HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Joe Gibbs Racing and Tony Stewart have agreed to part ways upon the conclusion of the 2008 season, and Stewart announced Thursday that he will join Haas CNC Racing next season with an ownership stake in the team, which will be known as Stewart-Haas Racing.

The two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion will finish the 2008 Sprint Cup season with JGR behind the wheel of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota. Stewart will also compete for JGR in the two NASCAR Nationwide Series races still remaining on his original, nine-race Nationwide Series schedule – July 11 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., and Aug. 16 at Michigan Int’l Speedway in Brooklyn.  Stewart will pilot the No. 20 Old Spice Toyota in those two events.

“We’ve had a lot of success with Tony in our 12 years here at Joe Gibbs Racing,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR.  “While this moment is bittersweet, we’re parting on good terms and we know that each of us has benefited greatly from the other. 

“We grew to two teams in the Sprint Cup Series with Tony and The Home Depot in 1999, and two championships and 32 wins followed.  While our time together is coming to an end, we know there’s still a lot of racing left this season and we plan to make the most of it.  On behalf of everyone at JGR, we’re proud of everything we’ve accomplished together with Tony and we wish him the best in pursuing his dream of NASCAR team ownership.”

Stewart will join Haas CNC Racing as both driver and owner in 2009. The group will be renamed Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart will reportedly unveil a car with his 2009 Office Depot sponsorship later this month at Indianapolis.

“This is an incredible opportunity that allows me to race competitively in NASCAR’s top division while carving out a place in this sport long after my driving career is over,” Stewart said. “I’ve won races and I’ve won championships and I know I could’ve continued to do that at Joe Gibbs Racing, but to attempt to do those things as a car owner is something that really appeals to me. There’s a whole new sense of appreciation and satisfaction that comes with success when you’re both a driver and an owner.”

Stewart made no secret of his desire to return to the Chevrolet brand after Joe Gibbs Racing made the switch to Toyota after the 2007 season. Stewart’s sprint-car programs are all served by Chevrolet. Haas CNC currently runs Chevrolet-powered cars purchased through Hendrick Motorsports.

Further speculation centers around who will join Stewart as his teammate at the future Stewart Haas Racing, with most of it landing on Team Penske driver Ryan Newman, whose sponsor Alltel will be forced out of NASCAR Cup competition next year due to its pending takeover by Verizon. NASCAR’s agreement with Sprint does not allow other cellular providers into the series as sponsors.

Stewart ran five Nationwide Series races for JGR in 1997 while competing full-time in the IRL IndyCar Series.  After winning the IndyCar Series championship in 1997, Stewart upped his Nationwide Series schedule with JGR to 22 races in 1998 in preparation for his rookie season in the Sprint Cup Series in 1999.

With a then rookie-record three Sprint Cup wins, Stewart collected Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors and finished an impressive fourth in points.  After finishing second in Sprint Cup points in 2001, Stewart scored his first Sprint Cup championship in 2002 by 38 points over Mark Martin.  He followed that championship with another title run in 2005 when he beat Greg Biffle for the crown by 35 points.

“I cannot thank Joe and J.D. Gibbs enough for the opportunity they gave me and for the support they’ve given me throughout my entire NASCAR career,” Stewart said.  “I’ve learned so much from them and have a tremendous amount of respect for what they’ve built.

“I’ve modeled my USAC and World of Outlaws teams the same way they built their NASCAR team, and I made it a point to find good people to run those programs.  If I’ve learned anything from my time at Joe Gibbs Racing, it’s that Joe Gibbs’ saying of, ‘You win with people,’ is incredibly true.  They always surrounded me with not just good people, but great people, and the results speak for themselves. 

“My crew chief, Greg Zipadelli, is the best example of that. We’ve accomplished so much in our 10 years together on the track, and off the track, he’s been like a big brother to me.  It’s a friendship I cherish and expect to continue, even while he stays at Joe Gibbs Racing, and I move on.

“I also want to thank The Home Depot.  We’ve had a fantastic run with them, and it’s not over yet.  We can still win races and compete for a championship and go out on top.  For 2008, that’s my number one goal.”

Stewart’s parting from JGR at the conclusion of the 2008 season will end the longest active driver/crew chief relationship in the Sprint Cup garage.

“No matter what, Tony and I will remain close friends,” Zipadelli said.  “I know when it comes to the No. 20 team, things will obviously be a lot different next year, but I remain as committed as ever this year to winning races with Tony and securing our spot in the Chase to contend for a third championship.”

“The 20 car has been one of the all-time great partnerships in NASCAR for the last decade with the combination of Tony, Zippy, The Home Depot and Joe Gibbs Racing,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “While we are losing one piece of the puzzle, we think the No. 20 team will remain strong for many years to come.”

Joey Logano, an 18-year-old developmental driver with JGR, is the assumed frontrunner to take over the No. 20 next season despite his youth. In just four Nationwide Series races, Logano has one victory, a second, a sixth and a 31st-place finish.