Changing the Players

As was reported here last month, Steve Addington is the new crew chief for Tony Stewart beginning right now. Darian Grubb? He is not the crew chief for anyone right now.

That might sound strange, given that he and Stewart just ripped off five victories in 10 races to win the organization’s first title and Stewart’s third after not having won in the season’s first 26 events.

Or, maybe this was in the works for a while, and the timing is just a little weird.

Addington has run the gauntlet the past couple of seasons, working for Kyle Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing and then Kurt Busch at Penske Racing. He and Kyle won 12 races, he and Kurt won four. After that particular double, most of us would be spending time contemplating everlasting spiritual creaminess in a monastery somewhere in Nepal.

But, Addington is a lifer as a crew chief, and he was a car chief for Stewart in the early days at JGR. He knows what he’s getting into with Stewart, and besides, the owner-driver Smoke is a lot less combustible than the driver-only Smoke, or at least that’s the way it appears to me.

I wonder if it has occurred to anyone at SHR yet that, if he and Addington get off to a slow start, there’s going to be a hue and cry among the media and fan base about why Grubb was let go? That is, if there are any NASCAR media left by Daytona.

Stewart’s title run was nearly a perfect storm. He won by gambling at Chicagoland and New Hampshire, faded badly at Dover and Kansas, got better at Charlotte and Talladega, won at Martinsville and Texas, held serve at Phoenix and won the finale.

For 10 weeks, Stewart and Grubb were the toast of the town. It was less than a third of the total season, and in acknowledging that, it might be a trifle more difficult to catch another lightning bolt like they did this year.

Grubb is an engineer by trade who happens to be able to run the pit box. Addington is a crew chief by trade who leaves the engineering to engineers. Addington is more old-time racer, Grubb is more buttoned-up executive.

“I know Steve well and I know how he goes about setting up a racecar,” said Stewart, who worked with Addington from 2005 through 2008 during his time at Joe Gibbs Racing. “My comfort level with him is already strong. He balances the technical part of our sport with the real-world experiences we get at the track, and that will allow for a smooth transition as we prepare to defend our title in 2012.”  

Heck, Grubb was told he wasn’t coming back in October at Charlotte, and he still won the title with Stewart, though some might say that Stewart drove this one from the cockpit. Let me tell you something, those who think that: you can’t carry a bad car to the title any more. The car had to be right for Stewart to do what he did, and it was.

Was it seamless, effortless, like Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus made it seem? Nope. Perhaps that makes it more interesting. Jimmie and Chad couldn’t beat their own equipment this year, so that says something for Grubb and Smoke.

Addington is making much of his relationship with Stewart, and he’ll need every bit of it to defend the title.

“Tony and I are a lot alike and we’re able to push each other,” Addington said. “I saw how he worked when we were at Gibbs together and I’m not surprised at all at the success he’s created at Stewart-Haas Racing. He expects a lot and he knows a lot. His talent behind the wheel is obvious, but his ability to motivate and get everyone to believe that whatever goal they set is attainable is something every crew chief wants, and I plan to make the most of it.”

Perhaps the reason why the change was made was the fact that Stewart likes things old-school. Addington is old-school.

“Steve has proven himself everywhere he’s been,” Stewart added. “Our expectation when we unload each weekend is to win, and that’s Steve’s expectation, too. Getting there is never easy, but we’ve both been around long enough to know what it takes to be successful.”

As for Grubb, Stewart was appreciative…as well he should be.

“Darian was a very important part of the success we’ve had at Stewart-Haas Racing,” Stewart said. “I’m very proud of everything he helped accomplish, especially this year when we all rallied to win the championship. He’s a great person and I know he’ll continue to be successful in this sport.”

One wonders what it’s going to be like if Grubb goes somewhere else and engineers his way past Stewart for a title. If that happens, I’ll be very interested in the outcome of that celebration.