From the 50th Daytona 500 to the final fight in Homestead, NASCAR"s 60th anniversary was a season of history. 2008 Marked the first full season for NASCAR"s New Car . But the New Car would bring new problems for many of NASCAR s most successful teams. Meanwhile, NASCAR s most powerful team, Hendrick motorsports, welcomed NASCAR"s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt junior. Earnhardt Junior replaced young gun Kyle Busch, who moved to Joe Gibbs racing and took the wheel of the once-powerful NO.18 team. Ultimately, Kyle Busch and Earnhardt Junior would battle all year at the top of the point-standings with Roush-Fenway racer Carl Edwards. While Bush, Edwards, and Earnhardt combined to win 15 of 26 regular season races, back to back defending champion Jimmie Johnson was on a quiet quest to tie the legendary Cale Yarborough as the only drivers to win three consecutive cups.