Biggest racing stories of 2006

Tonight's "Wind Tunnel" with Dave Despain fielded comments about the biggest stories of the racing season. I've compiled mine below in order of importance.

1. Michael Schumacher retires. Love him or hate him, the world will look on the Schumacher era as pure greatness for generations. He's the best driver in the history of the world. (Yes, he's better than Pele...I mean Senna)

2. Nicky Hayden wins the MotoGP championship. The Kentucky Kid dominated U.S. motorcycle racing so thoroughly that I noticed him, never having followed cycle racing. When he jumped to MotoGP I followed his career, and got to see him win it all this year. In the penultimate race his team mate, Danny Pedrosa, crashed him out, all but ending his hopes. In the final race, Valentino Rossi was knocked out, and Hayden claimed his championship. Fantastic.

3. AJ Allmendinger. The only American in Champ Car, AJ got fired from Rusport, immediately got picked up by Forsythe, then won three in a row against the likes of a dominant Sebastien Bourdais (who went on to win another championship). I have rarely been this entertained. It was uplifting to watch A.J. keep winning. Then, he jumps ship and signs a three year deal with Toyota to race NASCAR (after categorically denying he was going to race stock cars).

4. Juan Pablo Montoya goes to NASCAR. After a difficult year and no job for 2007, JPM ditched his F1 ride at MacLaren Mercedes for Chip Ganassi's NASCAR Nextel Cup team. Watching his brief entrance into stock car racing in 2006 has been interesting. I expect '07 to be even better.

Now that he's known as Billy Bob Montoya, I can't help but picture two Columbian guitarists sitting on a Bogata street corner, ponchos blowing in the wind, plucking Dueling Banjos.

Will Billy Bob develop a southern accent?

5. Denny Hamlin's stunning rookie performance. This kid races like a veteran in the most competitive auto racing series on earth (NASCAR Cup).

6. Jimmie Johnson finally wins a Cup championship. I placed this way down on this list because he and crew chief Knause have been the best duo in NASCAR four years running, so their victory was no surprise. I'm thrilled Johnson won, partly because I picked him immediately after he fell behind in the Chase.

7. Sprint cars split into two series. This is the dumbest thing in American racing since IRL/Champ Car split. I hear the dirt series just rejoined. If true, it's the smartest thing possible.

8. IRL still sucks. Watching cars run with the throttle mashed onto the firewall for an entire race, on an oval, is pathetic. Ninety percent of IRL races suck as bad as Daytona and Talladega in NASCAR. We have too many choices now, with great TV coverage, to watch a dull series. Marco Andretti, especially at Watkins Glen, is the only bright spot, but he needs to move to Champ Car before I'll watch him again.

9. Champ Car is still the best racing in North America. I love NASCAR Cup because it's competitive (and for other reasons), but Champ Car is better. From the quality of drivers and tracks and cars to the black-and-red tire scheme, this series offers the best TV watching. Champ Car also makes F1 look dull and uncompetitive -- although that's not difficult.

Sebastien's victory in Mexico to end the season was spectacular. There has been no passing like that in F1 in 17 years. If I had a choice to see an F1 race in Monte Carlo or any Champ Car race, I'd pick Champ Car.