Everett, Wash.
Published: Saturday, July 5, 2008

NASCAR notes: Negotiations can be a distraction for drivers

Also items on Tony Stewart and Sam Hornish Jr.

By Mike Harris
Associated Press

 Although the silly season can be fun for fans, negotiating contract extensions or new deals during the racing season can be a major distraction for the drivers involved.

Two-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart, who's trying to decide whether to stay with Joe Gibbs Racing or move on to a deal that includes team ownership, is fed up with the constant questions.

Greg Biffle knows how that feels.

Last week he announced he had signed a three-year extension with Roush-Fenway Racing and was relieved to put the project to rest.

"It will be nice not to have to answer those questions again for a few years," Biffle said.

For Petty Enterprises driver Bobby Labonte, signing a contract extension was a chance to focus fully on the future.

"I don't know that it's distracting," the 2000 Cup champion said of the in-season negotiations. "It's funny how you can read more about yourself than what you think about yourself sometimes. I'll read something and I'll think, 'You know, I wasn't even thinking that.'"

UNLUCKY STREAK: Heading into Saturday night's Sprint Cup race at Daytona, Tony Stewart was in the midst of one of the worst streaks of bad luck in his racing career.

Last week at New Hampshire was just the latest example of dominating races only to find himself out of the spotlight at the end.

"It's the oddest year I think I've ever seen," Stewart said. "There's guys that have had a lot worse seasons than we've had, but this is a terrible year for us and our team. I think that is a compliment to how good of success this team and this organization has had, to say that we're ninth in points and we're having a terrible season and a bad luck season.

Stewart hopes to break his 31-race winless streak Saturday night at Daytona.

"I don't know how long it's going to last," he added. "Hopefully, it's not much longer. I'm afraid I'm going to be bald by the time it's done."

DIFFERENT ROAD: Success comes in small steps these days for three-time IndyCar Series champion and former Indianapolis 500 winner Sam Hornish Jr.

For instance, Cup rookie Hornish is proud his No. 77 Penske Racing team is in the top 35 in points — 33rd going into Daytona — assuring him of being in every race.

"It took me a while before I felt like I could win races and championships over there, too," Hornish said. "And everything I did before I went to the IndyCar Series was in preparation to be an IndyCar driver. ... I had probably 15 races of preparation to come over here and be a stock car driver.

"I was real happy with what I was able to do, but, if I knew at some point in time I was going to be here (in NASCAR) I probably would have (gone) a different road, run late models and ASA, ARCA and Camping World and a couple of year of Nationwide in preparation to be here."

At least Hornish, who has yet to post a top-10 finish in Cup, still has a ride. Dario Franchitti, who won the IndyCar title and the Indy 500 a year ago, lost his this week when Chip Ganassi Racing shut down his team for lack of sponsorship.

"That's not a good situation for him," Hornish said. "I'm sure there's a lot more things that he'd like to do. I think it shows a sign of the times and how expensive things are to do here."

STAT OF THE WEEK: Entering Saturday night's Coke Zero 400, Tony Stewart has the best record of any current driver who has not won the Daytona 500, NASCAR's biggest event.

Stewart, who finished third in the 500 in February, has 12 wins at the Florida track, including two in the July Cup race, three in the Nationwide — former Busch — Series, three in the Budweiser Shootout and two each in the Gatorade Duel and the International Race of Champions.
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