BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Car owner Joe Gibbs says that the team hopes to run 18-year-old Joey Logano in some Sprint Cup races later this season.

Logano won Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Kentucky Speedway in just his third career series start. He also became the youngest series winner.

Nicknamed "Sliced bread'' for the saying that Logano is as good as sliced bread, Gibbs admits the talent matches the hype.

"He's been in a Cup car a bunch [testing] and every time he gets in there he's extremely smooth and seems to handle everything real well,'' Gibbs said. "If we could get him in some [Cup races], we'd like to at the end of this year.''

Logano's development could play a key role in what Joe Gibbs Racing does should Tony Stewart leave the team. Stewart said earlier this year he's entertained offers to drive elsewhere. One such offer includes partial ownership of Haas CNC Racing. Although Stewart said recently he's moving closer on a decision, nothing has been set.

Should Stewart leave, it could allow Gibbs to promote Logano to Stewart's seat. Should Stewart remain, then Gibbs will need to add a fourth car to move Logano to Cup.

While Logano has limited race experience in the Nationwide Series, Gibbs says Logano can handle a Cup ride.

"Denny [Hamlin] kind of changed my mind,'' Gibbs said of young drivers with limited NASCAR experience moving to Cup. "Denny came out of late models and one year later, we said, 'Should we put him in a Cup car?' He jumped into the Cup car and took off and the rest is history.

"With some young guys, they've got that kind of talent that doesn't come along very often.''

Scaling back

Kyle Busch said on TNT's pre-race show he won't race a Nationwide car next weekend in Milwaukee. The Cup series is in Sonoma, Calif., and getting back and forth is taxing on drivers.

Busch also mentioned he won't compete in the Nationwide event at Memphis, which is the same October weekend the Cup series is in Atlanta. Busch said he's cutting back his schedule slightly because he's too far back to win the Nationwide title, so there's no need to make such trips.

Awaiting word

Car owner Roger Penske said he has not had any conversations with Alltel officials since the recent announcement Verizon will buy Alltel, a deal that could force Penske to find another sponsor.

NASCAR officials indicate that Verizon won't be able to replace Alltel as sponsor for Ryan Newman's car. Only wireless companies already in the sport were allowed to remain when Nextel, which later became Sprint, took over as series sponsor.

Penske says he hasn't needed to talk with Alltel officials until the company decides how the new version will be branded. If the Alltel brand goes away, so, it appears, will the sponsorship.

Pit stops

Road-racing specialist Ron Fellows will replace rookie Regan Smith for this weekend's race at Infineon Raceway, Dale Earnhardt Inc., announced. ... Marcos Ambrose will attempt to make his first Cup start at Infineon, driving for the Wood Brothers.