<table> </table> The cars are back in the garages, the drivers are home with their families, and the fans are making wish lists for a die-cast, cap or jacket with their favorite driver&#8217;s number. Yes, the NASCAR Sprint Cup season is over.</p><p>All that remains is the NASCAR season-ending awards ceremony Dec. 5 in New York. But first, Jim Pedley, <em>The Star</em>&#8217;s motor sports reporter, wants to hand out a few of his own awards after hanging out at the tracks, in the garages and all places in between.</p><p>These aren&#8217;t named after famous people, don&#8217;t come with a check or certificate and don&#8217;t have fancy names. Here goes &#8230;</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Best emerging personality</span></strong></p><p><em><strong> Jimmie Johnson. Forget that stuff about the points champion being a listless, emotionally anemic purveyor of bald clich&#233;s. As he moved closer to his handshake with history in 2008 &#8212; he became the first driver in 30 years to win three consecutive championships &#8212; Johnson became a poignant observer and a heck of a storyteller.</strong></em></p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Unforgettable quote</span></strong></p><p><em><strong> After his one and only wobble in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship, which came at Texas Motor Speedway, Johnson said: &#8220;I felt like I repeatedly got kicked in the (groin) over and over.&#8221;</strong></em></p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Best weekend of season</span></strong></p><p>The final race weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway and the sight of Carl Edwards summoning up the rage to go quietly into the good night &#8212; in two series, yet. Then, twice in two days, showing how to walk away with a touch of class and a penchant for perspective.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Biggest failure &#8212; not</span></strong></p><p>Dale Earnhardt Jr. The guy has taken some postseason heat for not living up to expectations. Which raises the questions, whose expectations.? If you don&#8217;t understand what happened to Earnhardt in 2008, you don&#8217;t understand racing.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Second biggest failure &#8212; not</span></strong></p><p>The Chase. The format is good. Forget the complex fixes for which some are calling. Had there been a system in place which somehow would have wound up with Johnson not winning this year&#8217;s title, now that would have been a joke.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Idea that may not last</span></strong></p><p>OK, while the format to the Chase is good, the lineup of racetracks is only OK. Flop Richmond and New Hampshire in September. Atlanta, you&#8217;re out. Homestead, you become penultimate. Las Vegas, you&#8217;re ultimate. Las Vegas would be a terrific site for a finale. Wayne Newton, you&#8217;re in the national anthem on-deck circle.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Team executive of year</span></strong></p><p>Jay Frye. Yes, Red Bull has the dough to build a competitive team but, sorry Graham Hill, money does not always buy speed. Money can be misspent, right Henry Paulson? Race teams need a thinker manning the checkbook. MU, for which Frye played football, should bear that in mind next time it needs an athletic director.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Odd couple</span></strong></p><p>Chip Ganassi and Teresa Earnhardt. That twosome is too weird even for Neil Simon. The scene is the Garage-mahal. Chip: This mission statement for 2009 stinks. Teresa (chucking): That&#8217;s not a mission statement, silly, it&#8217;s our budget. Chip (throws stack of papers against wall): Now it&#8217;s garbage.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Best unforeseen benefit</span></strong></p><p>NASCAR&#8217;s decision to dump testing could give the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series a nice boost &#8212; in particular, the Daytona 24. With preseason testing at Daytona and Las Vegas becoming history, look for more NASCAR drivers to drive in the Daytona 24.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Best postrace news conference</span></strong></p><p>Heerrree&#8217;ss Clint. The scene was the media center at Homestead-Miami Speedway after the final Nationwide Series race. Bowyer worked the room like Frank Sinatra. His best line came when he talked about meeting Carl Edwards for the first time, which was at a short track in Moberly, Mo. &#8220;Here comes this ragged-out, turd of a race car that was way louder than everything else and had different tires than everybody else. He killed us that day.&#8221;