10 things for NASCAR fans to be thankful for

It’s Thanksgiving time, one of our favorite holidays of the entire year. And with the 2016 NASCAR season just concluded last Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, it’s appropriate to give thanks for a remarkable year. Here are 10 things to be thankful about in terms of the racing:

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The Daytona 500 wound up with the closest finish since the advent of electronic timing and scoring in 1993, as Denny Hamlin edged out Martin Truex Jr. by 0.010 seconds in a thrilling battle.

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For 2016, NASCAR dramatically reduced the downforce on the Cup cars. And the aero cuts produced much better racing, especially in the first half of the year, before crew chiefs and engineers figured out how to get most of it back. The good news is there will another reduction for 2017.

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Darlington Raceway’s throwback weekend was even better the second time around than it was the first time, as teams came up with some truly amazing special paint schemes to honor the legends of the past.

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NASCAR has never had this much young talent coming into the sport at once. Chase Elliott and Chris Buescher became the first rookies to make the Chase since Denny Hamlin in 2006, and there are a ton of great young drivers out there, including Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace, William Byron, Cole Custer … the list goes on and on and on.

For the first time, NASCAR used the Chase format in the XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series. Monterrey, Mexico, native Daniel Suarez scored a historic victory in the XFINITY Chase, becoming the first foreign-born driver to win a championship. And veteran Johnny Sauter scored a popular title in the Truck Series.

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When all was said and done 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson won five races, most of any driver. But seven other drivers from four other teams won either three or four races, and all three manufacturers were represented in the Chase finale. That’s competitive balance.

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The first Phoenix race saw Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards trade paint all the way down the front-stretch, with Harvick winning by 0.010 seconds, the same margin of victory as the Daytona 500. The second one saw a crazy finish with Matt Kenseth appearing headed for victory, only to crash out late, allowing Joey Logano to win.

When Tony Stewart broke his back in an off-road accident in late January, outside expectations for the season weren’t very high. But Stewart put on a dazzling drive at Sonoma, passing Denny Hamlin on the last corner of the last lap to race his way into the Chase in his final season.

We will be talking about the end of the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway for years to come, maybe decades. After Carl Edwards crashed trying to block Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson made two perfect restarts to win his record-tying seventh NASCAR Premier Series championship. There is no question that Johnson is the best driver of his era and he’s making a strong case at best ever.

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A special shout out to all the NASCAR fans who come to races, watch them on television, read about them on the internet and care passionately about their favorite drivers. You are the reason those of us who work in the sport have jobs and can provide for our families. We can never thank you enough for your support, which allows us to do what we love to do. Thank you and Happy Holidays to all!