NASCAR Nextel Cup Season comes to an end

[Earnhardt321]

Well all you NASCAR fans around Intercot. Another season has come and gone. What are your thoughts on the year?

This season was dissapointing. Being a Dale Jr fan I didn't have to much to cheer about. hopefully next year will proove better for Jr.

Congrats to Jimmy Johnson and tean on winning the Cup.

See you in Daytona everyone!!

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

It was quite a season in my family!

DD is a Jimmie fan, and DH a Jeff Gordon fan, so they had a great time egging each other on all year (and especially during the chase!)

DD had a great time last night cheering Jimmie on, and she's so happy he won.

As a side note, DD and I attended our first ever Nascar race this fall, and had a blast!

[medic9016]

I'm ready for Daytona already. I think next season should be a good season with all the team changes. Real curious how many fans Jr. lost switching to Hendricks.

I am a Joe Gibbs racing fan, So not a bad season over all. Not sure about switching to Toyota next year and Kyle Bush taking over the 18.

I really wanted any team other than Hendricks to win the cup.

[chrisb26]

Our house is also into NASCAR. Each of us liking a different drive.

I like Tony Stewart!! My Dad is Jeff Gordon my mom is Michael Waltrip fan when he makes a race and when he doesn't she likes Kevin Harvick. My brother however is Jimmie Johnson so he was happy to see Jimmie when the championship this year. I wish Tony could have had a better season he was pretty high up in points but ended up in 6th place. Great season overall Jimmie isn't my favorite but just glad Jeff didn't take it

Can't wait for the Daytona 500 and hoping Tony can pull off his first Daytona 500 win!!

[drhama]

I am a Mark Martin fan. The season was dissapointing to me and the hubby. It seemed a foregone conclusion that one of the 2 Hendricks teams would win the championship (not so say that they did not work for it) but, I personally, like there to be a down to the wire race each week. Jr just wasn't a factor and you never knew if Mark was racing that week. We have been going to Infineon for the past 8 years now and decided not to go in 08. I just could not get into the whole year. Maybe with the COT next year the wins will be shared by many more drivers.

[WDWfanatic742]

I can't wait for three more month's until it starts up all again. We are a Gordon family and adopted Johnson, so we were fairly happy this year. Hendrick should be pretty interesting next year.

[Marker]

All in all, I think it was a good season....

Mears, Truex, Bowyer all win their first. The new talent making some noise.

I like "The Chase". I like the modification that make winning more important. Not sure they needed 12 drivers instead of 10.

Toyota teams struggled, but seem to be making progress. Don't see what all the hubbub about Toyota is all about. I wonder how many of the people who complain about Toyota, and say they should only allow American manufacturers actually drive a Toyota, Honda, Nissan, BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagon, etc.

I think I like the "Car Of Tomorrow". Seems like it's going to make driver skill much more of a factor. Interesting that older drivers seem to have fewer complaints about it than younger drivers do.

Reasonable year for Michael Waltrip Racing. Starting 3 teams from nothing, with a new manufacturer, in a year when you have to develop 2 styles of cars was a tremendous challenge. Looking forward to how they do next year.

I would have liked to see Mark Martin run a full-time schedule given the way his season began.

I would have liked to see Dale Jarrett have a more successful final year.

I'm sad to see Ricky Rudd go, I remember when he was a young driver just coming in. It's probably time though. Hard to imagine a once competitive driver being content with riding around finishing 30th all the time.

Looking forward to seeing how the open wheel guys do. Bring 'em on I say. Give us your best, and lets see what you've got. And for those who say they shouldn't be allowed in...well, what about Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, JJ Yeley, Boris Said; and back in the day, A.J. Foyt, Bobby Unser, Al Unser, Mario Andretti, etc, etc, etc. This is not something new. And if we say open wheel drivers shouldn't be allowed to drive stock cars, then should NASCAR drivers not be allowed to drive modifieds on dirt? I'm just sad to see the IRL losing drivers, they don't have that many to begin with. I'd love to see them change the schedules back so someone could run both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. I thought that was fun to watch, and great promotion for both series.

Man, I miss it already. Can't wait until next year.

[Earnhardt321]

It was quite a season in my family!


As a side note, DD and I attended our first ever Nascar race this fall, and had a blast!

Aren't races live the best? I have been to 3 and it just looses something on tv. They are still great to watch but once you have the bug for live you have it!

[drhama]

It certainly is true that there is nothing like seeing it in person. Our first race was at Richmond. You sit right on top of the track. I love short track racing. We only go to Infineon because it is the closest to us. The road track just doesn't do it for me anymore. I am looking forward to next season. I also wish Mark Martin would run the full season and will miss Ricky Rudd and Dale Jarrett. I guess I have dated myself. I do miss the old days but there is so much more exposure now for all types of motor sports that I guess I can't complain. Gone are the days when you could count on your driver having the same number and sponsor from year to year. I do really enjoy being able to watch some kind of racing pretty much any time I want to.

[Marker]

Gone are the days when you could count on your driver having the same number and sponsor from year to year. I do really enjoy being able to watch some kind of racing pretty much any time I want to.

Not really sure those days ever existed. Sure, there were exceptions, like Richard Petty and the #43 STP Dodge. To use a couple examples, Dale Earnhardt drove the #2 and #15 before moving into the #3. Darrell Waltrip drove the #88, #11 and #17. Bobby Allison drove the #16, #2, #12, #28, #88, #22 and the #12 again.

Those are just 3 examples of popular, and successful drivers. And their sonsors changed too as their numbers did.

[JanetMegan]

Well I'm totally overwhelmed with work and such, but sometime after my deep depression ends I'm going to write up my thoughts-only 89 days til Daytona, and I'm looking forward to some changes, I just hope they make some as far as the top 35 rule and such. Or at least qualifying all of the go or go homers at once.

[Marker]

Well I'm totally overwhelmed with work and such, but sometime after my deep depression ends I'm going to write up my thoughts-only 89 days til Daytona, and I'm looking forward to some changes, I just hope they make some as far as the top 35 rule and such. Or at least qualifying all of the go or go homers at once.

I totally agree about qualifying. Personally, I'd like to see the fastest 43 cars race. If Jeff Gordon goes into the wall during qualifying, or blows a tire, and doesn't make the field, it just adds to the drama of the season. But I don't think we'll ever see it. Too much sponsor money involved to allow uncertain participation.

I do think grouping the go or go home drives would at least even the playing field. The fate of these drivers could at least be dependant on talent, and not their qualifying draw.

I'd also like to see some sort of restriction on the owners ability to transfer point. There's just something not right with a rookie driver getting guaranteed seat, when veteran drivers are forced to qualify. It's ridiculous that a driver qualifies 20th fastest, and goes home, but a driver who can't finish a race, and qualifies 45th fastest makes the race.