Honoring the best and worst of the 2007 Cup season

After winning their second straight Cup, Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus clearly have Chase racing down to a science. Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR

The bright lights of New York's Waldorf-Astoria hotel have dimmed once more. With the Nextel Cup banquet now a distant memory, NASCAR's books are officially closed for 2007.

Except for the Bowlesy awards, of course. Time for the second annual end-of-season awards -- shipped overnight delivery to each driver before they vacation on their own Caribbean island for oh, about the next month or so. That's what those multimillion dollar checks from the point fund will buy you ... but of course, no vacation is as nice as receiving a Bowlesy.

So, here they are; and if you're interested to see how the end-of-year results compared to the midseason picks, click here.

The Richard Petty Award (best points racer): Jimmie Johnson (second straight Bowlesy). Well, duh. Four years into the Chase era, it seems like Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus have the playoff format pretty well mastered. Peaking with four straight wins in the final five races, Johnson won the title with ease over a teammate who would have turned the tables in the old format. In fact, the final margin between Johnson and Jeff Gordon would have been 353 points, with Gordon clinching the trophy with two races left. But as the Rainbow Warrior said himself, that's no longer the way this game is played -- and Johnson knows how to play the Chase game better than everyone else.

"What they did this year is incredible. I'll be honest with you," said Gordon after Homestead, confirming what we already knew -- it's the No. 48 team's world, and the rest of us just live in it. Now, the key will be to see if Johnson can keep the momentum going, attempting to be the first to win three straight titles since Cale Yarborough in 1976-78.

The David Pearson Award (hardest charger): Matt Kenseth ('06 Winner: Tony Stewart). The man most people say is a modern-day Pearson enjoyed one of the better Chases no one will remember. He led more laps than anyone else and closed with five top-five finishes -- a record bettered by only Johnson this season. If the car wasn't involved in three straight wrecks at Kansas, Talladega,and Charlotte, the No. 17 team might have stuck around to give Johnson a run for his money -- just like he did in '06.

The Tim Richmond Award (comeback driver of the year): Jeff Gordon ('06 Winner: Kevin Harvick). How can NASCAR's winningest active driver be considered part of a comeback? It's because for the first time since '04, Gordon actually mattered in the championship Chase. His six wins and seven poles were the best totals he's had this decade, and if not for his ill-fated selection of Jimmie Johnson to drive the No. 48 car back in '01, he'd be in possession of a fifth championship trophy.

Even more impressive was that Gordon did all this as a newlywed parent of a new baby girl. Fatherhood didn't derail him; it made him more focused than ever, and his chemistry with crew chief Steve Letarte is top notch. If this guy can just learn how to finish under the Chase format -- watch out.

The Davey Allison Award (top rookie): Juan Pablo Montoya ('06 Winner: Denny Hamlin). While Montoya wasn't overly impressive in the season's second half, he was still good enough to win the rookie title with ease over David Ragan. The Colombian's inconsistency defined his first season on tour, but a fuel-mileage win at Infineon, combined with a runner-up finish at Indianapolis, showcased his future is filled with potential.

The Carl Edwards Award (pleasant surprise): Clint Bowyer ('06 Winner: Jeff Burton). The season's been over for three weeks, and people are still scratching their heads wondering where Bowyer came from. RCR's No. 3 driver was No. 1 by season's end, putting together an unlikely Chase bid that included a win in the playoff opener at New Hampshire. With seven top-12 finishes in the first seven races, Bowyer became a darkhorse candidate for the title until a three-race swoon left him third in the final standings. How in the world did this happen? Turns out crew chief Gil Martin was forcing Bowyer to play it safe early on, doing just enough to make the Chase while the team kept its cards close to the vest. Now, everyone knows that if they make the playoffs again, the poker hand they're holding is pocket aces.

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