Roush Fenway Racing continued to solidify its spot as one of NASCAR's powerhouse teams in 2008. While ultimately coming up short in its bid for another Sprint Cup Series championship, the entire Roush squad turned in an impressive season, with three of its five drivers making the Chase.
The Roush brigade was led by Carl Edwards, who put on a furious charge to catch Jimmie Johnson for the title down the stretch but wound up 69 points behind when the final checkered flag of the season waved at Homestead.
Edwards led the series with nine wins as well as a staggering 19 top-five finishes. He ended the year with three wins in the final four races of the schedule, including the Homestead finale.
However Edwards' year did include some controversies along the way, including his penalty for a missing oil lid cover after winning the March visit to Las Vegas, an on-track altercation with Kyle Busch at Bristol in August and a fight with Kevin Harvick in the Lowe's Motor Speedway garage area in October.
"We ran really well this season, well enough to win a championship had it not been for two races where we lost points in the Chase," Edwards said.
"Considering how well Jimmie (Johnson, 2008 champion) performed, I don't think that's a small feat," said Edwards of his Sprint Cup season. "We can go into the offseason knowing we won more races than anyone else in this series. I think that's a big accomplishment, especially considering how well Jimmie and Kyle both ran all season, so that feels good and knowing how well we ran"
Teammate Greg Biffle bounced back to the form he displayed in 2005 with a solid year that included back-to-back wins in New Hampshire and Dover to open the Chase. Biffle notched 12 top-five finished on his way to finishing third in the final standings.
"We started to hit on all cylinders I'd say around midseason," said Biffle, who signed a contract extension with the team in May. "Once we got on track, we really had some great runs and I think we're set up for next year."
Matt Kenseth went winless for the first time since 2001. But the 2003 series champion was able to make the Chase on the strength of his patented consistency with nine top-five and 20 top-10 finishes to come home 11th in the final standings.
Second-year driver David Ragan made his mark in 2008, barely missing the Chase and nearly scoring his first career Sprint Cup Series win several times. Ragan ended up 13th in the standings but many believe the young Georgia driver is poised for a breakout season in 2009.
Jamie McMurray appeared headed to a new home after his early season struggles, but he came to life during the summer and ended the year with some of the best drives of his Sprint Cup career. McMurray finished 16th in the standings and was pleased with the way things turned around for him in 2008.
"It was a long season for the No. 26 team," McMurray said. "If I had to sum up our season, I'd say that we got off to a very unfortunate start, built ourselves back up over the summer, hit a run of bad luck, but with fast cars, and then in the end ran some really great races."
2009 season preview
Roush enters 2009 as the favorite to unseat Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports for the championship.
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| David Ragan, a good bet to get his first win in 2009, finished just outside the top 12 in '08. (Getty Images) |
"This is a championship-caliber team without a doubt," Edwards said. "I know how tough it's going to be to beat Jimmie and that 48 team again but I'm sure we can do it and believe me we will be doing all we can to bring that trophy home to Roush in 2009."
Biffle should also be in the title picture and have a chance to become the first driver in NASCAR history to win titles in all three of the sanctioning body's top divisions -- Cup, Nationwide and the truck series.
Kenseth will have a new crew chief in Drew Blickensderfer, who called the shots for Edwards in the Nationwide Series last year. Blickensderfer replaces Chip Bolin, who returned to the team's engineering department. Despite his winless year, Kenseth should also make the Chase.
The battle between Ragan and McMurray will be interesting to watch as the duo battles for what will ultimately be the fourth and final seat at the team in 2010. NASCAR's four-car cap goes into effect after this season, so with Edwards, Biffle and Kenseth locked into long-term contracts, team owner Jack Roush will have to choose between Ragan and McMurray.
Most believe Ragan is a future star in the sport and will win at least one race next season. While McMurray ended last season on an up note, he'll have to have a career year in order to continue his tenure at Roush.
It's a distinct possibility Roush could put all five of its teams in the Chase with a little luck and another year of consistent finishes from its quintet. If any team has a shot at taking the Cup trophy away from the Hendrick mantle, it's Roush Fenway Racing.
