Young stars and a champ perform up to task in 2008

A look back at the top performances of 2008 in the Sprint Cup Series:

Top Drivers (in alphabetical order)

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Kyle Busch dominated before the Chase; Jimmie Johnson took control thereafter.

Kyle Busch -- Dominated the season's first 26 races, claiming eight victories, to go along with 15 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes. He was the points leader heading into the Chase. Across all three national series, Busch won a total of 21 races in 2008 including a Nationwide Series record-tying 10 victories. (Year in Review)

Carl Edwards -- Won a series-high nine races in Cup competition including three victories in the Chase. He finished runner-up in both the Cup and Nationwide Series. Edwards also posted a Cup Series-best 27 top-10 and 19 top-five finishes. (Year in Review)

Jimmie Johnson -- Etched his name in the record books by claiming his third consecutive Cup championship, joining Cale Yarborough as the only other driver to accomplish the feat. Johnson was particularly strong during the Chase, as he had three wins, six top-fives, eight top-10s, and an average finish of 5.7 during the season's final 10 races. (Year in Review)

Regan Smith -- In 34 starts, Smith became the first rookie in Cup Series history to not record any DNFs throughout the course of the season. He turned in a pair of 14th-place finishes at Martinsville (first) and Bristol (second). Smith completed 98 percent of the scheduled laps in 2008 and was named rookie of the year. (read more)

Rick Hendrick -- Won his eighth Cup Series owner championship, second only to Petty Enterprises (nine). Three of Hendrick's drivers finished in the top 12 in driver points in 2008: Jimmie Johnson (1st); Jeff Gordon (7th); and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (12th)

David Ragan -- In just his second season of competing in the Cup Series, Ragan finished 13th in the point standings, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the Chase. Ragan posted six top-five and 14 top-10 finishes including a pair of career-best third-place showings at Michigan in August and Talladega in October. Ragan completed a series-best 99.4 percent of the scheduled laps during the season.

Greg Biffle -- Re-established himself as a championship contender, following a two-year absence from the Chase. Seeded ninth heading into the Chase, Biffle got off to a blazing start by winning the first two Chase races -- at New Hampshire and Dover. He finished third in the final point standings. (Year in Review)

Top Five Races (in chronological order)

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins under caution at Michigan, weeks after being bumped out of a possible victory at Richmond.

• Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 17) -- At the 50th running of the Daytona 500, Ryan Newman got a last lap shove from teammate Kurt Busch to win his and car owner Roger Penske's first Daytona 500. Newman's margin of victory was .092 seconds in a highly competitive race that featured 42 lead changes. (Race Review | Race Video)

• Crown Royal 400 at Richmond International Raceway (May 3) -- Clint Bowyer took advantage of Kyle Busch spinning out leader Dale Earnhardt Jr. with two laps remaining to claim his second Cup Series career victory. Denny Hamlin led a race-record 381 laps, but a flat tire on Lap 383 ended his chances for victory. Bowyer edged Busch in a green-white-checkered finish. (Race Review | Race Video)

• LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway (June 15) -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. snapped a 76-race winless streak and held off Kasey Kahne to win on Father's Day. In a suspense-filled race that featured a green-white-checkered finish, Earnhardt Jr. conserved fuel down the stretch and coasted across the finish line when a caution flag came out on the final lap. (Race Review | Race Video)

• Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (Aug. 23) -- Carl Edwards executed a textbook bump-and-run to pass Kyle Busch on Lap 470 to win at Bristol. Edwards led the final 31 laps of the race to post his sixth win of the season. Unhappy with the way Edwards had passed him for the lead, Busch bumped the No. 99 car after the checkered flag. Edwards wasted no time in bumping the No. 18 car back and a rivalry was born. (Race Review | Race Video)

• Camping World RV 400 at Dover International Speedway (Sept. 21) -- Greg Biffle continued his hot start in the Chase, winning for the second consecutive week, in an event that featured three-wide racing down the stretch between a trio of Roush Fenway teammates. Biffle, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards all battled for the lead, before Biffle passed Kenseth with eight laps to go to secure the victory. (Race Review | Race Video)