As a result of the rumored deal, Dave Blaney will need to qualify for the Daytona 500 on speed or he will need to race his way in the race through one of the duels.

David Reutimann is rumored to possibly run the No. 10 in the races Patrick does not enter. Patrick will drive SHR machines in her events, while Reutimann will drive TBR equipment in his events in the No. 10.

TBR will reportedly receive technical and pit crew support from SHR as a part of the deal.

After this deal was reported, a posting on TBR’s Facebook page stated:

Not everything you read is true my friends. I was born at night but not last night.

TBR followed that posting up with another:

Nobody has the correct information or is posting the correct information stay tuned we hope to get the correct story out soon.

Update: FoxSports.com is reporting that TBR has reached a deal with SHR.  Under the terms of the agreement, TBR will transfer the points from its No. 36 entry, which finished in the top 35 in owner’s points and therefore is guaranteed a starting spot in the first five Sprint Cup events in 2012, to the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevy, which will be driven by Danica Patrick in 10 races.

In the remaining 26 races, David Reutimann will drive the car.

Team owner Tommy Baldwin will have a hands-on presence with the No. 10 and will work closely with Greg Zipadelli, SHR’s competition director.

Zeigler was offered the chance to help rebuild the No. 16 RFR team with driver Greg Biffle, but he declined to take the position with SHR.

Zeigler said:

This opportunity came up and it seemed perfect for me. I went to Stewart-Haas with an open mind and everyone was so welcoming. I’ve never been treated like that before. I feel their enthusiasm and with Danica just starting out in Sprint Cup the timing was right. … I haven’t met her yet, but she’s made great strides over the last year. It’s going to be great for the sport. I’m really excited to get started.

Zippadelli will join SHR as competition director. There was speculation during the season that Zipadelli would join SHR as Stewart’s crew chief, as the two won two Sprint Cup championships together. But, following the firing of Darian Grubb, Stewart chose Steve Addington to sit atop the pit box. Grubb joined JGR as crew chief for Denny Hamlin, with Mike Ford getting released.

JGR confirmed Zipadelli’s release. No word on who will replace him as crew chief for the No. 20 car.

Update: In another tweet, Utter reported that Jason Ratcliff will serve as crew chief for the No. 20 team. Ratcliff climbed the ranks in the Nationwide Series, working at Sadler Racing and Brewco Motorsports before joining JGR in 2005 as crew chief for JJ Yeley. He then went on to serve as crew chief for Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch, winning the 2009 Nationwide Series championship with Busch.

Update 2: JGR issued a press release indicating the moves.

Team owner Roger Penske said:

Our first priority is always to look within the walls of Penske Racing when making personnel decisions. We want to reward success. The path we are taking with Todd mirrors what we did with Paul Wolfe who led the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge to a Chase berth in 2011. We think Todd can get the job done in the same manner.

Gordon said:

I can’t thank Roger and everyone at Penske Racing enough for this vote of confidence. It’s an honor to step into a race-winning team. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but this is an organization full of talented people that know how to get the job done. I look forward to getting the Shell/Pennzoil Dodge back in Victory Lane.

Gordon replaces Steve Addington, who left the team at the end of the season to join Stewart Haas Racing as crew chief for Tony Stewart, after SHR let go of Darian Grubb. Grubb has since moved on to Joe Gibbs Racing.

Penske is still seeking a driver for the No. 22 team, as Kurt Busch and Penske mutually agreed to part ways, after a series of high-profile outbursts, including a video in which Busch berated respected media member Dr. Jerry Punch.

Candidates are said to include Sam Hornish, David Reutimann, David Ragan, and Brian Vickers.

Team owner Joe Gibbs said:

Darian is a great addition to our organization and person to lead our No. 11 FedEx team. Obviously he has proven the ability to guide a team to a championship and we are excited to have him working with Denny toward achieving that goal here at Joe Gibbs Racing.

Grubb said:

I’m thrilled to join Joe Gibbs Racing. The chance to work with Denny is something I’m excited about. When you sit down with Joe and [president] J.D. Gibbs, you can’t help but be excited about this opportunity and the team aspects of JGR. There is no question about the level of support you get here and I’m looking forward to working with everyone across the entire organization.

