NASCAR: The Best, Worst And Most Memorable Of 2011

A quick list to look back at the 2011 NASCAR season before we move into 2012. Here are the bests, worsts and most memorable things of the year:

• Most memorable quote – “Hold my watch.” (Richard Childress)

• Best invocation – Nashville (“Lord, I want to thank you for my smokin’ hot wife”)

• Most bizarre post-race news conference – Kurt Busch at Richmond (fall race)

• Best upset – Trevor Bayne wins Daytona 500

• Unlikeliest finish – Regan Smith holds off Carl Edwards on old tires to win Darlington

• Biggest overachiever – Brad Keselowski

• Biggest underachiever – Denny Hamlin

• Worst radio meltdown – Kurt Busch at Richmond (spring race)

• Least surprising news – Steve Addington quits as Kurt Busch’s crew chief

• Worst foreign trip – Tony Stewart travels to Australia

• Best rivalry – Kevin Harvick/Richard Childress Racing vs. Kyle Busch

• Biggest hype that delivered – The championship

• Biggest hype that didn’t deliver – Travis Pastrana

• Most unbelievable – Jimmie Johnson doesn’t win Sprint Cup Series title

• Most fan suffering – Dale Earnhardt Jr. supporters

• Worst moment – Kyle Busch wrecks Ron Hornaday in Truck race

• Best national anthem – Any anthem performed by a military group

• Classiest loser – Carl Edwards

• Best display of personality – Jeff Gordon break-dancing in Las Vegas

• Worst celebrity appearance – Snooki

• Best conspiracy – Paul Menard spins intentionally at Richmond

• Biggest track screwup – Kentucky traffic

• Best commercials – Toyota Sponsafier ads

• Most overplayed commercials – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Nationwide ads. Call 866-500-5555. MAKE IT STOP, AHHHH!!! (head explodes)

• Worst individual race performance – Brian Vickers at Martinsville

• Best NASCAR decision – New points system

• Worst NASCAR decision – Secret fines

• Best tweeter – Brad Keselowski (@keselowski)

• Best non-driver tweeter – Steve O’Donnell (@odsteve)

• Best finish – Talladega spring race

• Best race – Homestead

• Best swagger – Tony Stewart

• Best trash-talker – Tony Stewart

• Best driver – Tony Stewart

• Most likely to succeed in 2012 – Jimmie Johnson