Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards opened the 2008 season intent on knocking Jimmie Johnson from the top of NASCAR.
They chased him all year, but never quite caught him.
Despite a combined 17 Sprint Cup Series victories, the challengers came up short in the end when Johnson won his record-tying third consecutive championship. He never bothered to contemplate what tying Cale Yarborough's 30-year-old mark would mean, but in the whirlwind media blitz since Sunday's season finale, little things have happened to help Johnson appreciate his accomplishment.
Encounters with Mike Ditka and Cris Carter at the ESPN Studios this week humbled Johnson, as both NFL greats took time to praise his effort.
"When people like that notice what we have done and compare us to other teams in sports history, that's special,"
Johnson said. "I'm so proud to be a part of this and so happy for the team and myself."
It's a celebratory conclusion to another long season, one that started with the usual hope and anticipation only to end shrouded in the uneasiness of the economic crisis.
The season ended just days ago, but NASCAR teams are in the midst of mass layoffs because the crisis has forced car owners to tighten their belts. The staff reductions have creeped toward the top teams and crippled the smaller organizations.
Bill Davis Racing is down to just a handful of employees as it seeks 2009 sponsorship, and Michael Waltrip Racing joined Petty Enterprises and The Wood Brothers as organizations that have let go from 18 to 30 employees in the past few days. Hall of Fame Racing, a single-car team owned by two Arizona Diamondbacks executives, promised its own round of staff cuts at the end of the month.
And Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush Fenway Racing have not been immune: All three NASCAR super teams have reduced their staffs to trim their hefty budgets.
"Obviously, it's very difficult on our whole industry,"
said NASCAR chairman Brian France. "But we will come out of this. We will do our part with the rest of the sports and entertainment [business] to weather the storm. We've been here before and it's never fun. It's never easy. But we will get through it."
It won't be easy. Sponsorships are hard to come by, at-track attendance is down and the Big Three automakers are in dire trouble. NASCAR will do what it can to help--and so far has suspended all 2009 testing--but is not considering shortening the schedule, races, or three-day race weekends.
Despite the depressing end to the season, there were plenty of highlights:
The emergence of new stars Busch and Edwards.
Toyota rebounding from its dismal first season in NASCAR, largely behind the addition of Joe Gibbs Racing.
Tony Stewart deciding to leave JGR following a successful 10-year run.
Open-wheel drivers flaming out in their attempts to cross over to NASCAR.
