2008 NASCAR Cup Series (Simpsonverse)
The 2008 NASCAR Cup Series was the 60th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 37th modern-era Cup season. It was contested over thirty-six races, and began on February 9 at Daytona International Speedway with the Budweiser Shootout exhibition race, followed by the 50th Daytona 500 on February 17 and concluded with the Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on November 16.
Coors Light replaced Budweiser as the Official Beer of NASCAR, thereby becoming the new sponsor of the Pole Award given to pole winner in each Cup Series race. However, Budweiser was still the official sponsor for Bud Shootout at Daytona in February. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. was crowned champion at season's end.
This was the first season with the upgraded Strictly Stock Car, dubbed the Strictly Stock Car II, which had more safety features, as well as improved accuracy to the showroom model.
Teams and drivers
Complete schedule
Car(s) | Team | No. | Driver(s) | Crew chief | Model |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | 01 | Regan Smith (R) | Dan Stillman | Corvette Z06 |
1 | Martin Truex Jr | Kevin Hamlin | |||
8 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Tony Eury, Jr. | |||
14 | Sterling Marlin | Tony Eury, Sr. | |||
15 | Paul Menard | Doug Randolph | |||
Furniture Row Racing | 78 | Kenny Wallace | Jay Guy | Impala | |
Haas CNC Racing | 66 | Scott Riggs 35 | Bootie Barker | Corvette Z06 | |
Max Papis 1 | |||||
70 | Johnny Sauter 9 | Dave Skog | |||
Ken Schrader 1 | |||||
Scott Riggs 1 | |||||
Tony Raines 12 | |||||
Max Papis 1 | |||||
Hendrick Motorsports | 5 | Jerry Nadeau | Alan Gustafson | Impala | |
24 | Jeff Gordon | Steve Letarte | |||
25 | Mark Martin | Darian Grubb | |||
48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chad Knaus | |||
NEMCO Motorsports | 67 | Joe Nemechek | Gary Putnam | 2005 Monte Carlo | |
87 | John Nemechek | Eric Phillips | |||
Richard Childress Racing | 3 | Jeff Burton | Scott Miller | Corvette Z06 | |
30 | Kevin Harvick | Todd Berrier | |||
31 | Clint Bowyer | Gil Martin | |||
33 | Steve Park | Slugger Labbe | |||
Dodge | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates |
39 | Reed Sorenson | Jeff Vandermoss | Challenger |
40 | Casey Mears | Steve Lane | |||
41 | Kenny Irwin, Jr. | Kevin Manion | |||
42 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Donnie Wingo | |||
Gillett Evernham Motorsports | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Kenny Francis | Charger | |
10 | Patrick Carpentier (R) 29 | Mike Shiplett | |||
Terry Labonte 1 | |||||
Mike Wallace 1 | |||||
A. J. Allmendinger 5 | |||||
19 | Elliott Sadler | Kenny Francis | |||
Penske Racing South | 06 | Sam Hornish, Jr. (R) | Chris Carrier | Charger | |
2 | Kurt Busch | Pat Tryson | |||
12 | Ryan Newman | Roy McCauley | |||
77 | Blaise Alexander | Mike Nelson | |||
Petty Enterprises | 43 | John Andretti | Jeff Meendering | Challenger | |
44 | Bobby Labonte | Mark Tudor | |||
45 | Adam Petty | Billy Wilburn | |||
46 | Austin Petty | Chris Hussey | |||
Robby Gordon Motorsports | 7 | Robby Gordon | Frank Kerr | Charger | |
Ford | Orr Motorsports | 37 | Rodney Orr | John Page | Fusion |
Robert Yates Racing | 38 | David Gilliand | Cully Barclough | Fusion | |
88 | Jeremy Mayfield | Todd Parrott | |||
Roush Fenway Racing | 6 | David Ragan | Jimmy Fennig | Roush Mustang | |
17 | Matt Kenseth | Chip Boldin | |||
26 | Jamie McMurray | Larry Carter | |||
60 | Greg Biffle | Greg Erwin | |||
99 | Carl Edwards | Bob Osborne | |||
Steele/Favre Motorsports | 16 | Tim Steele | Joey Knuckles | Fusion | |
90 | Tony Roper | Darrell Bryant | |||
Wood Brothers Racing | 21 | Bill Elliott 23 | Gene Nead | Mustang | |
Johnny Sauter 1 | |||||
Jeff Green 1 | |||||
Jon Wood 5 | |||||
Marcos Ambrose 6 | |||||
Toyota | Bill Davis Racing | 22 | Dave Blaney | Tommy Baldwin Jr. | Camry |
Hall of Fame Racing | 96 | J. J. Yeley 21 | Brandon Thomas | ||
P. J. Jones 1 | |||||
Brad Coleman 1 | |||||
Ken Schrader 11 | |||||
Joey Logano 2 | |||||
Joe Gibbs Racing | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Mike Ford | ||
18 | Kyle Busch | Steve Addington | |||
20 | Tony Stewart | Greg Zipadelli | |||
80 | Jason Leffler | Bryant Frazier | |||
Michael Waltrip Racing | 00/47 | David Reutimann 5 | Bill Pappas | ||
Michael McDowell (R) 21 | |||||
Mike Skinner 3 | |||||
Kenny Wallace 1 | |||||
A. J. Allmendinger 1 | |||||
Mike Bliss 1 | |||||
Marcos Ambrose 4 | |||||
51 | Dale Jarrett (5) | Ryan Pemberton | |||
David Reutimann (31) | |||||
55 | Michael Waltrip | Paul Andrews | |||
Team Red Bull | 83 | Brian Vickers 35 | Doug Richert | ||
Scott Speed 1 | |||||
84 | A. J. Allmendinger 24 | Jimmy Elledge | |||
Mike Skinner 7 | |||||
Scott Speed 4 | |||||
Brian Vickers 1 |
Limited schedule
Manufacturer Changes
- Chevrolet replaced the Monte Carlo with the Corvette Z06.
