Season Superlatives

More suspense seemingly lies ahead with car, economy

The Charlotte Observer

Friday, Nov. 28, 2008

DAVID POOLE

Driver of the year

Boy, is it hard not to pick Jimmie Johnson after he wins a third straight Cup championship to match the record held by Cale Yarborough. It's almost as tough not to pick Carl Edwards, who finished second in the sport's top two series and went down fighting with late-season surges in both divisions.

But it's impossible for me not to go with Kyle Busch. He won 21 times in the Cup, Nationwide and Truck series. Nobody has won 21 times in one season in NASCAR national touring competition since Richard Petty won 21 Cup races in 1971. Yes, Busch didn't win in Cup after a victory at Watkins Glen, N.Y., on Aug.10, but his overall versatility is too much to overlook.

Crew chief of the year

Just after Johnson clinched his championship, Sprint Cup Series director John Darby radioed Chad Knaus and jokingly congratulated Knaus for completing his first full championship season. The reference was to the fact that Knaus had served suspensions for rules infractions in 2006 and 2007 but stayed out of NASCAR jail this year.

Johnson and Knaus lead a great team at Hendrick Motorsports. Knaus gets serious credit this year for not only becoming the first crew chief to win three straight titles, but for marshaling his team's forces through a remarkably ambitious testing effort after a slow start. As long as the sport's best team keeps working at getting better, it's going to be hard to catch.

Most improved driver

David Ragan is the obvious choice here. If he improves as much next year as he did after his rookie season, he'll be a threat to make the 2009 Chase.

Track of the year

The year's best race might have been the Sept.21 race at Dover, Del., and the Chase turned when Edwards bumped teammate Greg Biffle at Talladega, Ala. But when you consider both races, my track of the year is Richmond, Va.

The May3 race produced the most talked-about moment – Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrecking while battlng door-to-door – and a Clint Bowyer victory in a race that seemed like Denny Hamlin's all night long. The Sept.7 race, delayed by rain until Sunday, propelled Johnson into the Chase with a victory with Tony Stewart going down fighting.

The most important offseason questions

1. Will teams get better with the Car of Tomorrow to the degree that the racing improves? You can talk about racing back in the pack until you turn blue in the face, but if the leader can't be passed because the clean air makes him bullet-proof on the larger tracks then no other problem will matter. As big a deal as No.2 is, until you fix No.1, fixing No.2 won't matter.

2. How will NASCAR endure the economic issues that face the sport – and the nation? People who keep obsessing about the top 35 might not have anything to gripe about next year. There might not be 35 teams beginning 2009 with enough funding to attempt a full schedule. And the Cup series is in much better shape competitively and financially than the Nationwide and Truck series teams.

JIM UTTER

Driver of the year

I can't say enough about Johnson's accomplishments in the Sprint Cup Series, but when it comes to the whole season, Kyle Busch was the clear favorite. Eight wins in Cup, 10 wins in Nationwide (tying Sam Ard's record for most in a season) and three in Trucks. He won 21 of the 84 NASCAR events he entered – an astounding 25percent.

Team of the year

Hendrick Motorsports put three drivers in the Chase and produced the series champion for the third consecutive season. It even got Earnhardt Jr. back in the Chase and he got wins in the Budweiser Shootout and June15 at Michigan in his first year with the organization.

Best race

The May3 race at Richmond, Va., produced so many wild storylines, many of which continued throughout the year. Hamlin completely dominated a race that he didn't win. Bowyer won a race that hardly anyone but him remembers. And Earnhardt Jr. and Busch tangled on the track, starting a feud among fans that still have them talking.

Worst NASCAR decision

Not allowing Regan Smith's pass of Stewart under the yellow line for the win at Talladega, Ala., to stand after NASCAR had allowed the very same thing to occur during a Truck race at Daytona. Days later they “clarified” their rule – which they first denied existed – and said no passes would be allowed “going forward.” How about backward?

Bonehead move of the year award

ABC's decision to cut away from the final 30 minutes or so of the season's next-to-last Cup race at Phoenix in favor of showing America's Funniest Home Videos. It should never have happened. Period.

Most overplayed story

Who will or will not be locked in the top 35 to start the 2009 season. Most races will not have anywhere near 43 fully funded, competitive teams entered.

Next season's champion

I picked Busch this year and looked good for 26 races. I'm staying with that in 2009 in the belief Busch and his No.18 Toyota team will have learned from this year how to carry that stellar performance through to season's end.

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