After Smoke cleared, JGR became ever-present danger

Joe Gibbs Racing entered the 2009 season in the post-Tony Stewart era after the two-time series champion left to start his own team.

But despite its highest-profile driver missing the Chase, JGR put together an impressive year.

Kyle Busch won four Sprint Cup races and was the dominant figure in the sport during the early season. But he fizzled down the stretch and missed out on making the playoffs.

Busch, who added a Nationwide Series championship to his resume in 2009, was able to rack up an amazing 20 wins across NASCAR's top three divisions. But his inability to qualify for the postseason overshadowed Busch's other accomplishments.

Team owners Joe and J.D. Gibbs paired Busch up with a new crew chief in Dave Rodgers -- who replaced Steve Addington -- over the final few races of 2009 in hopes of getting a jumpstart on the new year.

"I've learned a lot, for sure," Busch said. "We've been really consistent [in the Nationwide Series], and it's going to earn us a championship. We're hoping, with Dave coming on board with our M&M's Toyota, we can build toward being that consistent starting next year.

"Any championship in NASCAR is a big deal, and I'm proud of the effort by all the guys over there. I've had to learn to be a little more patient and take what the car will give me and not try to drive over my head if my car isn't the best out there. I've tried to learn to take what you have -- if it's a 12th-place finish like we had at Phoenix, you take that, since it's the best you had that day. That kind of stuff wins you championships and something that Jimmie [Johnson] and Chad [Knaus] have been able to do so well."

Owner Joe Gibbs and Denny Hamlin picked up a few trinkets in 2009. (US Presswire)

While Busch missed an opportunity to challenge Johnson for a title in 2009, his teammate Denny Hamlin did not. Ultimately failing in that attempt, Hamlin was one of the strongest drivers in the final 10 races of the year and without some bad luck and mechanical problems most likely would have given Johnson a run for his money.

That finish has Hamlin beaming about next year and a season he feels has an excellent chance at ending with a Sprint Cup title.

"We can, for sure," he said. "Our team can do it.

"In years past, it's always been, 'Well, we've just been outperformed by those guys each and every week of the Chase,'" said Hamlin, who wound up fifth in the final standings and won four times last season. "This Chase, I don't feel like that is the case. I'm more optimistic about next year than I am sorry for myself about this year."

Young Joey Logano is also feeling optimistic about things to come after getting his freshman season under his belt.

Thrust into the JGR No. 20 ride in the wake of Stewart's departure, Logano struggled during the first part of the season as he learned the nuances of driving a Sprint Cup car.

But the talented Logano proved to be a quick learner and improved tremendously in the second half to put together a performance that eventually earned him Rookie of the Year honors.

"Was I in over my head? Probably a little bit to start," said Logano, whose year included a first career Cup win in New Hampshire as well as a violent crash at Dover in which his car rolled over seven times. "But I think everybody is when you first get in one of these cars. They're so different, and there's no other way of getting experience in them. You're going to be in over your head for a while until you get it figured out.

"I didn't set any big goals, just keep improving, keep getting better. And I've never done it my whole career, I've never really set huge goals."

Season preview

JGR's goal for 2010 is to get all three of its drivers into the Chase, an accomplishment that doesn't appear too far out of reach.

Hamlin has already established himself as the favorite to end Johnson's quest for a fifth straight championship. The No. 11 Toyota driver believes his strong finish to 2009 puts him in perfect position to mount a serious challenge.

"I think this Chase has just made us stronger, because now I think everyone is focused and everyone is fired up about next year, knowing that we're one of the few guys that can run with that 48 every single week," Hamlin said.

Busch will no doubt win multiple times again next season, but it will be up to Rodgers to reign in the talented driver's sometimes over-aggressive nature. Busch will also have to deal with the added responsibilities of being a team owner now that his Kyle Busch Motorsports plans to field a two-truck operation in the Camping World Truck Series.

Logano also needs to find consistency, but most importantly avoid the dreaded jinx that seems to take a bite out of talented drivers' sophomore efforts -- most notably David Ragan's run in 2009.

Overall JGR has surpassed Roush Fenway Racing as the No. 2 team in the NASCAR hierarchy behind the powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports. A bit more in the good-luck department could find both Hamlin and Busch in the mix for a title when the Chase rolls around next September.