NASCAR notes: Stewart unlikely to get ownership deal from Gibbs

TALLADEGA, Ala. 

If Tony Stewart wants ownership of a NASCAR Sprint Cup team, it likely won't be with Joe Gibbs Racing, team officials said Sunday.

Stewart, whose contract with Gibbs goes through the 2009 season, has said he has received offers to drive for other teams, including one from Haas CNC Racing that would make him a part owner of the team.

Asked about offering Stewart ownership in Joe Gibbs Racing to keep him there, team president J.D. Gibbs said: "Right now, probably not ownership of Joe Gibbs Racing. I think our deal is kind of set the way it is. I figure there's some stuff we could do to help him to get started with his own team, if that's what he really wanted."

Haas CNC Racing could be attractive because it gets its engines and technical support from Hendrick Motorsports. Team owner Rick Hendrick denied any involvement in trying to lure Stewart back to a Chevrolet team or his team.

"You won't see Tony Stewart in the 5 car," Hendrick said, alluding to the car driven by Casey Mears, who is the only Hendrick driver not in the top 20 in points.

Stewart led a race-high 61 laps Sunday, but his car was damaged in a multi-car crash and he finished 38th.

Almost, but not quite

Denny Hamlin's late charge gave him a third-place finish and nearly made up for what he called a mistake 20 laps from the finish.

Hamlin was leading on a restart when a wrong move sent him back to about 20th-place.

"We just got too far out there," Hamlin said of his lead. "Those guys just had a huge run. They were either going to have to slam into me or make a move to pass me. They had no choice.

"They had such a head of steam that they needed to blow by me."

Hamlin said no one would help him, so he drifted farther back in the pack.

New faces in the Top 5

David Ragan (fourth) and Brian Vickers (fifth) scored their first top-five finishes of the season.

"The caution at the end of the race really hurt us," Vickers said. "I really think we would have had a chance at the win. Denny (Hamlin) and I worked really well together all day. We were both there at the end and could have made a run for it."

Said Ragan: "I was probably being as conservative as anybody out there because I probably didn't have that many friends that would go with me, so I had to do what I could to take care of myself."

Replacement driver

David Stremme finished 28th in place of Dario Franchitti, who fractured his left ankle in a crash during Saturday's Nationwide race.

Chip Ganassi Racing will consider its options but does not anticipate Franchitti being available for this week's race at Richmond. Stremme, a test driver for Penske Racing, is not available to Franchitti's team for any other races.

Pit stops

The Wood Brothers have not announced who will drive this week at Richmond, but Bill Elliott is scheduled to drive for the team at Darlington.... Kevin Lepage, who pulled onto the track in front of most of field in Saturday's Nationwide race and caused a multi-car crash, issued an apology Sunday.... Casey Mears was the top finishing Chevrolet, placing seventh.... Kyle Busch earned $321,400 for his victory.... Jon Wood finished 36th in his season debut.