Grubb was told halfway through the Chase that he would be fired from Stewart Haas Racing at season’s end. Following that discussion, Stewart went on a tear, winning the championship as the result of a tie-breaker with Carl Edwards. SHR released Grubb, as they said they would. Steve Addington replaced Grubb at SHR as crew chief for Tony Stewart.

Following his release, the Associated Press reported that Mike Ford had been let go as crew chief for Hamlin, citing Hamlin’s struggles this season, and the release of Grubb as factors.

After his release, Ford said:

I’m kind of relieved. It had been dragging on for so long, I’m actually relieved there’s finally a resolution.

Team owner Joe Gibbs issues a statement:

Everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing appreciates what Mike has done for our organization over the past six seasons as crew chief with our No. 11 team. We’ve decided it was best to make a change with the team now to allow Mike the opportunity to pursue other opportunities.

Addington informed Penske Racing that he would not return to the team as crew chief for Kurt Busch and the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Dodge next season.

Stewart said of Grubb, who has been with SHR and Stewart since the team’s inception:

Darian was a very important part of the success we’ve had at Stewart-Haas Racing. I’m very proud of everything he helped accomplish, especially this year when we all rallied to win the championship. He’s a great person and I know he’ll continue to be successful in this sport.

The move is somewhat surprising, considering that SHR informed Grubb of the decision to let him go after he helped Stewart win the first two Chase races. Even more surprising is that SHR went through with the move considering that since he was informed of his impending firing, he helped Stewart win three more races and the title.

Ironically, Grubb led Stewart to five Chase victories and his third Sprint Cup title, despite being let go. It is hard to believe that Grubb will be unemployed for long.

Addington joined Penske before the start of the 2010 season after spending two seasons as crew chief for Kurt’s younger brother, Kyle, at Joe Gibbs Racing.

With Kurt Busch, Addington won four races in two seasons, but the relationship was rocky, with Busch’s radio rants garnering much media attention.

The elder Busch may have to reevaluate his behavior and attitude if he wants to attract a quality crew chief, as his relationships with Addington and his previous crew chief Pat Tryson have both been rocky. Any candidates are bound to know this and it will surely affect their decision.

On Lap 117 the caution came out for rain, bringing out the red flag and delaying the race for nearly an hour.  When the green flag waved again, it looked like a completely different race.  Stewart became a man on a mission and wasn’t letting anyone get in his way, especially Carl Edwards.  It took him six laps after the restart to pass Jeff Gordon for the lead.  Stewart made evasive maneuvers, including three and four wide passes on multiple occasions to get to the front of the pack.

From that point on, the points lead was tied, with Stewart and Edwards running first and second on track.  To win the championship, Edwards needed to win the race.  Stewart, however, had other plans, going on to take the checkered flag. As a result, Stewart won the championship with the tiebreaker of having more wins than Edwards this season.

Stewart has been nothing short of amazing in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, winning five out of 10 races in the chase. That’s Jimmie Johnson-like domination!  Keep in mind that this performance came after Stewart said that he didn’t deserve a spot in the chase if his team wasn’t going to give championship performances.  Stewart and his Stewart Haas Racing No. 14 team made the Chase, and changed their attitudes, proving to everyone that they deserved to be a championship contender.

Stewart is the only driver in NASCAR history to win a Winston, Nextel, and Sprint Cup championship in his career.  He was also added to a very short list of drivers who have won the championship while driving for a team they own.  He joins legends Alan Kulwiki and Richard Petty, becoming a legend of our era.

Although Edwards fell short of the championship, he has undoubtedly been the most consistent driver of the 2011 season.  In his own words, he is the “best loser NASCAR has ever seen”.  However, Edwards is anything but a loser and has been in championship contention for most of his Cup career.  The chemistry between Bob Osborne and Edwards is one of the best driver/crew chief relationships NASCAR currently has.

If rumor serves correctly, Edwards will become the highest paid driver of the 2012 season, with good reason.  Jack Roush believes in his ability to become a Cup champion, and did what he had to do to renew Edwards’ contract with Roush Fenway Racing.  I am certain that Edwards will yet again, be a championship contender in 2012.

Rebounding from a succession of setbacks, Stewart took the checkered flag in Sunday’s rain-interrupted Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship in a tiebreaker over race runner-up Carl Edwards.

