Some Interesting Details Of The Kurt Busch-SHR Deal

(WOMR file photo)

Here are a few interesting details about the behind the scenes negotiations of the Kurt Busch/Stewart-Haas Racing bombshell that was just announced.  It seems that one half of the SHR ownership was not totally knowledgeable about, nor in favor of, this courting of Kurt Busch!

Here is the story:

Gene Haas wanted to build a dream team, with an opportunity to see his name in Victory Lane. He wasn’t going to let Tony Stewart stand in his way of making that happen. Haas admitted Tuesday he went rogue in courting Kurt Busch for a non-existent fourth team at Stewart-Haas Racing while Stewart was incapacitated with a broken leg earlier this month.

When he finally brought his business partner up to speed on his expansion plans, Stewart balked.

But Haas forged ahead anyway with a multi-year offer to Busch, who was introduced Tuesday as the newest driver at SHR, where officials are now scrambling to make room at an organization that will double from two cars in 2012 to four next season.

“I don’t think Tony was exactly enthralled with what I did,” Haas said. “But I think he saw it my way, you know? Either that or get out of the building.”

Haas was laughing during two different recollections Tuesday of how he sidestepped Stewart during the lightning-fast courtship of Busch.  That courtship apparently began at a General Motors dinner in Indianapolis before the Brickyard in late July, and ended last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway with Busch accepting Haas’ offer.

“Tony was very much in favor of the fourth team,” [SHR competition director Greg] Zipadelli said. “What Tony was against was us trying to get it done for next year, just so you don’t read anything more into it. Tony was in the hospital. Tony didn’t know the discussions that were going on. When we all met and talked about it and assured him we would do our best to make sure things didn’t slip through the cracks, it took him a couple days to process it.(Associated Press / ESPN)

This story makes for some interesting times at Stewart-Haas Racing, now doesn’t it?  I wonder how “Smoke” and his business partner, Gene Haas, are getting along this week after Haas made “an end run” around his business partner?

Also it is quite interesting looking at the four drivers for SHR next year.  There are three really large egos in that organization, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, and Kurt Busch, as well as an over-hyped, and over-rated female journeyman driver, Danica Patrick!

As Artie Johnson, from the classic 60’s show Laugh-In would say, VEERRY INTERESTING!

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!