Nationwide Series - A Look Back at 2008

Clint Bowyer won the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship, his first series title.

He finished the season 21 points ahead of Carl Edwards, the fourth closest championship margin in series history.

Bowyer finished the 2008 season with one victory, 14 top-five finishes and 29 top-10s. He had no DNFs.

There were 12 different race winners in 2008, led by Kyle Busch who tied a series record with 10 wins this season.

2008 Season Wins & Highlights
• Tony Stewart won the season-opener at Daytona then repeated in the second race (Auto Club Speedway). It was just the third time in NASCAR Nationwide Series history a driver had won the first two races of the season (Dale Earnhardt in 1986 and Chad Little in 1995).
• Mark Martin won the third race of the season at Las Vegas.
• Matt Kenseth won at Atlanta.
• Clint Bowyer won at Bristol.
• Kyle Busch posted his first NASCAR Nationwide Series victory of 2008 at Texas.
This win makes this the fourth consecutive season Kyle Busch has won in all three series.
Only two other drivers have accomplished the feat and both did so just once – Kevin Harvick in 2003 and Terry Labonte in 1995.
• Kyle Busch became the second repeat winner with his victory at Phoenix.
• Kyle Busch posted his third consecutive victory of 2008 with his win at Mexico City.
• Tony Stewart won his second restrictor-plate race with his victory at Talladega.
• Tony Stewart won his fourth race of the season and the sixth consecutive win for Joe Gibbs Racing with his win at Darlington.
• Kyle Busch became the second four-time winner of the season with his victory at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
• Denny Hamlin won at Dover.
• Brad Keselowski became the first driver to post his career-first victory in 2008 with his win at Nashville.
• Joey Logano won at Kentucky and became the second first-time winner. He also became the youngest winner in series history with this win, being at the ripe old age of 18 years, 21 days.
• Carl Edwards edged Clint Bowyer to win at Milwaukee, posting his first victory since Nashville in June 2007.
• Tony Stewart won at New Hampshire.
• Denny Hamlin won the July Daytona race. This gave the JGR No 20 car its ninth victory this season.
• Kyle Busch won at Chicagoland.
• Carl Edwards took the checkered flag at Gateway. His second win in 2008.
• Kyle Busch won at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, leading 197 of the 200 laps. His sixth victory of the season.
• Ron Fellows won the rain-shortened Montreal race.
• Marcos Ambrose posted his first NASCAR Nationwide Series victory by winning at Watkins Glen.
• Carl Edwards won at Michigan.
• Brad Keselowski posted his second career victory at Bristol.
• Kyle Busch posted his seventh victory at the Auto Club Speedway.
• Carl Edwards won his fourth of the season at Richmond.
• Kyle Busch got win #8 at Dover.
• Denny Hamlin won the Kansas Lottery 300.
• Kyle Busch won the Dollar General 300 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Number 9.
• Carl Edwards won his fifth race of the season at Memphis.
• Kyle Busch ties the all-time win record at Texas Motor Speedway. Sam Ard won 10 races in 1983.
• Carl Edwards won at Phoenix, making that win # 6 of the season.
• Carl Edwards won the final race of the year, #7 of the season.

Qualifying
• 162 drivers attempted to qualify for at least one race this season.

• There were 18 different pole winners in 2008:

• Kyle Busch (four)
• Carl Edwards (four)
• Joey Logano (three)
• Tony Stewart (two)
• Brian Vickers (two)
• Jamie McMurray (two)
• Colin Braun (two)
• Kasey Kahne (one)
• Brad Keselowski (one)
• Landon Cassill (one)
• Bryan Clauson (one)
• David Reutimann (one)
• Scott Pruett (one)
• Dario Franchitti (one)
• Cale Gale (one)
• Kevin Harvick (one)
• James Buescher (one)
• Denny Hamlin (one)

• There were eight first-time pole winners this season:

• Colin Braun (Mexico City)
• Joey Logano (Nashville-2)
• Brad Keselowski (Milwaukee)
• Landon Cassill (New Hampshire)
• Bryan Clauson (Daytona-2)
• Dario Franchitti (Watkins Glen)
• Cale Gale (Bristol-2)
• James Buescher (Memphis)

• 150 drivers qualified for at least one NASCAR Nationwide Series race this season.

(The 2008 season numbers will be continued in the next article on 11/29/08)

Source: NASCAR Press Release