What's up at Joe Gibbs Racing?
I ask this question in the wake of Michael "Fatback" McSwain's firing as Bobby Labonte's crew chief this week. Obviously there is more going on there than the flimsy excuse they gave that it was time for a change. True, Labonte hasn't won since his immaculate victory at Homestead-Miami last November, and he has led just 26 laps this season, but can you really argue with a guy who's sixth in the standings and firmly in the hunt for the Championship Chase? I guess the obvious answer is yes. Rumors are that McSwain was tough to get along with and possibly got into an altercation with one of his own crew guys, but there have been other crew chiefs who haven't exactly been easy to work with. They get paid to be tough on their crews -- that's what helps separate the winners from the chumps in good equipment.
Labonte wasn't having an awful season, despite a couple of notably bad finishes at Sonoma and Atlanta earlier this year. He has a half-dozen top fives and nine top-10s, which is more than most drivers have to show over the first 18 races. Somebody is going to scoop up a diamond in the rough if they get Fatback on their team now. Let's hope he fares better than ending up with someone like Kyle Petty.
On the other side of the coin you've got Tony Stewart. The guy obviously has the talent and the right people in place to win another championship, but he has been exhibiting his self-destructive tendencies this year. There are those who have been calling for Tony's suspension after a series of well publicized incidents, particularly after this week's fiasco at Chicagoland where Kasey Kahne wrecked in front of a hard-charging Tony and all hell ensued in the pits as the two crews had at it. I don't think this one was Tony's fault, but he has been earning a reputation this season as a hothead and a jerk with his pre- and post-race comments. He's been fine, placed on probation and had points deducted by the gNA$hCAR head honchos. Suspension would be the next step, but why should it have to come to that? Tony just needs to get his life together and focus on racing rather than revenge. Perhaps the Chicagoland win will get the chip off his shoulder for the crucial second half.
I said at the start of the season that Joe Gibbs' departure from the head office would negatively affect both the #18 and #20 teams this year. So far that seems to be the unfortunate case. Maybe if the Redskins fall flat on their noses this fall we can get Gibbs back into "retirement" and back with his Cup franchise, where they need his firm hand on a daily basis.
