2008 NASCAR Cup Series Head-to-Head Playoff Results

Originally published on Feb. 25, 2025

By Zane Miller

First round

(8) #29 Kevin Harvick v. (1) #18 Kyle Busch

(7) #20 Tony Stewart v. (2) #99 Carl Edwards

(6) #16 Greg Biffle v. (3) #48 Jimmie Johnson

(5) #31 Jeff Burton v. (4) #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The 2008 postseason commenced with the Camping World RV 400 at Dover, where Roush Fenway Racing would dominate all afternoon. As the RFR cars took a 1-2-3 finish, it would be Greg Biffle pulling out the victory ahead of teammate Matt Kenseth after making the race-winning pass with 10 laps to go. Although playoff counterpart Jimmie Johnson also had a strong run with 81 laps led, it wouldn’t be enough to unseat Biffle as the reigning champ came home in fifth. Fellow Roush Fenway driver Carl Edwards took the third spot while Tony Stewart could only muster an 11^th-place finish, and Kevin Harvick scored an easy win over Kyle Busch as the latter suffered a blown engine shortly before the halfway mark. The good fortune for Richard Childress Racing crossed over to Jeff Burton as well, as Burton captured the ninth spot while Earnhardt Jr. could not recover from an early spin, finishing three laps down in 24^th.

The next race at Kansas, which was also called the Camping World RV 400, belonged to Jimmie Johnson as he led a total of 124 laps on the way to the race win. Biffle had another exceptional showing, but ended up just short in third. The biggest shock of the day occurred with Busch having another terrible finish, as he wound up one lap down in 27^th. Harvick nabbed a solid sixth-place finish, meaning that the #1-seeded driver would be out in the first round for the fifth time in the 2000s decade. Also exiting after this race would be Busch’s teammate in Stewart, who finished multiple laps down in 40^th after sustaining damage in a single-car incident near the midway point of the event. Edwards captured the runner-up spot with 31 laps led to advance to the semifinals. Meanwhile, Burton picked up a solid seventh-place finish while Earnhardt Jr. also took a first-round exit after finishing an unlucky 13^th.

The only series yet to be decided at Talladega was between Biffle and Johnson, which looked like it could be anybody’s game as both drivers took turns at the front. However, the uncertainty was swiftly ended after the Big One on lap 174, as Biffle was taken out in the 12-car melee which also took out two of his teammates. Johnson, who himself recovered from a spin earlier in the race, picked up the ninth spot while Biffle watched on from the garage in 24^th.

Semifinal

(8) #29 Kevin Harvick v. (2) #99 Carl Edwards

(5) #31 Jeff Burton v. (3) #48 Jimmie Johnson

In Lowe’s Motor Speedway’s final race before reverting back to the “Charlotte Motor Speedway” name, Johnson tried to give his longtime sponsor a proper sendoff, leading 67 laps on the way to a sixth-place finish. However, it wouldn’t be enough to overtake Burton, with the Virginia native leading the last 57 circuits for the final race win of his Cup Series career. Harvick had a far milder race than teammate Burton, taking the 13^th spot, but a phenomenal run was not necessary as Edwards finished 17 laps down in 33^rd due to electrical issues.

Undeterred by his close opening race loss to Burton, Johnson and company nailed down the race win and then some at Martinsville. The #48 ride took the checkered flag after leading 339 laps, while Burton was stuck a lap down in 17^th. As for the Edwards-Harvick duel, it was a bit more competitive as Harvick forced Edwards’ hand with a strong seventh-place run. However, Edwards was up for the task, claiming a third-place finish to force both championship spots to be determined in Atlanta.

The Atlanta Motor Speedway became the playground for both Johnson and Edwards, with both spending a significant amount of time at the front, while the RCR teammates were unable to keep up. At the end of the afternoon, it would be Edwards taking his seventh race win of 2008, while Johnson finished 2.684 seconds back in the runner-up spot. Burton was the last car on the lead lap in 18^th, while Harvick did not fare much better in 13^th to send both drivers home without a place in the finals.

Final

(3) #48 Jimmie Johnson v. (2) #99 Carl Edwards

Despite starting 16^th at Texas Motor Speedway, Edwards wasted no time in asserting his dominance, grabbing the lead on lap 57. Cousin Carl never looked back from there, leading over 200 laps on the path to the Texas sweep. Johnson fought through a trying 500 miles to finish one lap down in 15^th. The championship continued in Phoenix, where Johnson had a major resurgence after starting from the pole. Johnson rarely relinquished the top spot, leading for more than 200 laps himself for his seventh victory of the year. While Edwards was able to keep himself in the same zip code as Johnson, he ended up in the fourth spot.

While Johnson dominated at Phoenix, his momentum sputtered out once he arrived at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. Meanwhile, Edwards regained his strength from Texas, leading well over half the laps run. After making the pass for the race lead over Kenseth with four laps to go, it was smooth sailing for Edwards from there as he took the race win and, most importantly, his first career Cup Series championship. Johnson was never a major factor during the night, as he could only muster a 15^th-place finish with his run at back-to-back titles falling just short.

Edwards’ stats for 2008 were an eye-popping nine victories, 19 top-fives and 27 top-10s in what was easily his career-best season, finishing second in the real-life point standings to Jimmie Johnson.