The 2007 season served as a transitional year for NASCAR. The season started with new faces, new cars and a new points system:

Juan Pablo Montoya made his debut as a full-time driver in the Nextel Cup Series, piloting the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sebates No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge.

Toyota also made its Nextel Cup debut with three teams; Michael Waltrip Racing, Bill Davis Racing and Team Red Bull.

NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow (known as the COT) made its debut at Bristol Motor Speedway in March and was used in 16 of the 36 races throughout the year.

The Chase for the Nextel Cup was extended to 12 drivers (up from 10 in 2006), ten additional points were granted for each win and after the Chase field was set at Richmond each Chaser’s points were reset to 5000 and then ranked according to the number of wins in the ‘regular season’.

The season started off with a bang at Daytona, but was surrounded by controversy:

Michael Waltrip, two-time Daytona 500 champion and the owner/driver spearheading Toyota’s debut in Nextel Cup, was caught with an illegal substance in the carburetor of his No. 55 NAPA Toyota. NASCAR officials confiscated the car and suspended his crew chief (who was later fired). Waltrip was left to explain his actions to NASCAR, the media and the fans. For Michael Waltrip Racing, this was just tip of the iceberg for a dismal 2007 season.

The Daytona 500 saw one of its greatest finishes in years. Mark Martin – driving for Ginn Racing – and Kevin Harvick battled to the checkered flag, as the ‘Big One’ happened behind them. The two came across the line inches apart, with Harvick winning by a nose, while his Richard Childress Racing teammate Clint Bowyer slide through the grass on his roof and on fire.

Many complained NASCAR waited to throw the caution flag once the crash began to ensure a more exciting finish. Had the caution flag flown when cars began spinning, many argued Mark Martin would have been celebrating his first Daytona 500 victory. Instead, it was Harvick and his No. 29 crew that took home the trophy and donated their car to Daytona USA.

The season quickly turned to the year of Hendrick Motorsports. Each of Rick Hendrick’s four cars visited victory lane early on in 2007. HMS was able to win 9 of the first 12 races of the season, include the first five COT races. Having done their homework thoroughly, the Hendrick team was miles ahead of the competition when it came to the Car of Tomorrow.

Casey Mears made Memorial Day special for many of those in the National Guard by using fuel mileage and pit strategy to win his first Nextel Cup race in the prestigious Coca-Cola 600.

On a Monday in June, Martin Truex Jr. was able to break the Hendrick Motorsports COT dominance and captured his first Nextel Cup Series victory at his home track of Dover International Speedway. The celebration was darkened by the news that NASCAR Vice Chairman Bill France Jr. had passed away earlier that day.

Open-wheel sensation and Nextel Cup rookie Juan Pablo Montoya proved to the NASCAR community he was a real threat, by being able to conserve fuel and capture his first Nextel Cup victory at Infineon Raceway in June. Montoya had joined the list of NASCAR winners earlier in the year, by moving teammate Scott Pruett out of the way for the win at the Busch Series event in Mexico City.

The July race at Daytona proved to be just as exciting as the season opening Daytona 500. Tight racing throughout the night resulted in another last lap pass and photo finish. This time Jamie McMurray was able to push past Kyle Busch coming to the Start/Finish line, returning to victory lane for the first time since 2002.

Tony Stewart was able to ‘Kiss the Bricks’ in front of his hometown crowd at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after capturing his second win at the Brickyard.

“This one,” Stewart explained, “[is] for every one of those fans in the stands who pull for me every week and take all the bull---- from everybody else.”

NASCAR officials were not too happy about Stewart’s choice of words, fining him $25,000 and penalizing him 25 driver points.

As the Chase for the Nextel Cup approached, the field of 12 narrowed.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. struggled to finish races due to engine failures, and was once again on the outside looking in. After announcing mid-season he would be leaving his father’s organization – Dale Earnhardt Inc. – for Hendrick Motorsports, Dale Jr. ran well in many races, only to be left with disappointing finishes and DNFs.

Clint Bowyer was able to use consistent runs throughout the year to secure the 12th and final spot in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Many critics questioned whether Bowyer – the only Chaser without a win – deserved to be in the elite group of twelve. Bowyer was quick to prove them wrong by winning the opening race of the Chase at New Hampshire, becoming the fourth first-time winner in 2007. Bowyer was able to make his way to third in the Chase, but in the end posed no real threat for the championship.

Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson continued their dominant performance in the Chase. The pair won six of the final ten races, with Johnson capturing four in a row at Martinsville, Atlanta, Texas and Phoenix. Working out of the same shop and sharing notes, the two Hendrick drivers made the Chase for the Nextel Cup and in-house competition. Johnson was able to turn on the afterburners once the ‘post-season’ began, beating Gordon by 77 points en route to his second Nextel Cup Championship in a row.