NOTEBOOK: Stewart makes Grubb his next 'Zippy'

            RICHMOND, Va. - Surprising no one, Tony Stewart hired Darian Grubb as his crew chief next year.

            Little in the way of denials had been issued since word leaked last week in California, so the press conference at Richmond International Raceway on Friday was worthwhile only for the insight offered by the principals.

            Next year, when Stewart heads up Stewart Haas (now Haas CNC) Racing, Grubb will direct his No. 14 Chevrolet. No crew chief has been named for Stewart's teammate, Ryan Newman, who will be replaced at his present team, Penske Racing, by David Stremme next year.

            Grubb, a native of Floyd, Va., and mechanical-engineering graduate of Virginia Tech, has been a crew chief before, both on an interim basis for Jimmie Johnson and with Casey Mears in 2007.

            "Darian is incredibly smart and ultra-competitive," said Stewart. "He's exactly what we need for the success we want to attain as a company, but he's also exactly what I need in a crew chief.

            "He's thorough, he's confident and he's not afraid to tell me what I need to hear."

            Greg Zipadelli, the only Cup crew chief Stewart has ever had, will remain at Joe Gibbs Racing when Stewart moves on.

Back and forth

            Greg Biffle says Roush Fenway teammate Matt Kenseth is "the luckiest guy in the world." Neither has managed to perform as well as teammate Carl Edwards, though both, and perhaps David Ragan, well, could make the Chase.

            Kenseth famously has a knack for slipping into the top 10 or top five in races in which his Ford doesn't seem to be competitive. That gift has worked well for him in the past two races, where he has finished ninth and fifth. Biffle, on the other hand, has been unable to nail down a win after being in position to do so several times.

            "It's funny how nothing ever goes wrong when you're running 30^th," said Biffle. "When you're running first, you'd better be worried."

            Kenseth pointed out that neither has won a race.

            "A lot of is where we qualify," he said humbly. "We haven't qualified well, so it's taken us a long time to get up in position near the front. When you're on the pole, you've got nowhere to go but back.

            "Lots of the time, you create your own luck."

Taking the heat

            Stewart conceded that the controversial Rolling Stone profile had produced two reactions: expressions of envy from fellow drivers and expressions of concern from his sponsors.

            "Yeah, I've had both of those," he said. "I've gotten the other drivers who give me credit for frankness. It's a balancing act. That magazine is kind of edgy by nature, and while I can't say I was completely pleased with everything the guy wrote, that's just the way it is. I'm not afraid to be myself, and I can't control what people think of it."

He did it

            Though most everyone else has credited him, Mark Martin said he deserves none for making Joey Logano a Sprint Cup driver at age 18.

            "I didn't do it," said Martin. "He did it. And his dad. His dad deserves more than 50 percent. His dad molded the man that he is and helped him realize his reams. The kid has gotten in there and done it ever since he was 10 years old."

Sure we belong

            Asked if he is a contender for a third championship, Stewart said, "Sure. Because we're in it (the Chase). You're not a weak team if you're in it."

            You can reach Monte Dutton at mdutton@gastongazette.com.