JOLIET, ILL. - Joe Gibbs Racing wanted Tony Stewart to stick around. When it became apparent he wanted to leave to pursue ownership with a different team, they agreed to let him go.

"It was brought to a head between Tony and us and I think the farther we went with it and the more we talked about it, we just reached the conclusion it would probably be best under these circumstances to go ahead and let Tony pursue another option here and let him get started and let us get started" in a different direction, Joe Gibbs said Saturday.

Stewart will be given a 50 percent ownership stake in the team, which will be renamed Stewart-Haas Racing when he joins it next season.

Stewart's partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing produced 32 victories, two Cup championships and more than $68 million in winnings.

"The ideal situation is Tony drives for JGR, re-does the deal and retires here and we start a fourth car down the road," J.D. Gibbs said. "That was our hope. ... It is discouraging for us. We hoped for him to finish out his career here. ... It just didn't work out that way and we understand."

Now Gibbs Racing moves on and it appears 18-year-old potential star Joey Logano might move on to the No. 20 car next season.

Joe Gibbs wouldn't commit to that Saturday but did say that Logano was a candidate for almost anything.

"I think for us it's early to say exactly what's going to happen," Joe Gibbs said. "This has kind of come on us kinda quick."

STILL UNDECIDED: Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman says he still hasn't decided who he'll be driving for next season.

He's in the final year of his contract with Penske Racing. "It's not an easy decision," Newman said Saturday.

One option might be to join Tony Stewart's new team.

"He's got an open seat," Newman said. "Have we had discussions? I've had a lot of discussion with a lot of people."

Newman said he believes Stewart "would be a good boss."

"He's proven to be successful in his open-wheel career as far as ownership with the dirt (track) teams," he added.