Christmas wishes to make NASCAR merrier in 2009

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good 2009 season!

As 2008 comes to a close, it's time to put a few presents under the ol' Christmas tree for NASCAR that would make this coming season even better than the last.

So with tongue firmly in cheek (at least a good part of the time), it's time to play Santa Claus and give the sport some things it really needs. Here is the wish list:

A new champion

No offense to Jimmie Johnson, but enough is enough. Johnson is a fine champion who represents himself and the sport well. He's funnier than folks think, at least when he allows himself to be (he was about the only one in a tough media room at Martinsville to get one of my lame jokes, when I introduced myself as Joe the Journalist at the height of the Joe the Plumber election-campaign hype). And kudos to him for becoming the first driver in 30 years -- and only the second ever -- to claim three consecutive points titles.

But with all of that said, mainly to clarify to all the No. 48 backers who are sure to e-mail and claim that there is some sinister anti-Johnson bias going on here, wouldn't it be nice to see someone new break through and win the next Sprint Cup championship? Maybe Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick or -- gasp! -- Dale Earnhardt Jr.?

Congrats, Jimmie ... now give someone else a chance.

It would be more interesting and better for the sport. Another popular new champion would be one of the old champions, such as Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart in one of his own new cars (not likely to happen as Stewart-Haas Racing feels its way in its inaugural season) or Matt Kenseth.

More fun finishes

Just when everyone was getting down on Bristol Motor Speedway, wondering whatever happened to the fantastic finishes there, a classic unfolded during the night race in August.

First Edwards gave Kyle Busch a little tap, moving him out of the way to take over first place. But it wasn't until after the race when the real fun started, as Busch rammed Edwards to show him how much he didn't appreciate the earlier bump-and-run. That led Edwards to retaliate and turn Busch sideways (watch video).

It was exactly the kind of finish and post-race antics that once were more commonplace in NASCAR, accompanied by all the requisite post-race whining, posturing and finger-pointing between the drivers and teams involved. It also appeared to be the birth of what has the potential to develop into a long-running, honest-to-goodness driver rivalry between arguably the two most talented young wheelmen (sorry Jimmie, but at 33, you're now in the "veteran driver" category) in NASCAR's balky new car.

It was great in '08, and more of this type of all-around drama would play just fine in '09. (Continued)