Finally, the long 2008 Sprint Cup season has settled into the record books.

In a season admittedly dominated in the end by two teams and two drivers -- and in the beginning by one team and one driver -- there were many moments and achievements that stood out beyond the obvious. Here, then, is a quick look at the obvious and the quirky, the memorable and maybe the forgotten.

All hail Jimmie!
Let's get this out of the way first. Jimmie Johnson winning his third consecutive Cup championship -- becoming only the second driver ever and the first in 30 years to do so (after the legendary Cale Yarborough completed his three-peat in 1978) -- was more than memorable and historic (watch video). Despite those who would diminish his achievement by saying it came in a different era than Yarborough, or that it came at least in part because of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship format that was installed in 2004, this was monumental, ring-the-church-bells stuff. Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet team for Hendrick Motorsports, led by crew chief Chad Knaus, once again proved they are the best currently in the business. And it could be argued that the business is more competitive than ever, including when Yarborough paved the way with his own stunning accomplishment.

Close Carl
The other driver and team that was dominant the latter part of the season was Carl Edwards and the No. 99 Ford team of Roush Fenway Racing. Edwards won a series-high nine races and at least made it mildly interesting down the stretch, although Johnson's amazing consistency during the 10-race Chase made the championship outcome a virtual formality by the time the Nov. 16 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway rolled around. Edwards and the No. 99 showed that they should be able to give Johnson and the No. 48 a real run for the trophy next season. Some even figure Edwards to be listed as the top-heavy preseason favorite, but you know Johnson and Knaus are loving the thought of that; it would only provide them with extra motivation.

Coolest moment
Sorry, everybody. But for all those who thought Edwards took an unnecessary or unsafe risk on the final lap at Kansas, when he dive-bombed Johnson and bounced off the wall before settling for second, there are just as many of us who thought it was one of the coolest deals we've seen in Sprint Cup racing in a while (watch video). Look, the guy simply was trying everything he could to win the race and put the heat on Johnson in the Chase. Isn't that what the whole thing is supposed to be about?

Runner-up: Being at Michigan when Dale Earnhardt Jr. finally broke a 76-race winless streak was special. Too bad that was in June, and he didn't do much to follow it up.

Most ridiculous moment
It's not even close. After the season-opening Daytona 500, it could be argued that the July race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is considered stock-car racing's next greatest showcase event (although admittedly more for the spectacle of it all rather than the actual substance of the racing there). Instead, tire issues turned the latest Sprint Cup run at the Brickyard into an absolute joke (read more | watch video). The greatest irony of it all was when NASCAR, after waving a competition caution flag every 10 laps all afternoon in front of a disappointed and at times enraged crowd, had the audacity afterward to circulate a press release bragging about how many green-flag passes there were during the event. This race needs to be fixed by next year, and it will require some extensive testing by someone to ensure that it is. That opens up another can of controversy that no doubt will spilleth over at a later date.

Runner-up: Kyle Busch being indignant that Edwards gave him a little tap to make the pass for the win during the night race at Bristol (watch video), and then seemingly failing to grasp that his post-race bump on the cool-down lap didn't deserve retaliation by Edwards (watch video). Adding to the ridiculousness of the incident was NASCAR's decision to punish both drivers equally. Busch was the one out of line with his actions.

The collapse of the No. 18 in the Chase was nothing short of shocking.

Whatever happened to ...
Busch, of course. He won eight of the first 22 races, when he and crew chief Steve Addington had the No. 18 Toyota of Joe Gibbs Racing looking invincible. But while Busch continued to have it dialed in as a driver in the Nationwide Series and the Craftsman Truck Series the rest of the way, he struggled mightily on the Cup side down the stretch. The collapse of the No. 18 in the Chase was nothing short of shocking. It will be interesting to see if he builds on the success he had overall on the Cup side in '09, or if he blows up at the first hint of adversity or failure. Only then will the world know if the kid really has matured.

Runner-up: Earnhardt. He began the season by winning the Bud Shootout and his 150-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500 -- two non-points events -- and was in the top 10 in points for 34 of the 36 weeks that make up the season. But after getting as high as second and staying there for a one-month stretch, his slow slide backward began not long after he won at Michigan. He finished the season a disappointing 12th in points.

Biggest surprise
For the first time in 15 years, Jeff Gordon failed to get his No. 24 Chevy to Victory Lane (read more). There were days when it seemed it was inevitable because, after all, he is Jeff Gordon. And he ended up finishing a respectable seventh in points. But one year after winning six races and being Johnson's closest Cup competitor, he and crew chief Steve Letarte didn't seem to fully grasp how to most effectively steer NASCAR's new car. Heading into 2009, some of the most nagging questions in the sport will be dogging them: Will they catch up and was that all it was? Or is Gordon, at age 37, beginning to lose more than a little of his once-awesome driver magic? My bet is on the former rather than the latter.

Runner-up: For the first time in seven years, Matt Kenseth failed to win a race in his No. 17 Ford. While Roush Fenway teammates Edwards and Greg Biffle won multiple times (OK, it was only twice for Biffle), he shockingly got shut out.

Most improved
David Ragan once was called "a dart without feathers" by Tony Stewart because of the reckless manner in which Ragan often piloted his No. 6 Ford for Roush Fenway. That changed this year, when Ragan was one of the most consistent drivers of all during the second half of the season. He finished 13th in points -- just outside of the Chase -- and will be in it next season if he takes the next logical step and begins winning some races.

Runner-up: A.J. Allmendinger deserved a better fate than the one dealt him by Red Bull Racing. The guy sat patiently -- watching and learning -- when he was replaced by Mike Skinner for five races early in the season, then put that new-found knowledge to work. Releasing him when he appeared to be on the upswing for an intriguing but as yet unproven talent such as Scott Speed was a mistake.

Least improved
Um, can we just lump the rest of the open-wheel newcomers in here? Dario Franchitti was supposed to contend for rookie of the year honors, but team owner Chip Ganassi folded his No. 40 Dodge team before the season was halfway over. Sam Hornish Jr. technically did contend for top rookie kudos, but only because the rest of the field was so weak. When push came to shove in the final week, Hornish handed that trophy to Regan Smith because he couldn't even make the race at Homestead. Needing a clutch qualifying run to get in on speed because he was outside the top 35 in owner points, Hornish hit the wall and was sent home instead.

Runner-up: Speaking of the soon-to-be-altered Ganassi Racing operation, didn't we all expect Juan Montoya to make more positive noise in his No. 42 Dodge in 2008? Soon we should be able to tell if it was more a combination of inferior equipment, poor luck and the fact that some guys in the garage area just won't cut him a break -- or if he's overrated.

Year of the deal
The season that was 2008 could not be wrapped up without at least one or two paragraphs commenting on the rapidly changing landscape of the sport. It even touched venerable Petty Enterprises, which took on an outside investment company as a partner in what was hailed as an innovative move in May -- and one that looked like it was hardly enough by August. Ganassi teams up next season with what's left of Dale Earnhardt Inc., which sadly will cease to exist as its legendary, late founder had envisioned (he has his surviving wife to blame mostly for that). Stewart ended his tenure as driver only after a decade at Joe Gibbs Racing, and now is embarking on a new era as owner-driver for Stewart-Haas Racing. If you thought he could be surly as a driver, wait 'til you see what he can do as a Cup owner. (Of course, he'll still put on the charm when he figures he has to).

What's next? It's too soon to tell. But you can count on 2009 being chock full of its own surprises and disappointments, cool moments and ridiculous ones. All of which is what makes this sport go 'round -- and 'round and 'round and 'round, for nine months at a time.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.