5 Things NASCAR Fans Can Be Thankful For

As we celebrate pilgrims and Native Americans coming together for a gigantic feast by filling our stomachs with turkey, deviled eggs and a vast array of not-so-healthy foods, it's high time to remember back on the 2008 NASCAR season that was.

Here at FanHouse, we're most thankful for these five parts of the 2008 season:

5) Kyle Busch is not a winning robot - For a few months before the '08 Sprint Cup season finally started to mean something in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, it looked like Kyle Busch in his first year at Joe Gibbs Racing was going to systematically win everything possible in all three of NASCAR's top divisions. Altogether, Busch took home 21 trophies in 2008, but fell off when it really mattered.

I'm not thankful for Busch's failure to win the title, but rather, just thankful that he didn't turn the entire season into his personal playground.

4) Tony Stewart found his barber - We talked early in the season about how Tony Stewart was a different person with his demeanor (except for allegedly punching Kurt Busch prior to the Budweiser Shootout) and his awful haircut that just kept getting worse. Thankfully, Ol' Smoke finally got the locks of not so much love cut down to a manageable, and stomach-able, length.

So Tony, thanks for getting rid of the Italian crime boss look. Home Depot thanks you.

3) Video games take over - Carl Edwards made one of the boldest moves of, like, all of NASCAR history with his attempt to steal victory out of the cold, winning hands of NASCAR's newest three-time champion Jimmie Johnson at Kansas Speedway in October. The move, which involved Edwards slingshotting (hey, it fits!) around Johnson in the third turn on the final lap before slapping the outside wall while Johnson slid back around for the win, was one that any video game player has done while going for a win.

Thankfully, Carl's effort was better than most and it didn't take out Johnson, but rather just made a great highlight clip.

2) Nationwide altercations - Rain delays happened with heavy occurence in 2008 -- perhaps NASCAR needs to start charging more for bringing rain to communities where it doesn't rain (see: Phoenix in November) -- and one of those at Lowe's Motor Speedway let two of the Sprint Cup Series' biggest names nearly come to blows. Edwards and Kevin Harvick -- who was miffed after getting taken out in a wreck at Talladega the week before caused by an Edwards mistake -- had a little conversation in the Nationwide Series garage that turned a little physical.

For that, we're thankful that NASCAR lets the boys be boys and that there actually is some emotion among drivers in the NASCAR garage area.

1) Jimmy Spencer's television gaffe - Former Sprint Cup driver Jimmy Spencer's on-track nickname was "Mr. Excitement" and after his on-air gaffe during the post-race show at Homestead-Miami Speedway just a few weeks ago. Watch the video below:

Thank you, Mr. Spencer for that great slip of the tongue and for the fact that Jimmie Johnson is a real living, breathing person.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

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