Early domination fades, but Busch's season successful

Dream season? It certainly was shaping up to be just that for Kyle Busch as he carried his eight victories and 30-point lead into the first race of the Chase.

Busch was the clear favorite to win his first championship in 2008 after dominating the first two-thirds of the season. He led the standings for four weeks early on before a setback at Martinsville dropped him to fifth. No problem. Four consecutive top-10s later, including a victory at Talladega, and he was back on top.

Kyle Busch won his eighth race at Watkins Glen, but didn't win again.

Busch remained the points leader for the next 17 races and headed into the Chase with people wondering if the trophy should be etched at New Hampshire. But that's where the hope came to a halt.

A broken heim joint at New Hampshire saddled him with a 34th-place finish and he plummeted from first to eighth in points. The next week, a blown engine left him in 43rd at Dover and dropped him to 12th in the standings. Week 3 of the Chase saw him finish a lap down in 28th at Kansas. Busch's own version of Murphy's Law became reality and the best driver in the regular season finished 10th in points.

The 23-year-old did, however, record the best season in his four-year career. His eight wins doubled his output prior to 2008. He scored Toyota's first victory in the Cup Series with a win at Atlanta. And from his April victory at Talladega until his Watkins Glen win in August to sweep the road courses, Busch didn't go more than two races without a victory.

In his first year driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, as critics wondered whether he had matured enough to be a title contender, he answered the call and helped return the No. 18 car back to championship form despite the late-season meltdown.

Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway -- While everyone else struggled with Goodyear's hard tire compound, Busch slid his car around Atlanta Motor Speedway and brought home Toyota's first Cup Series victory. Carl Edwards, whom Busch said had the best car, blew an engine, paving the way for Busch to lead 173 laps. It was Victory No. 1 of his eight celebrations in the season's first 22 races. It was also a reunion of sorts for the No. 18 car to Victory Lane, breaking a streak of 148 races since the car last won in 2003 with Bobby Labonte behind the wheel.

Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway -- One race sent Busch on a 104-point swing from first place to eighth in the standings, and cost him a chance at the championship. Busch entered the Chase's first race with a 30-point lead on the field thanks to the eight victories he accumulated and the bonus points that followed. A heim joint, which connects the sway bar to the lower control arm, broke just 19 laps into the race and left Busch the rest of the day to limp to a 34th-place finish. Busch fell from first to eighth in the standings, then dropped to 12th after a crash the following week. The overwhelming favorite to win the championship was finished.

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