Prolific pairing nearing its end

When Tony Stewart came to NASCAR as an Indy Racing League champion in 1999, team owner Joe Gibbs sought to pair him with a veteran crew chief who could be a calming influence.

Jimmy Makar, Gibbs' top in-house adviser, instead sold him on an unknown named Greg Zipadelli.

Zipadelli never had been a crew chief on a national level, and what's more, his quick temper had earned him the nickname "Snapper." Stewart never had raced a stock car, and his substantial talent came packaged with little patience and a lot of stubbornness.

Ten years later, the train wreck that could have been Stewart and Zipadelli stands as the longest driver and crew chief relationship in NASCAR.

Their time together is nearing an end, though. Stewart and Zipadelli will run their final Allstate 400 together this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the track that used to turn Indiana native Stewart into knots until he won there in 2005 (and again last year).

Stewart is leaving at the end of this season to become a driver and owner at Haas CNC Racing, which will be renamed Stewart Haas Racing. Zipadelli, though he could have followed Stewart, is staying with Gibbs.

"We've been around each other and with each other long enough to respect why we both made the decisions that we've made," Stewart said Tuesday. "What was right for me wasn't necessarily right for him, and vice-versa.

"He's always going to be like a bigger brother to me, even when we're not working together next year. He's somebody that has spent over a quarter of my life with me every weekend each year for the last 10 years."

Zipadelli worked on Modified cars and was a crew chief in the Busch North regional series before interviewing for a shock specialist job on Stewart's new team. Makar, then the crew chief on Gibbs' primary car, thought he was the right man to lead the team. His instincts proved right.

Together, Stewart and Zipadelli have won two championships and 32 races. They've been successful in no small part because Zipadelli has stayed true to Stewart through his many run-ins with fans, media and other drivers and his near-meltdown in 2002, when he punched a photographer at Indy.

At various times, Zippy - the "Snapper" nickname disappeared as the man matured - has been Stewart's crew chief, confidant, best friend and scolding parent.

"Even the bad times were good," Zipadelli said recently. "We all learned something from the good and the bad. Our accomplishments together certainly outweigh the stress and drama we had to deal with at times."

Friday at Indianapolis, Stewart will reveal the new numbers and sponsors for the cars he will co-own next year. As of Tuesday, he hadn't signed a driver for the second car, but his criteria - he wants a driver who expects to make the Chase every year - make it sound a whole lot like Ryan Newman is his top choice.

Zipadelli will help the Gibbs brass decide whether 18-year-old Joey Logano is ready to replace Stewart in the No. 20 Toyota next year. Logano has a victory and three top-five finishes in five Nationwide Series starts, but he's driving a car that has been outrageously superior.

Meanwhile, Stewart and Zipadelli vow they will remain friends after they go their separate ways.

"It's like we've mentioned many times when the topic of Zippy and I come up: It's kind of like a marriage," Stewart said. "He's been there both professionally and like a big brother on the personal side."

Said Zipadelli, "I'd like to think that our friendship goes deeper than our working relationship. I'd like to think that won't change. Our friendship will change a little bit because we probably won't spend anywhere near as much time together. What I think of him and what I owe him for helping me accomplish what I've accomplished in the last 10 years ... that part of it's been great."

Reporter Tony Fabrizio can be reached at 813-259-7994 or afabrizio@tampatrib.com.