FedEx dropped off brown paper package containing a CD and this transcript.
Rick Hendrick: Tony, I'm delighted that you were able to come and visit the shop. I was a bit surprised you still wanted to come since you won today in the Nationwide Series.
Tony Stewart: Thanks, Rick. I appreciate you meeting late at night with me so we can avoid the silly season gossip.
Hendrick: Naturally, I had hoped that once you heard I dumped Mears, you'd call me.
Stewart: I was really surprised when you did that.
Hendrick: I need results, Tony.
Stewart: I want results too.
[Cellphone beeping]
Hendrick: Don't these guys ever sleep? I just got text messages from Newman, McMurray and Truex. I swear I get at least 10 a piece from them every day. Let me go get the keys for the engine shop from my office. Just take a look around.
Stewart: It's just so weird that no one else is here...
[Sound of footsteps walking away.]
Muffled Voice: Psst.... Rick!
Hendrick: What the!
Jeff Gordon: Will he sign?
Hendrick: What are you doing here?
Gordon: Stewart - will he sign? And how much will it cost us? We need to do it, Rick.
Hendrick: We haven't gotten that far. You shouldn't have come, Jeff. I told him that no one else would know we were talking tonight. I didn't expect you to leave Ingrid & Ella Sophia to come hide out in the shop eavesdropping!
Gordon: Stewart will be fine. If he finds me. We've got to get him to sign. We'd have three former Champions.
Hendrick: We've talked about this, Jeff. I like Tony, but we both know he's a handful.
Gordon: But he's mellowing in his old age. We need to get him married off, then he'll be too busy with the wife and kids to have time to be a grump. I'll get some names from Ingrid & Chandi
Hendrick: We'll see. First I have to convince him to sign with us, and not just as engine provider for Haas.
Gordon: Point out our wins last season and Championships for last 2 years. And we'd bring Zipadelli over.
Hendrick: I know what the deal should be, Jeff. Why don't you go back to the track and sleep?
Gordon: No. If you need me, I'll be hiding over here by the office.
[Footsteps]
Hendrick: Got the keys. Tony, remember that if you decide to buy Haas, we would be glad to supply engines. We supply to several teams, and you get the same stuff we use here.
Stewart: But I don't get all the chasiss info.
Hendrick: Exactly. Do you want to start over with a new crew chief? Or would you prefer to stay with Zippy?
Stewart: What do you mean?
Hendrick: Well, if you leave Gibbs, then I assume Greg stays there. So you'd have to get a new crew chief. Unless you took him to Haas or came here.
Stewart: You'd bring Zippy over?
Hendrick: If you want. And the other guys on the team.
Stewart: Wow. That would be great.
Hendrick: Oops. I don't have the key for the dyno room. I'll be right back.
[Footsteps. Followed by a loud crash]
Voice: Damn!
Stewart: Who is there?
Chad Knaus: It's me.
Jimmie Johnson: And Me.
Stewart: Knaus? Johnson? What are you doing here?
Knaus: We wanted to talk to you about taking this deal.
Johnson: You really need to think this through Smoke.
Knaus: It's perfect for you.
Johnson: And I think we'd work well together
Knaus: Convince Zippy to come with you. He and I would be a formidable team. The rulebook would need to be rewritten. Plus, he has a few passes left - I've got a few ideas, but someone else should really try them out first..
Stewart: Huh, sure. I'm sure Zippy would be excited to spend a few weeks of the season at home with Nan and the kids if there's a problem with your "ideas." Why are you here Johnson, shouldn't you be upset your buddy Mears is out?
Johnson: Casey and I will still be friends. He's no help on the car stuff. You would be.
Knaus: I get chills when I think about the four of you drafting at Daytona.
Stewart: Yeah, but at some point it's everyman for himself.
Johnson: Of course. And you'll need to work on those media relationships.
Stewart: That may be a deal breaker. How did you find out about this anyway?
Johnson: Here comes Rick. Hide!
[Door closing sound]
Hendrick: I got it.
Stewart: If I came to Hendrick, who would I share a shop with?
Hendrick: Junior.
Stewart: Fantastic! That would work. We get along well.
Hendrick: Tony, I'd suggest that you take over the 5 car, and buy Haas with Junior.
Stewart: Sponsorship? Wow, this dyno is impressive.
Hendrick: Only the best here Tony. Chevy funds us well. And we win to keep their name out there. We have several potential sponsors. Do you have any ideas?
Stewart: Bass Pro Shop is ready to bolt DEI.
Hendrick: Junior told me Truex is worried about it. I'm gonna take these keys back to the office.
Voice: Sorry about that. Didn't mean to scare you.
Stewart: Junior! You promised you wouldn't come! I only told you about this meeting to get some advice on negotiating with Rick.
Dale Earnhardt Jr: Yeah, but I wanted to know how it was going. And I thought I could help you out as it went down.
Stewart: But I told Rick no one knew about this meeting!
Junior: Don't worry, he won't catch me. And even if he did, it's my shop too.
Stewart: Did you tell... Nevermind. Did you think of anything else to tell me?
