organization to four. It seems like plenty, but when the competition has six, it suddenly doesn't seem like it's enough. Last year, Roush Fenway Racing, which still has five teams, entered into an agreement of close cooperation with Yates Racing, supplying it with cars and engines and sharing technical information. The Roush Fenway/Yates partnership is legal under the rule, but has widely been seen as a way to circumvent it.

Hendrick wasn't about to get outnumbered on the track and he knew the information from a team led by Stewart would be first rate. Stewart's team could even grow to three or four cars. Then, they'd both be ahead in the game.