The season couldn't have started any better for Penske Racing with a Ryan Newman-Kurt Busch 1-2 finish in the Daytona 500.
But the highlight reel for the rest of the campaign was sparse and the three-car operation suffered through an overall disappointing season.
Newman's Daytona win capped an electrifying race that ended with a well-timed push from teammate Busch on the final lap to work around the hard-charging duo of Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch for the victory.
It marked the first time legendary car owner Roger Penske had visited victory lane in "The Great American Race."
"I've been here almost 30 years trying to get into victory circle," said Penske, who has 14 Indianapolis 500 wins as an owner. "To achieve this, with this competition and with Ryan, a student of the sport, and with (crew chief) Roy (McCauley) and the team, this is unbelievable. We've worked hard, and we've come close, but we never executed at the end."
Unfortunately the team's execution tailed off tremendously after climbing the mountain in February.
Newman could only muster one other top five and eight top 10s before the season ended and closed the year with 12 straight races finishing 13th or worse.
He missed the Chase and finished 17th in the final Sprint Cup Series points standings.
"After the way we began the year I really thought this was going to be a season to remember for us," said Newman, who will join Tony Stewart's new team in 2009. "We were competitive from time to time but certainly never expected to have the kind of year we wound up with and missing the Chase was a big letdown."
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| Kurt Busch is left to carry the banner for Penske Racing. (Getty Images) |
"I felt better about the way we were running at the end of the season, but overall after the way we got out of the gate in Daytona, yes I'm disappointed in the overall year," Busch said.
Rookie Sam Hornish Jr. turned in a so-so freshman campaign. After starting the season with Busch's points from 2007 to give him a guaranteed starting spot in the first five races, Hornish slipped down the standings as the year went on. The former open-wheel star wasn't able to notch a top 10 all season, with his best run a 13th-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600.
Hornish was able to finish 35th in the standings to give him a starting position in the first five races of 2009.
2009 season preview
Penske returns with a three-car effort again in 2009, but with a much different look.
Newman leaves the No. 12 ride after eight seasons and 11 Sprint Cup wins to pair up with Stewart in the fledgling Stewart-Haas Racing operation.
"I have to be thankful for all the things that I have -- beyond the trophies and awards, beyond the paychecks, I have gotten friends and relationships and that's something I will always be grateful for," Newman said of his leaving Penske.
"I have had a good run with Penske, and I am leaving with some very fond memories -- especially of this year's Daytona 500 win with my teammate pushing me across the finish line, my dad spotting for me, and being able to give something to Roger Penske that he had tried so hard for over the years," Newman says. "That is by far my fondest racing memory and I will always be grateful for that."
David Stremme replaces Newman in the ride after a year with Rusty Wallace's Nationwide Series team and serving as Penske's main test driver.
The veteran had a previous Sprint Cup tenure with Ganassi Racing and is grateful for another opportunity to race at NASCAR's top level.
"Words can't express my excitement over the chance to work with Roger Penske and this No. 12 team," Stremme said. "We have a chance to win in 2009 and continue where Ryan left off with this great team."
Busch and Hornish return to round out the three-car stable, which will once again campaign Dodge Chargers.
Busch will need to continue the momentum he had at the end of 2008 and get off to a fast start in the new season to give some much-needed confidence to the team. Stremme's testing experience with the team will allow him to make the transition to full-time driver easier and the veteran will no doubt want to prove he is worthy of another shot at Cup racing. Hornish needs to improve on his rookie effort and a year of experience in stock cars can't hurt.
But the questions regarding Dodge's future in the sport and the development of its long-awaited next generation engine might be the biggest hurdle for Penske Racing to overcome in 2009.
