Editor’s Note: NASCAR is celebrating its 75th anniversary. SPEED SPORT was founded in 1934 and was already on its way to becoming America’s Motorsports Authority when NASCAR was formed. As a result, we will bring you Part 61 of a 75-part series on the history NASCAR.
Words like dynasty aren’t thrown around frequently in sports, but Jimmie Johnson’s third-consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup championship made many wonder if his Hendrick Motorsports team deserved that type of recognition.
Led by crew chief Chad Knaus, the Lowe’s Chevrolet team skated to seven victories, including three during the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup, which Johnson and his mates thoroughly dominated.
It was the third-straight championship for Johnson, making him only the second driver (Cale Yarborough) in NASCAR history to win three titles in a row. Johnson ended up winning the championship by 69 points over Carl Edwards, who led the series with nine victories and 19 top-five finishes.
“It’s the ultimate reward,” Johnson said. “We worked so hard to get ourselves in this position. It’s total teamwork and dedication. That is what it is really all about.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his first race for Hendrick Motorsports, taking the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona lnt’l Speedway in February. Earnhardt also snapped a 76-race losing streak in points races when he won at Michigan Int’l Speedway.
Unheralded Regan Smith surprised everyone by outlasting better-known rookie contenders to win the Raybestos Rookie of the Year award.
Toyota earned its first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the fourth race of the season with Kyle Busch winning for Joe Gibbs Racing.
lt was the first victory by a foreign-car manufacturer since a Jaguar driven by AI Keller won at Linden, N.J., in 1954.
It was the first of eight Cup Series races that Busch won during the 2008 campaign.
Richard Childress Racing swept the top three spots at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in March, with Jeff Burton beating his teammates Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer to the checkered flag.
Dale Jarrett ran his final points race at Bristol, Tenn., in March and his final race in the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. He retired to the ESPN broadcast booth.
Kasey Kahne won the Sprint All-Star Race after earning the fan voting just to get into the race. He started at the rear of the field and drove to the $1 million victory. Kurt Busch won his only race of the season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway when rain came with his Penske Racing Dodge in the lead.
Two-time Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart left Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the season after receiving a 50-percent ownership share in Haas CNC Racing, which was renamed Stewart Haas Racing. Stewart will drive for the team as will reigning Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman.
The 15th annual Brickyard 400 was one of the worst races of the season in all forms of motorsports.
Tires that couldn’t last 10 laps of the 2.5-mlle Indianapolis superspeedway led to short green-flag runs between yellow flags and a blanket of black dust covering cars and spectators. Johnson claimed the victory.
Burton, Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne all won a pair of races.
Four-time series champion Jeff Gordon was winless on the campaign.