With four new tires to Edwards’ two—thanks to a strategic gamble that paid off when rain hit the 1.5-mile speedway for the second time on Lap 213 of 267—Stewart gradually pulled away after a restart on Lap 231 and claimed his third Cup title, bookending the five straight championships won by Jimmie Johnson from 2006-2010.

The victory was Stewart’s fifth of the season, his fifth 10 Chase for the Sprint Cup races and the 44th of his career. The bonus points for winning allowed Stewart to make up a three-point deficit to Edwards. They ended the Chase tied at the top of the standings. Stewart claimed the title with five victories this season to Edwards’ one.

Martin Truex Jr. ran third on Sunday, followed by Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon.

Stewart’s quest for a third title was derailed early when contact with debris—of origin unknown—punched a hole in the grille of his No. 14 Chevrolet the size of a small saucer. Stewart fell to 40th in the running order, while his crew made repairs under caution on Lap 17.

By Lap 32, Stewart had worked his way up to 23rd.

“They’re going to feel like (expletive), after we kick their ass after this,” Stewart radioed during the run through traffic.

Dave Blaney’s spin off Turn 4 on Lap 34 halted the progress of the No. 14 Chevy. Stewart brought the car back to pit road under the yellow, and during a lengthy pit stop, his crew applied tape to hold the grille in place.

Stewart dropped to 38th in the process, but during a long green-flag run that included a cycle of pits stops, Stewart passed car after car, typically powering harder and farther into Turn 3 than any other driver on the track.

“They (Edwards’ team) are going to really feel worse when we’ve been to the back twice,” Stewart said.

On Lap 67, Stewart passed Denny Hamlin for 12th.

“Where are we at in this contest?” Stewart asked crew chief Darian Grubb.

Told he was running 12th, Stewart replied, “Ah, yes, this is not over!”

True to his word, Stewart continued his charge toward the front of the field, and by the time rain forced a long delay 109 laps into the race, Stewart had climbed to fifth, with only Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Truex between him and Edwards, who picked up his 87th lap led right before the stoppage.

You know, we’ve tried and we’ve really worked really hard to put the deal together to keep Clint. It’s not 100% off the table, but it’s getting tougher and tougher as the day goes by. Clint’s got a couple of really good opportunities there facing him. For us, it just didn’t seem that we could get everything worked out. Clint’s still a good friend. I want the best for him. I feel like that we’ve done a lot together, and I hope that if we can’t put him in a car next year that he gets in a ride that he’s really good and happy with. The door’s not closed for sure, and it’ll always be open no matter where he ends up. But we’re still looking at other options and trying to put some things together. It’d be great to get him back in that No. 33 and run him, but if we don’t, I want him to have the best for him because he’s a great guy, a great talent, a lot of fun, and I look at him as a good friend.

For Bowyer’s part, he said:

There’s opportunities and stuff we’re trying to weigh out. You’ve got to have all the stars line up. You can’t [have] one piece of the puzzle or a couple pieces. You have to have the whole puzzle put together. Until you do that, you’re wasting your time talking about it in the media because you don’t have anything to deliver.

Bowyer is said to be considering an offer from Richard Petty Motorsports. Beyond that, there aren’t many other options for Bowyer in the Sprint Cup Series. Before Red Bull Racing announced they would be leaving the sport at the end of the season, he was linked to one of their Toyotas. That’s become murky because no one knows the status of that team beyond this season. It’s unclear whether another owner will take over the team, or if it will dissolve altogether.

Michael Waltrip Racing, Stewart Haas Racing, and Earnhardt Ganassi Racing all have the room to accommodate another team, but SHR appears set at three cars, with Danica Patrick part time. The other two teams have not indicated that they would expand, nor does that seem likely.

Joe Gibbs Racing could be an option. They were rumored to have made a hard play to get Carl Edwards. They may consider Bowyer to replace Logano, or for a fourth team. There have been no indications that they are pursuing Bowyer, though.

When you add in the fact that Brian Vickers may also be looking for a ride at season’s end, seats become even more scarce. Vickers could, however, replace Bowyer in the No. 33 RCR Chevy, though there is nothing to indicate that’s a possibility.

In the end, I think Bowyer will stay with RCR. There’s a small chance he could go to RPM, but I think he will realize that the available rides out there do not compare to the equipment he is in.