Guest Column:
By Cathy Elliott

It hardly seems possible that the 2009 NASCAR season is so close to being neatly wrapped, beribboned and placed carefully into racing’s record books. And while late November may not be the traditionally-accepted time for reflection –- December 31 lays claim to that honor –- sometimes we are controlled by our circumstances, rather than the other way around.

When something significant reaches its end, you just can’t help but think about its beginning. Some people are so anxious to reach their destination that they fail to appreciate the trip.

This isn’t true only of actual travelers. We do it all the time, in so many ways. An adolescent wants to be 16 and get that first driver’s license. When the work day begins, we dream of its end, watching the clock until we can finally go home.

And on the eve of any new season in sports, looking at all those hopeful faces and attending all those optimistic press conferences, we wonder who will remain standing at the end.

I guess I’m one of those people who just doesn’t like to see the ends of things. Seriously, when you shed a tear upon turning the last page of “An Anthology of Naughty Limericks,” you know you’ve got a bad case of the little-known disease finalitis.

There will be 100 or more columns or stories about the “season that was” following the race weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. As I write this week’s column, it is Thursday afternoon and the events of the weekend have yet to unfold. Some things I know; some things I can only guess – in an educated way, I hope.

But next up will be a look-ahead at the season-ending Champion’s Week festivities in Las Vegas, so if I’m going to wax nostalgic, this is my only shot to take an official look at NASCAR ‘09.

It has been one for the record books, in the most literal way imaginable.

Let’s start with the trucks. If there was some way to put America in a headlock and make the entire country watch a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race from start to finish – just one – we might just have a new sports phenomenon on our hands. If the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is like boxing – the sport of kings – then the Truck Series is like UFC, bare-knuckled and no-holds-barred.

With a Chevrolet for a glass slipper, Cinderella Man emerged once again as the belle of the ball this year, as 51-year-old Ron Hornaday claimed his fourth Truck Series title, the only driver in history to do so.

Here’s a popular riddle from 2009.

Question: “Do you think Kyle Busch will win on Saturday?”

Answer: “Is he in the race?”

Always-controversial Kyle only has to grid his car in Homestead, from any position, to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series title. Then he can park his No. 18 Toyota and take the rest of the day off.

Fat chance. With eight wins so far this season, the driver who considers second place a really disappointing day – and he’s been disappointed 11 times this season, to date – will give what he always gives on the track; his best effort.

This relentless will to win is what makes bad boy Kyle so good for NASCAR.

On the game board of the Cup Series, it’s difficult to even choose a starting point. Of all the available categories, let’s go with “Things That Really Made an Impact on Racing” for all the money.

1. Jimmie Johnson.
2. A glimpse of our future, as both Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski posted their first career Cup wins.
3. A glimpse of our past, as Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Richard Petty, Junior Johnson and Dale Earnhardt were announced as the inaugural class of NASCAR’s Hall of Fame.
4. Another glimpse of our future, as Keselowski and Denny Hamlin … well, let’s just say they don’t seem to get along. A feud; a budding rivalry. Cool.
5. Did we mention Jimmie Johnson? (Sorry, but he was not only good in 2009, I’m pretty sure when Sunday evening rolls around, he will be quadruply good. That’s not even a word, but oh well.)

There are so many more. NASCAR’s Drive For Diversity did more than soar in 2009; thanks to Juan Pablo Montoya, it went all Hitchcock on us and beat detractors in the face with its strong wings. What new team owner Tony Stewart has accomplished this year has been nothing less than jaw dropping. And Jeff Gordon doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon, thank goodness.

From Matt Kenseth’s Daytona 500 win to Mark Martin’s amazing season-long battle for the championship, NASCAR has given us a very good year.

Yes, there have been some issues, but dealing with a few debits along the way only serves to make the credits seem that much more valuable.

If you count all your assets, and you’re honest about it, you always show a profit. By that measure, regardless of the final outcome, the 2009 NASCAR season has been a most successful year.