The facts are pretty clear, but the reasons are not. Stewart has been released from his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing following the 2008 season. He will rejoin the fleet of bowtie drivers. Stewart will wheel a team car for Haas CNC Racing, which he will also take part ownership in. Haas CNC also fields a car for Scott Riggs.

The intention of this release is to regurgitate the Haas CNC effort, and to bring new life to a struggling driver. Haas CNC Racing is a smaller team, but is has the support of the largest Chevrolet organization. Hendrick Motorsports builds chassis parts and engines for the two car operation, which has seen its fair share of driver changes and challenges this season.

The only consistent competitor for Haas CNC in 2008 has been Scott Riggs. Riggs is struggling in the points standings and has failed to qualify for a few races. The Haas CNC team had both cars confiscated before the Coca-Cola 600, making news for all the wrong reasons. Now, with a two-time champion on board, things are sure to improve. After all, the only way to go is up.

Everyone knew that Tony Stewart has been unhappy at Joe Gibbs Racing for some time. There were even talks before his last contract extension of his withdrawal from the team. With the teams recent switch to Toyota, and his new flamboyant teammate, the evacuation seems rushed.

A driver like Stewart is known for putting down results. In 2007, he amassed 23 top-10 finishes, 11 top-five performances and three victories finishing sixth overall in the championship chase. His results in 2008 are not far off, so they cannot possibly be viewed as a reason to abandon ship. Especially the only ship one has ever been on.

To date, there has been 17 point events completed. In that time, Stewart has earned eight top-10 finishes, and five top-five positions. He currently sits in the Chase for the Championship.

Stewart is approaching that time of year when he ignites his cravings to win. From Daytona in July to the fall Richmond race, Stewart is ripping it up. With performance ruled out as a non-issue, some are pointing fingers at another problem, Kyle Busch. It seems that the hungry hot rod has stolen Stewarts ranking position.

Stewart hasn’t even been vocal about issues as he has in the past. This process is life altering for a driver, and he is giving it the focus it requires. There has been criticism of Stewart from those that simply don’t understand the situation. Some blame his keen business sense and extracurricular activities at Eldora Speedway. This all needs to be taken at face value.

Tony Stewart has a good heart, and his intentions with the Prelude to the Dream were tri-fold. First and foremost, this event gives fans in the mid-west an opportunity to see their favorite NASCAR stars. There is no competition track local to Eldora Speedway, it allows drivers to reconnect with those fans. Secondly, It removes the high pressure sponsorship and contract obligations and simply lets the driver have a night off for fun.

Third, and probably the most important reason for the event is that all proceeds go to Victory Junction Gang Camp. And while kudos goes to Stewart for his organization and concept it is not praise that he is really looking for.

Stewart was looking to be a part of a team, where his input is valued and not overshadowed by luck. He deserved that type of relationship at JGR, where he is the veteran wheeler.

Since he debuted, Stewart was paired with Crew Chief Greg Zippadelli. The two men have a strong brotherly bond, that may be forever altered with this split. The driver - crew chief combination was one of the longer running combinations in NASCAR. It is a record, no one wants to see broken.

Stewart accumulated 32 victories in his career, which as an owner JGR has 63 Sprint Cup victories. Therefore Stewart should be very viable to the team, however they have decided to release him. Looking back, the company does have a habit of tossing away good talent. Fans were shocked when Bobby Labonte left the team. Both he and Stewart built the team up. Unfortunately all the smoke, rumors and gossip about the changes then and now leave fans wondering how JGR can survive. Only time will tell if JGR and Stewart emerge victorious without each other.