Carl Edwards is the 2008 NASCAR.COM Driver of the Year.

Not Jimmie Johnson, who won a third consecutive Cup Series championship.

Not Kyle Busch, who won a record 21 races across the three national touring series -- Cup (8), Nationwide (10) and Truck (3).

It's Edwards, who won a Cup Series-best nine races -- including three of the last four this season -- and finished second in points. He also won seven Nationwide Series races and finished second in points.

Edwards garnered five votes to Johnson's three, while Busch received one in voting among the NASCAR.COM staff.

In the Cup Series, Edwards tied Johnson for the most second-place finishes (5); led the circuit with 19 top-five finishes; led the circuit with 27 top-10 finishes; and led the circuit with a 9.5 average finish.

In the Nationwide Series, Edwards had the second-most runner-up finishes (4); led the circuit with 19 top-five finishes; was second with 22 top-10 finishes; and was second among full-time drivers with a 9.5 average finish.

In short, Edwards personified the sport. Maybe it was fitting he finished second to Johnson at Kansas -- a finish marked by Edwards last-gasp banzai move; he won as well as finished second a lot in 2008.

While Busch became the first driver in NASCAR history to finish in the top 15 in the three national touring series (Edwards did not made a Truck Series start in 2008) and Johnson tied Cale Yarborough's threepeat, it was Edwards who remained consistent from Daytona through Homestead. That consistency is what separated him from the pack. - nascar.com