Junior: The winnings' split is typical, Rick actually does a little better than DEI did - both with the driver and the team. It's 46-14-40.
Stewart: What about merchandise?
Junior: Better than standard. And you get say over the design - did you see the new bikinis I have with my number on 'em?
Stewart: Bikinis? I don't know how to design bikinis! Oh well. How will Gordon take it if I move over here?
Junior: I think he'll be fine. It's all money in his pocket too. Whoops!
[Scuffling sounds]
Hendrick: Tony, I think we can work something out that will benefit us both.
Stewart: What about the media?
Hendrick: You're gonna have to talk to them. I expect you to attend all the media sessions you are required to, which I don't think you're doing right now. But that doesn't mean you have to answer all those stupid questions. But we'll need to work something out. The PR guys can work with you to formulate something.
Stewart: Well, I have a few things to think about.
[Door closing and being locked. Sounds of crickets chirping]
Stewart: Isn't that Jeff's SUV?
Hendrick: Yes, but aren't those Knaus's Truck and Junior's Vette? What are they doing here?
Man, who are you sucking up to? NO comment about Harvick to the media?
Shrub
-----------------------------------------------
June 18, 2008 3:49:23 p.m. EST
Smoke,
It's the real deal. Joe chuckled about it.
Now we know what France was doing at the Indy 500.
I don't know. You might look good in sequins.
Zippy
===========================
>> Pops -
>> I've never thrown a race.
>> But I might consider it if we are anywhere
>> near 13th place at Richmond.
>> If this is legit.
>> Smoke
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>>>> Dear Nascar Sprint Cup Competitor,
>>>> We have been presented a wonderful opportunity
>>>> to promote our series on the national stage.
>>>> The lucky thirteenth place finisher after Richmond
>>>> will be a performer on "Dancing with the Stars."
>>>> Brian France
-----------------------------------------------
[Saved message]
Tony,
I know you have been a Chevy guy, but consider the chance you'd have at Roush Fenway Racing. In any event, you can't win a Championship for the Evil Empire!
Here's the deal. Money is not an issue, neither is a 44-44-12 split of the winnings. Ford will really pony up the cash if you are willing to become a Ford Man.
And I'll let you choose which two drivers to cut. Well, other than Kenseth and Edwards. Or Biffle.
Jack
-----------------------------------------------
[Saved Message]
Tony,
Just heard a great rumor. It was that you'd take over the 45 for me, and Petty would switch to Chevy. Gotta love silly season.
Kyle
PS - Are you riding the charity ride this year?
PPS - It is a rumor, isn't it?
-----------------------------------------------
[Saved Message]
Smoke,
I think driving for me can net you a few more Championships.
Our drivers are great and you would fit right in with Jeff, Kevin and Clint.
We already have a sponsor set up - General Mills. Tony the Tiger. (Or is that Kelloggs?) I know Home Depot is likely to bolt the series after the contract expires due to their financial problems.
I have no problem with your non-Cup driving. Or living in Indy.
Chevy will definitely help you out with Haas, but running for me will help move that operation up as we can help with engines, chassis and other technology.
Call me. We can work out the details.
Richard
-----------------------------------------------
[Saved Message]
Smoke,
I'll make this short
the Last 2 Rolex 24 hour race wins - my Cup drivers always run this race for me. You've never won, right?
2008 Indy 500 winner - I can have another car available for you to drive the double. You've never won the 500, right?
Call me.
Chip
PS Did I mention Ashley and her (single) friends frequent the shop?
-----------------------------------------------
[Saved Message]
Tony,
We'd love to have you join Hendrick Motorsports. Mears can be relocated to the Haas/Junior Cup team.
The money is not the issue. As you know Jeff will always be driver #1 for us. The rest are negotiable. I know Chevy really wants you back in the Bowtie Brigade.
Our equipment is great, and I have no problem bringing your Gibbs team over to Hendrick - I know those guys know your style and how you want things adjusted. It could be a seamless transition. You know we did it last year with Junior's team. Zippy would always be welcome.
As for your last concern, yes, we do have a media relations policy at Hendrick. You can be charming and you can be a handful. I'm sure we can find some medication to make the former the standard.
I've never really liked Kurt Busch. I thought he was pompous, tried to use terms which he didn't know the meaning of, and generally was a driver with a big mouth and minor talent. I've since revised my opinion of him somewhat, but when little brother Kyle arrived on the scene, I imagined he was getting attention due to big brother Kurt's success.
Then Nascar instituted a rule preventing drivers under 18 from running in the major series, so I figured it was because some owner or sponsor wanted to make a big splash with Shrub. You know, the biggest racing brothers since the LaBontes or Allisons? At the time, Kyle had signed with Hendrick and was only 16, and trying to race in the Truck series.
Kyle still races for the biggest powerhouse in Nascar - Hendrick Motorsports. Surely his success was due to the equipment he was running and the team he was working with.
Wrong. Wrong. And Wrong. Kyle Busch arguably has more talent that big brother Kurt. And he's proven wise in avoiding some of the problems Kurt encountered (but not all of them).