- After the Avenger proved unimpressive, Dodge opted to replace it with the newly-relaunched Challenger
Changes
Strictly Stock Car II
For 2008, the original Strictly Stock Car was replaced by a second-generation version, officially dubbed the Strictly Stock Car II. The car was created in response to Chevrolet and Ford creating carbodies that exploited numerous loopholes in the NASCAR rulebook, which teams would then stretch even further by skewing the cars out of proportion to create more downforce. These asymmetrical cars, especially the Chevrolet Impala, were dominant on tracks where downforce was important, the only parity being at restrictor plate tracks and road courses, where tall noses and bumpers were the rule at Daytona and Talladega to aid in bump drafting, and the bodies for road courses had to be symmetrical due to the presence of right turns.In addition to reining in Chevrolet and Ford, the new car was also created to give Dodge and Toyota a better chance, and make the cars resemble their showroom counterparts even more than the original Strictly Stock Car. Several teams continued using the original Strictly Stock Car, but most teams made the switch.
Schedule
No. | Race Title | Track | Date | TV |
---|---|---|---|---|
Budweiser Shootout | Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach | February 10 | CBS | |
Gatorade Duel | February 15 | CBS | ||
1 | Daytona 500 | February 18 | CBS | |
2 | Subway 400 | Rockingham Speedway, Rockingham | February 25 | Fox |
3 | UAW-Dodge 400 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada | March 11 | Fox |
4 | Budweiser 400 | Riverside International Raceway, Moreno Valley |
March 18 | MGM |
5 | Food City 500 | Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol | March 25 | Fox |
6 | Goody's Cool Orange 500 | Martinsville Speedway, Ridgeway | April 1 | Fox |
7 | Samsung 500 | Texas World Speedway, College Station | April 15 | Fox |
8 | Old Spice 400 | Gateway International Raceway, Madison | April 21 | CBS |
9 | Aaron's 499 | Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega | April 29 | Fox |
10 | The Penguins of Madagascar 400 | Nazareth Speedway, Nazareth | May 6 | Fox
Nickelodeon |
11 | Howard Johnson's 400 | Pikes Peak International Raceway, Fountain | May 13 | CBS |
NASCAR Open | Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord | May 19 | Speed | |
NASCAR All-Star Challenge | Speed | |||
12 | Coca-Cola 600 | May 27 | Fox | |
13 | Music City 420 Presented by TNN | Music City Motorplex, Nashville | June 4 | TNN |
14 | Pocono 500 | Pocono Raceway, Long Pond | June 10 | MGM |
15 | McDonald's 400 | Chicago Motor Speedway, Cicero | June 17 | TBS |
16 | LifeLock.com 400 | Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet | June 24 | TBS |
17 | LifeLock 400 | Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn | July 1 | MGM |
18 | Lenox Industrial Tools 301 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon | July 7 | MGM |
19 | Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola | Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach | July 15 | MGM |
20 | Crown Royal Presents The Dan Lowry 400 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway | July 29 | MGM |
21 | Jacob's Grand Prix | Brands Hatch, West Kingsdown, Kent, England | August 5 | ESPN |
22 | Centurion Boats at the Glen | Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen | August 12 | ESPN |
23 | Sega 350 | Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Japan | August 21 | TBS |
24 | Keystone Light 400 | Milwaukee Mile, West Allis | August 25 | ESPN |
25 | Mountain Dew Southern 500 | Darlington Raceway, Darlington | September 2 | ESPN |
26 | Chevy Rock & Roll 400 | Richmond International Raceway, Richmond | September 8 | MGM |
27 | Tyson Holly Farms 400 | North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Wilkesboro | September 16 | ABC |
28 | Camping World RV 400 Presented by AAA | Dover International Speedway, Dover | September 23 | MGM |
29 | Camping World RV 400 Presented by Coleman | Kansas Speedway, Kansas City | September 30 | ABC |
30 | AMP Energy 500 | Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega | October 7 | ABC |
31 | Bank of America Roval 500 | Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord (Roval) | October 13 | MGM |
32 | Tums QuikPak 500 | Auto Club Speedway, Fontana | October 21 | ABC |
33 | Ford 400 | Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead | October 28 | MGM |
34 | Toyota/Save Mart 350 | Infineon Raceway, Sonoma | November 4 | MGM |
35 | Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 Presented by Pennzoil | Phoenix International Raceway, Phoenix | November 11 | MGM |
36 | Pep Boys Auto 500 | Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton | November 18 | MGM |
