Associated Press

File May Kyle Busch (18) won eight races this season. Jimmie Johnson (48) won his third consecutive Chase for the Championship.

NASCAR Chairman Brian France vowed before this season to "minimize change'' in the sport. Don't expect him to make such a pledge entering next season.

A troubling economy has forced some teams to downsize. Others could disappear. NASCAR will again race in the South on Labor Day weekend, but it will be in Atlanta not Darlington. Changes to the 2010 schedule, which will be finalized next year, loom.

In the spirit of change, don't expect Jimmie Johnson to win a record fourth consecutive championship.

No, change is coming in a big way.

A change to testing -- it's banned in 2009 at tracks that host Cup, Nationwide, truck and Camping World East and West races -- means the top teams will again remain strong.

They'll find places to test and will do more with computer simulation programs.

This year's Chase featured only Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and Richard Childress Racing. Those teams will field 16 cars next year, meaning they could again take all top 12 spots again.

One of the biggest changes will be what comes from the merger of Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Chip Ganassi Racing. Putting two teams that struggled together doesn't automatically make things better.

Then there's Tony Stewart, who left Gibbs to become part owner in Stewart-Haas Racing where Ryan Newman will be his teammate. Stewart moves to a team that rarely has been competitive. To expect either to win next year would be asking a lot.

How many teams competing could be different next year.

Only about 30 Cup teams are believed to have sponsorship to run a full season. Layoffs already have taken place at Roush, Hendrick, Petty Enterprises, Bill Davis Racing, Wood Brothers, DEI, Ganassi, Gibbs and even newcomer Stewart-Haas. Of course, that's nothing compared to the woes of Ford, Dodge and General Motors, which leaves questions if one of them might eventually pull out of NASCAR.

When teams arrive at Daytona in February, things in NASCAR will be different. Very different.

Before then, here's a look back on 2008 and a look ahead to 2009:

2008 SEASON

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Chip Ganassi. At Homestead in 2007, the car owner said it would be "Chase or bust'' for Juan Pablo Montoya in 2008. Montoya finished 25th in the points and wasn't a factor much of the season.

BIGGEST SURPRISE: David Ragan. He couldn't get out of the way as a rookie in 2007 but this year nearly made the Chase and looks to be a good bet to make it next year. Maturity was a key to his turnaround as drivers said he learned when and how to race.

WORST RACE: Indianapolis. Tire issues turned one of the sport's premier evens into a joke. If track officials don't offer discounts for those renewing their tickets, then fans should boycott this race.

BEST RACE: Dover in the fall. Kyle Busch's title hopes ended when engine problems sidelined. Then, came the racing late in the event. Teammates Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth thrilled fans with side-by-side racing for the lead not often seen late in the race at this track. Earlier, Biffle, Edwards and Jimmie Johnson raced three-wide for the lead. You don't see that except for Daytona and Talladega.

BEST FINISH: Kansas. Carl Edwards attempted a video game move by going into turn 3 on the final lap to get by Johnson, knowing he would bounce off the wall. Edwards did but Johnson ducked under him and won the race. Behind them, Biffle's last-second move allowed him to pass Jeff Gordon for third.

BIGGEST CONTROVERSY: Kyle Busch. Take your pick: 1. Busch getting together with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the final laps at Richmond in May; 2. Busch getting bumped out of the lead by Carl Edwards at Bristol and then running into the side of Edwards' car after Edwards won.

BIGGEST CONTROVERSY II: The car. Drivers complained about it so much that NASCAR officials held a closed-door meeting at Michigan in June to essentially tell them to quit complaining publicly about the car. Things simmered for a while before complaints resurfaced.

BIGGEST CONTROVERSY III: ABC cutting away for the last part of the Phoenix race this month, moving it to ESPN2, so it could air "America's Funniest Home Videos.''

BIGGEST CONTROVERSY IV: Mauricia Grant's allegations of sexual and racial discrimination in a lawsuit against NASCAR this year.

BIGGEST CONTROVERSY V: Finish of Talladega fall race where Regan Smith crossed the finish line first but NASCAR awarded the victory to Tony Stewart, stating Smith made an illegal pass.

