JIMMIE AND THEN SOME; NASCAR served up everything in 2007.(News)

Byline: AL PEARCE

Perhaps more than any other year this decade, 2007 brought significant and far-reaching changes to NASCAR and its flagship Nextel Cup Series. Bill France Jr., the organization's beloved "benevolent dictator'' and steadying hand for 35 years, died in June from lingering illnesses. The controversial "Car of Tomorrow'' debuted in March to mixed reviews. (By season's end, after 15 more races, it was still getting mixed reviews.) After six years on the sidelines, ESPN/ABC TV returned (also to mixed reviews) for 17 races. Foreign drivers angered some shortsighted fans by making inroads in NASCAR, and the organization's first full-time foreign manufacturer learned just how tough Cup racing can be.

But some things didn't change. Chevrolet continued to dominate, winning 26 of 36 races and taking nine spots in the 12-driver Chase for the Championship. Four Hendrick Motorsports drivers combined to win 18 of those 26 races, and teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon finished 1-2 in points. Ford's only truly competitive team was Roush Fenway Racing. Penske Racing was the best Dodge had to offer. As for Toyota's debut, well, maybe next year. In keeping with recent history, the rookie class was strong, and, as usual, there were just enough in-season personnel storms to keep things interesting.

The morning of the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, NASCAR CEO Brian France held an impromptu news conference. While he admitted to some niggling problems, he insisted that the company's "core business'' was strong and healthy. He denied that NASCAR was for sale, said he'd be staying at the helm "for the foreseeable future,'' expressed confidence in his management team, spoke glowingly of the Chase format and said NASCAR was well positioned "to get eyeballs and attention.'' Overall, it was about what you'd expect from almost any CEO addressing a roomful of professional skeptics.

Unsettling to some of them is Hendrick Motorsports' unmistakable domination. It's clearly the series' best organization, and its drivers won half the races. At one point in the spring and early summer, Johnson, Gordon, Kyle Busch and Casey Mears won 10 of 11 races. To close the season, Johnson and Gordon won six of the last seven. All told, Johnson won 10 races, Gordon six and Busch and Mears one each. Except for a few weeks early in the season, Johnson or Gordon led the points virtually all season. It was the seventh title (with three drivers) for owner Rick Hendrick, and there's absolutely nothing on the horizon suggesting anything different next year.

Nobody else came close. Roush Fenway drivers Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray and Carl Edwards combined to win seven races. Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin combined to win four for Joe Gibbs Racing. Richard Childress Racing drivers Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer each won one. Kurt Busch won twice for Penske Racing, and Martin Truex Jr. (Dale Earnhardt Inc.) and Juan Pablo Montoya (Ganassi/Sabates) split the other two. But it was a woeful year (0 for 253) for once formidable teams owned by Ray Evernham, Robert Yates, Richard Petty and ...