2008 season races
Races
No. | Race | Pole position | Most laps led | Winning driver | Model |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Budweiser Shootout | Kurt Busch | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 | |
Gatorade Duel 1 | Jimmie Johnson | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 | |
Gatorade Duel 2 | Michael Waltrip | Michael Waltrip | Denny Hamlin | Toyota Camry | |
1 | Daytona 500 | Sterling Marlin | Kyle Busch | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 |
2 | Subway 400 | Jimmie Johnson | Jimmie Johnson | Jerry Nadeau | Chevrolet Impala |
3 | UAW-Dodge 400 | Kyle Busch | Carl Edwards | Tim Steele | Ford Fusion |
4 | Budweiser 400 | Jeff Gordon | Kyle Busch | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 |
5 | Food City 500 | Jimmie Johnson | Tony Stewart | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 |
6 | Goody's Cool Orange 500 | Jeff Gordon | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Denny Hamlin | Toyota Camry |
7 | Samsung 500 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Carl Edwards | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 |
8 | Old Spice 400 | Ryan Newman | Jimmie Johnson | Mark Martin | Chevrolet Impala |
9 | Aaron's 499 | Joe Nemechek | Tony Stewart | Regan Smith | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 |
10 | The Penguins of Madagascar 400 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Regan Smith | Blaise Alexander | Dodge Challenger |
11 | Howard Johnson's 400 | Jeff Burton | Jeff Burton | John Andretti | Dodge Challenger |
Sprint Showdown | Elliott Sadler | A. J. Allmendinger | A. J. Allmendinger | Toyota Camry | |
NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race | Kyle Busch | Kyle Busch | Martin Truex Jr. | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 | |
12 | Coca-Cola 600 | Kyle Busch | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Adam Petty | Dodge Challenger |
13 | Music City 420 Presented by TNN | Greg Biffle | Greg Biffle | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 |
14 | Pocono 500 | Kasey Kahne | Kasey Kahne | Kasey Kahne | Dodge Charger |
15 | McDonald's 400 | Kyle Busch | Jimmie Johnson | Tony Stewart | Toyota Camry |
16 | LifeLock.com 400 | Kyle Busch | Kyle Busch | Kyle Busch | Toyota Camry |
17 | LifeLock 400 | Kyle Busch | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 |
18 | Lenox Industrial Tools 301 | Patrick Carpentier | Tony Stewart | Kurt Busch | Dodge Charger |
19 | Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola | Paul Menard | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Paul Menard | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 |
20 | Crown Royal Presents The Dan Lowry 400 | Jimmie Johnson | Jimmie Johnson | Adam Petty | Dodge Challenger |
21 | Jacob's Grand Prix | Jimmie Johnson | Mark Martin | Max Papis | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 |
22 | Centurion Boats at the Glen | Kyle Busch | Kyle Busch | Sterling Marlin | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 |
23 | Sega 350 | Brian Vickers | Carl Edwards | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet Impala |
24 | Sharpie 500 | Carl Edwards | Kyle Busch | Carl Edwards | Ford Roush Mustang |
25 | Pepsi 500 | Jimmie Johnson | Jimmie Johnson | Jerry Nadeau | Chevrolet Impala |
26 | Chevy Rock & Roll 400 | Kyle Busch | David Reutimann | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 |
27 | Tyson Holly Farms 400 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Sterling Marlin | John Nemechek | 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo |
28 | Camping World RV 400 Presented by AAA | Jeff Gordon | Matt Kenseth | Greg Biffle | Ford Roush Mustang |
29 | Camping World RV 400 Presented by Coleman | Jimmie Johnson | Jimmie Johnson | John Andretti | Dodge Challenger |
30 | AMP Energy 500 | Jeremy Mayfield | Tony Stewart | Regan Smith | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 |
31 | Bank of America Roval 500 | Jimmie Johnson | Jimmie Johnson | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 |
32 | Tums QuikPak 500 | Jimmie Johnson | Jimmie Johnson | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet Impala |
33 | Ford 400 | David Reutimann | Carl Edwards | Sterling Marlin | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 |
34 | Toyota/Save Mart 350 | Kasey Kahne | Kyle Busch | Kyle Busch | Toyota Camry |
35 | Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 Presented by Pennzoil | Jimmie Johnson | Jimmie Johnson | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet Corvette Z06 |
36 | Pep Boys Auto 500 | Jimmie Johnson | Carl Edwards | Matt Kenseth | Ford Fusion |