Like Kurt, Kyle has a big mouth. After the first COT race, Kyle had harsh words for how the car drove. "I'm still not a big fan of these [cars]. I can't stand to drive them. They suck." And he'd won the race. "Winning Ugly" was what he called it.
It wasn't the first or the last time he'd bit the hand that fed him.
Lately, he's been firing shots at any and everything that he doesn't like. Such as soon-to-be-former teammates Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Casey Mears. Shrub claims they didn't help him at Daytona. In case you've lost count, that's 5 Cup championships and one racing legend's nephew he's messing with. Anyone who saw the race knows Kyle's car was dominent. And anyone who watches restrictor plate races knows that the last corner is crucial to the win, and it just didn't happen for Busch.
Kyle also took a couple shots at Rick Hendrick when Dale Earnhardt Jr announced he's moving into Kyle's seat, garage, and team. Kyle commented that "this {wa}s all brand new" to him. He later offered up his then agent as a sacrifice (probably to save his seat at Hendrick), claiming his agent didn't tell him what had been going on with negotiations.
At the awards banquet late last year, Kyle flubbed up his speech by mentioning his girlfriend "Eva." Unfortunately, his girlfriend is "Erica" and "Eva" is his sister-in-law. None of the remaining drivers let him forget it, with Rick Hendrick telling him that he wasn't going to be able to help him out with that comment! Kyle (and Erica) laughed it off, taking the ribbing in good humor.
His outspokenness may be uncouth, a la Tony Stewart, but it doesn't leave any doubt as to how he feels about things.
Add to the mix his contentous relationship with his team after he left the Texas race while they were feverishly working to put the car back in the race. Junior stepped in and drove the car for Busch, who had left the track. Busch repented, a little, but is still complaining about his car, the strategy that cost him the Busch race on Saturday, and teamwork at Hendrick.
Busch has begrudgingly pondered the scathing assessment of competitors. Tony Stewart compared him to a dart without feathers. Jeff Gordon remarked that he had a lot of learn. Kyle took the comments to heart, and although he hasn't stepped off the gas, even when the car is wickedly loose, he has learned how to avoid running over his competitors.
Earlier this year, he had duels with Jeff Burton in the Busch series. Burton complimented Busch on his clean driving, applauding the fact that Busch didn't bump him out of the way to win.
Now Shrub is the most sought after free agent in Nascar. Hourly updates on which shop he visited this week or which owner he spoke with at the track plague motorsports reporting. Rumors are that Evernham, DEI, Penske, RCR, Gibbs and Ganassi are eminiently going to announce they've signed him.
And why wouldn't a team want him? He's won a race in each of the three Cup season's he's competed in. He has 4 career wins in Cup, and wins in both the Busch and Truck series. He was the youngest pole sitter in the Cup series at 19 and the youngest winner at 20. And now, he's only 22.
He's brash, reckless and brave. He doesn't mince words, and doesn't back down when confronted with a problem. And he has talent.
Kind of like another jaw-flapper named Darrell Waltrip. Or even Tony Stewart,
In a startling development, driver Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports have petitioned Nascar to extend crew chief Chad Knaus's four race suspension.
"We have won two of the last three races and finished second in the other race, all while Chad has been at home. This team has really pulled together, and we're afraid that it will just be a big letdown when he comes back," commented Johnson.
Added owner Rick Hendrick, "The team does well with Chad using text messages, instant messenger, and phones. The inevitable power struggle between Chad and Darian (Grubb), the interim crew chief, can be avoided if Chad stays home."
"Chad and the whole team really want to win the Championship this year" Remarked Johnson, "But as well as we have been doing, I mean, there really isn't anywhere to go but down. I don't want to be the Mark Martin of my generation. I want to win the Championship this year and back to back Daytona 500s. Chad is 100% behind this."
The petition alleges that Nascar was too soft in only issuing a four race suspension and not docking the team any points. The petition cites complaints from competitors, sponsors and fans and claims that "Nascar's soft penalty gave the appearance of preferential treatment which is detrimental to the overall sport." Johnson and Hendrick ask that Knaus's penalty be extended through the 2007 Daytona 500. "Such a penalty will send a clear message that there are no favorites in Nascar Nextel Cup racing, and will give other crew chiefs pause when considering bending the rules," according to the petition.
Hendrick explained the reasoning behind asking for the additional penalty, "We've heard the complaints from the fans, sponsors, and competitors. Lowe's is particularly concerned that there has been a backlash from customers refusing to use their #48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet Monte Carlo credit cards due to the soft penalty. That translates into thousands of dollars in interest revenue gone everyday. And despite Tony Stewart's ontrack antics, nascar fans are boycotting Lowe's and shopping at Home Depot instead." Both Hendrick and Johnson believe the additional penalty will clear the air, motivate the team, and put those dollars back into Lowe's pocket.
Apparently the suspension has not been too grueling for Knaus. While serving his suspension, he has been spotted on both Hendrick's and Jeff Gordon's yachts as well as skiing in Colorado. He could not be reached for comment, but his voice mail message indicated that he was learning "all about" traction control at the F1 race in Bahrain last weekend.