BEST MOMENT: Michael McDowell walking away from his horrific crash at Texas in the spring when he hit the wall head-on during his qualifying lap and then went on a series of rolls. Second best moment: Give credit to Kyle Busch for donating $100,000 to former driver Sam Ard, who suffers from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, after Busch tied Ard's record for wins in a season in what is now the Nationwide series.

TURNING POINT: In the Chase it was Talladega where Carl Edwards triggered a multi-car wreck and was collected in the incident. Jimmie Johnson threaded his way through the numerous incidents to finish ninth and further push his championship charge.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2009

KEY QUESTIONS: How many teams will there be at Daytona? How many times will NASCAR start a race with fewer than 43 cars? How's this Dale Earnhardt Inc-Chip Ganassi merger going to work? What will NASCAR do to, depending on your point of view, save the sport or keep it running the same.

KEY MOVES: Tony Stewart from Joe Gibbs Racing to Stewart-Haas Racing. Ryan Newman from Penske Racing to Stewart-Haas Racing. Mark Martin from Dale Earnhardt Inc. to Hendrick Motorsports.

10 PREDICTIONS FOR NEXT YEAR

n Kyle Petty leaves Petty Enterprises and runs a handful of races in a third car at Stewart-Haas Racing.

n Wood Brothers cut back to run about half the races since that's all they'll have sponsorship for and have Bill Elliott drive the car one more season.

n Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman both fail to make the Chase.

n The title Chase will actually be exciting.

n Dale Earnhardt Jr. and crew chief Tony Eury Jr. split up as Earnhardt's performance wanes.

n Chairman Brian France leaves NASCAR.

n Brian Vickers makes the Chase.

n Jeff Gordon, fresh off his first winless season since rookie year, wins the Daytona 500.

n Jimmie Johnson scores first win of the year at Bristol in the spring -- a track he's winless.

n Scott Speed beats Joey Logano for rookie of the year honors.

2009 STANDINGS

What the standings will look like after the 2009 season ends.

1. Carl Edwards. Has all the tools and is entering his prime. Could end the Jimmie Johnson era and start the Carl Edwards era.

2. Jimmie Johnson. Attempting to score a historic four-peat. Eventually odds catch up to this team. Figure on it happening in 2009.

3. Kevin Harvick. Team was strong on big tracks but struggled on small tracks, which had been its forte. If it gets things fixed, Harvick will contend.

4. Kyle Busch. Key with him is the Chase. This year's collapse was not his fault but he needs to improve the attitude. Sour demeanor affects whole team.

5. Denny Hamlin. Team slipped even with Toyota horsepower and know-how. They'll rebound and could top Busch as No. 1 at Joe Gibbs Racing.

6. David Ragan. Sophomore made tremendous strides from last year. He's moving closer to a win. With his maturity and Roush cars that will happen in '09.

7. Greg Biffle. Could have used some bonus points and wins before the Chase. Get those and he could move higher.

8. Jeff Gordon. Pivotal year. Struggle again and we're seeing his decline. Contend, then this year will only have been a hiccup. Still, last title was in 2001.

9. Jeff Burton. Solid, but to contend needs to be better and faster. If not, will battle to make the Chase and that's it.

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Second-half swoon (four top-10s in last 18 races) leaves bad taste. Do that again and he might miss the Chase.

11. Matt Kenseth. Bad luck haunted him this year. Might be too low but let's see how he rebounds.

12. Brian Vickers. Red Bull is coming. Team needs to refine some consistency issues and get better at the shorter tracks. Do that and he'll be in the Chase.

ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

n Jamie McMurray. His future is uncertain at Roush after next year and that could create distractions for him and team.

n Tony Stewart. Going to a team that was not competitive. Yes, he'll make them with and new hires will strengthen team but don't count of a Chase appearance this year.

n Ryan Newman. Joins Stewart-Haas Racing. See Stewart.

n Clint Bowyer. Moves to new team at RCR. That means a new crew chief and crew. Could take time to build chemistry and that might hold him back this year.

n Kasey Kahne. Other than a brief spurt, team didn't show much. Yet to see any evidence that things will be that much different.