Random thoughts on the 2008 NASCAR season

November 17, 3:34 PMDetroit NASCAR ExaminerJosh Lobdell

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First and foremost I would like to take a little time and congratulate Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, and Johnny Benson as our three NASCAR national series champions for the 2008 season.

Right now I feel very fatigued after a 10 month season and following three national series and two regional series this has by far been my busiest NASCAR season work wise. I attended 6 races, and probably watched 90% of the rest of them.

With that being said here are a few thoughts and impressions I have of the season just concluded: 

• There was not a first time winner in the Cup series this year, the Nationwide Series had three; Brad Keslowski, Joey Logano, and Marcos Ambrose. The Truck series also had three; Matt Crafton, Scott Speed, and Donny Lia.
• Of those first-time winners in the Nationwide series they came in consecutive races. The three truck series first time winners also came in consecutive races.
• If we used the classic NASCAR points system Carl Edwards would have won the Sprint Cup by 16 points.
• Clint Bowyer won the Nationwide Series title while only winning one race. That is significant since after Matt Kenseth won the 2003 Cup title winning only one race, fans were so outraged that NASCAR had to adopt the Chase format.
•  The Nationwide Series is in a lot of trouble.
•  Regan Smith, Landon Cassil, and Colin Braun won Rookie of the year honors in the Cup, Nationwide, and Truck series respectively. Of those three only Braun has a secure ride in 2009.
•  Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Casey Mears, Martin Truex, Juan Montoya, and Jamie McMurray all won races in 2007 but failed to win in 2008.
• For Gordon this ends a streak of two wins per season that dates back to 1994
• MSRP Motor sports who ran cars in every Nationwide series race, and failed to finish one single race. They were a start and park team all season and made a nice profit by doing so.
•  Roush Fenway’s decision to break up driver Jamie McMurray and Crew Chief Larry Carter does not seem to make any sense.