The Final Lap: The success, surprises and struggles of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Season.

As I sit here celebrating the New Year’s, I would like to cap off 2008 with taking a final lap back through the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Season with the success stories, the top 35 that changed after the season ended and the struggles.

The success stories in 2008 Cup Series season was dominated in the headlines and on-track by three drivers, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson, how? Simple, in the first 26-races, the season really belonged to Kyle Busch, Busch scored 8 victories, what can you say about Kyle, either you love him or hate him, however I can’t say either, hate is a strong word to me and I don’t hate Kyle. But while Kyle Busch is a good wheel man, he can drive just about anything on wheels meaning Cup Series, Nationwide, Trucks, dirt cars and more and can drive even a really loss racecar, he still just doesn’t get it. His attitude, the way he drives around others, he doesn’t care, he does whatever it takes to win, even in my opinion, wrecking, sorry that’s my opinion period and keep in mind, I am a Dale Jr. fan.

With that said, while Kyle Busch did dominate the first 26-races, he fell apart in the chase and at the same time, it was Jimmie Johnson who dominated in results in the chase, for the season, Johnson scored 6 victories including the late race drama at Phoenix in the spring with fuel mileage. Throughout the season though, the stories where more Carl Edwards with 9 victories, Edwards victories came in first the second race in Fontana and finally in the last race in Homestead which setup an interesting Chase for the Sprint Cup, however for Edwards, it was first, the Las Vegas 150 point penalty that did him in and second, missed opportunities on-track, but I will never take anything away from Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus and that entire #48 team, they are a dynasty, they are champions and in 2008, Jimmie Johnson became the second driver to win three straight NASCAR Cup Series Championships, only Cale Yarbrough did it before him in 1976-77-78, what a season for Jimmie Johnson, I wonder if he will get a four-peat, again, too earlier for that.

The surprises, last season, one of the biggest stories was Dale Earnhardt Jr. leaving DEI, joining Hendrick Motorsports and driving the #88, so for 2008, one of the biggest stories, the most talked about was none other than Tony Stewart. Smoke was in the news early from his on-track troubles and run in with Kurt Busch to his controversial victory at Talladega after a weird NASCAR call for a yellow-line penalty, but it was more off-track when in July, Stewart announced the forming of Stewart-Haas Racing. I said it once and I will say it again:

Tony said at his press conference, “There are no guarantees with this.”, however “I like challenges and we’re going to go down swinging.” So when it comes to Tony Stewart becoming a driver/owner at Stewart-Haas Racing, “I will support whatever decision he makes and I am happy to say this is a good one” and I stand by that. Smoke is not the type of guy that is going to settle for anything, have you seen his Lambo or even better, his Unique hearse, the same will be said with his racing, he owners a WoO two-car team and has found success there, so why no here in the Cup Series as an owner driver…Read More.

So what about Dale Earnhardt Jr.? His 2008 season was most likely the most watched by fans, he is NASCARs Most Popular Driver (2003-2008), everyone including me wanted to see just what he could do driving for Hendrick Motorsports and in my opinion, what a change from 2007 at DEI, of course engine failure highlighted 2007, 2008, it was blown tires, but still a good season which included a victory on Father’s Day Weekend at Michigan, that was a nice gift for my father who’s a Jr. fan too, however, Dale Jr’s luck in the chase was bad too, he finished 12th and of course, the spring and fall races at Richmond come to mind, do I really need to revisit this, no…with that said, bottom line, as Dale Jr. fan, I am happy with 2008 and can’t wait for 2009.

Third was, Ryan Newman first winning a good Daytona 500 and then signing with Stewart-Haas Racing, fourth, the shocking and disappointing change to Budweiser Shootout and fifth, the raising penalties for COT infractions, Robby Gordon at Daytona, Carl Edwards at Las Vegas and Haas Racing in Charlotte in May, However the biggest surprise was the COT for its safety, first at Las Vegas with Jeff Gordon hitting the inside wall on the back straightaway, but even worse, Michael McDowell at Texas, no words could describe that one.

The struggles in 2008, there is no easy way to say this, one manufacturer, Dodge, this is the struggles, with the exception of Kasey Kahne winning twice (plus the All-Star Race) and Ryan Newman winning the Daytona 500, no Dodge drive made the chase or won races, Dodge highlights the struggles in 2008 period and that’s sad. Dodge in 2009 has Gillette Evernham Motorsports with either 3-4 cars (might be GEM-Petty) and Penske Racing with 3 cars, well smaller budget with 7-8 cars in the Cup Series, I have to wonder now??? Other than Dodge and leaving Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing alone, Hall a fame Racing comes to mind and Bill Davis Racing.

Talk about struggles, what happened to the Open-Wheel Invasion, Juan Montoya is driving the #42 and Sam Hornish Jr. as of January 2009 is driving the #77, however Dario Franchitti, gone, no sponsorship, out for some of the season and back to IndyCars driving for yes, Ganassi Racing, Jacques Villeneuve, never was, but for Patrick Carpentier, he qualified for a number races including taking pole at New Hampshire in June before being removed at GEM, so basically, only Montoya really showed something and still here, sorry, Hornish is where he started in 2008, outside the top 35 before a Penske switch, can you Penske switch again…

The 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season is in the books, I am going to remember this season for the coming out of Kyle Busch, the battle for the championship between Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson and all three drivers for their wins, a good season for Dale Earnhardt Jr., a good Daytona 500, the spring race at Phoenix, the nightmare at Indianapolis that must NOT happen again, the Bristol race on my birthday (August 23rd) with Edwards winning after a bump and run on Kyle Busch, Edwards vs. Johnson at Kansas, the fall race at Phoenix, the controversial finish at Talladega, Stewart-Haas Racing and Jimmie Johnson’s three-peat, winning the championship…enough said.