Media Tour Preview: Stewart-Haas Racing

 Editor's note: As the countdown before the 2009 season opening Daytona 500 winds down, FOXSports.com takes you along for the ride during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway.

From Monday through Thursday, we will provide an inside look at several NASCAR Sprint Cup teams taking part in the tour, including expert analysis from members of the NASCAR on FOX team.

Overview
By Jeff Hammond

One of the most common questions I get from fans about Tony Stewart's new team goes something like this: Haas CNC Racing struggled in the past, will Stewart-Haas Racing be the same? I don't think so folks. Stewart has been rebuilding this organization from the bottom up and, as a result, he's got the right people in place.

Listen, I really don't think Stewart would have left Joe Gibbs Racing if he didn't think he could build a winning organization. And I don't think he brought Ryan Newman from Penske Racing on a promise of "two years." Newman wants to continue what he was doing a year ago when he won the Daytona 500 — returning to Victory Lane. Neither one of these two drivers would have embarked on this unless they felt like they could win immediately. General Manager Bobby Hutchens would not have left Dale Earnhardt Inc. if he didn't think he could win again — he's always been a winner and worked for organizations that had a shot to win the championship. None of these guys could move on from their past situations thinking it's going to take a long period of time to build up this new team. We know it takes time to build something successful, but I truly believe that Stewart-Haas Racing has the horsepower, the engineering and the people to come out of the box and win.

Which of the two drivers will win first? I can't answer that because both have strong groups behind them, now we are just waiting to see how the chemistry works out within each team. Newman's crew chief, Tony Gibson, has been able to marry up with his drivers in the past — Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon to name a few. I think he's got the experience of adapting to new situations and drivers, so he may be able to capture the magic in a bottle first within the team.

It's too early to start playing the guessing game as to when this team will break through, but don't you dare overlook this team in 2009 and beyond. Oh yeah, don't forget that Smoke hates losing. He is really a bad loser, so I don't think he will tolerate being behind the pack for long.

In case all of that wasn't enough, don't forget the relationship Stewart-Haas Racing has with Hendrick Motorsports.

Simply put, SHR will make people sit up and take notice from the very beginning.

Driver outlook
By Mike Harmon
Tony Stewart — Driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet

Some pundits attributed Stewart's 2008 performance to the pending addition of the "owner" title in the formation of Stewart-Haas Racing. To be fair, Stewart experienced as many (or more) hard-luck finishes than anyone on the Sprint Cup circuit in 2008. He averaged a career-low 14.9-position finish while producing just 16 top 10s. In fact, Stewart only scored a single victory during the 2008 season. The No. 14 team is anxious to make a big splash, and Stewart is eager to reclaim his place among the circuit's top performers following a sub-par 2008 campaign. I'm always intrigued when Stewart is angry or frustrated. He generally tends to race better under those circumstances.

Ryan Newman — Driver of the No. 39 Army Chevrolet

Newman leaves Penske Racing to team with Tony Stewart. Both drivers seek to forget difficult 2008 seasons in this new partnership. Newman's 2008 campaign started with a mighty roar, as he edged then-teammate Kurt Busch for a win at Daytona. He then ran 10th in the Auto Club 500, and it appeared that Newman was set up to post a monster season. Instead, he struggled much of the season and would produce only six more top-10 rides in his final 34 events. In fact, Newman raced to only 18 top-20 finishes in his final 34 events. This level of inconsistency will force some to take a wait-and-see approach as Newman adjusts to his new ride. However, his historical brilliance on qualifying day will make him one to watch, and he's a must-see at Dover. It will be compelling to watch how this newly-formed team performs out of the gate.

Closing number
By Jorge A. Mondaca
7

In seven years of Cup competition, Haas CNC Racing captured zero victories and just one top-five finish.

Based on what Jeff Hammond said above, it wouldn't be surprising if Stewart-Haas Racing surpassed both marks by the seventh race of the year.