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BENTON: Gibbs addition would give Toyota big boost

Published September 5, 2007 at midnight

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Maybe Toyota should consider reviving some of its previous advertising slogans?

How about "Moving Forward" or "Today, Tomorrow, Toyota"? Or, better yet, "The Car in Front is a Toyota."

Joe Gibbs Racing is expected to announce today it is switching manufacturers from Chevrolet to Toyota next season.

Kyle Busch, who will drive for the Gibbs team starting next season, said as much last week at California Speedway.

That means Busch, two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart and 2006 Rookie of the Year Denny Hamlin will be driving Toyotas next season.

"There are good and bads to it," Hamlin said. "Obviously, Chevrolet has been very good to our organization in the present and in the past. So we know that if you want to win, you can definitely drive a Chevrolet for sure.

"What's dominant now - is it going to be dominating years down the road? And that's what I'm thinking is an option of what everyone is looking at. What's going to be good five or six years down the road."

Toyota, still seeking its first win and with only one top-five finish, has struggled in its initial season in Cup competition. But it took a big step by getting Stewart, who once ridiculed Dale Jarrett's move to Toyota, Hamlin and Busch in its cars.

Joe Gibbs Racing will have two drivers in the Chase this season. Stewart currently is second in the standings, Hamlin third.

Gibbs has recorded three driver championships (Bobby Labonte 2000, Stewart 2002 and 2005) in the past seven seasons.

Chasing a dream

The task ahead for Dale Earnhardt Jr. is monumental.

Earnhardt, 13th in the standings, trails 12th-place Kevin Harvick by 128 points.

Earnhardt needs to win Saturday night's race, lead the most laps and have Harvick finish 33rd or worse and he'll make the Chase.

The lowest Earnhardt can finish is fifth and still make the Chase. He also must lead the most laps and Harvick has to finish 43rd.

The list of possible scenarios goes on, but Earnhardt had only one thing to say: "We're not going to lose focus or give up or pack it in."

Pit stops

• Bobby Labonte, 43, will become the youngest active driver to make 500 career starts when he begins Saturday's race in the No. 43 Dodge Avenger. He joins active drivers Bill Elliott, Jarrett, Mark Martin, Kyle Petty, Ricky Rudd, Michael Waltrip, Sterling Marlin and Ken Schrader in making 500 career starts.

But Labonte and Rudd are the only drivers with 500 starts to have started every race this season. Saturday will be Labonte's 498th consecutive Cup start.

• Hendrick Motorsports announced personnel moves Tuesday, but there was no hint of which number Earnhardt will drive next season.

Casey Mears will drive the No. 5 Chevrolet that is being vacated by Busch, who is moving to Joe Gibbs Racing. Alan Gustafson will be his crew chief. Tony Eury Jr., Earnhardt's current crew chief at DEI, will move with Earnhardt to Hendrick Motorsports. Darian Grubb will coordinate all track engineering efforts of the Earnhardt Jr. and Mears teams.

• J.J. Yeley, who is driving for Gibbs this season, will replace Tony Raines as a driver for Hall of Fame Racing's single-car team. Hall of Fame Racing also has hinted it will join Gibbs Racing in switching from Chevrolet to Toyota next season.

• Joe Nemechek qualified the Furniture Row Chevrolet for Sunday's race in California but finished last because of an engine failure. Nemechek will drive the car for a least the next five races for the Denver- based team.