After recording an insurmountable 15 victories this year, Schumacher won his fifth consecutive and sixth overall NHRA championship. He was also named the Driver of the Year for the third quarter.

"What an honor it is to be singled out as the Driver of the Year for 2008," Schumacher said. "I'm happy that the NHRA is front and center again with this award. It's been a few years since Greg Anderson won it. Of course, John Force also won it in 1996. You can't forget the living legend himself.

"Needless to say, I wouldn't be receiving any post-season award without the talented team that surrounded me this past season. My crew chief, Alan Johnson, and the entire crew deserve all the credit in the world. There's no denying the fact that we had one of those dream seasons."

A select panel of 18 leading journalists and broadcasters from across the country are the only eligible voters, and the choice usually comes down to one or two drivers. However, this year's tally was one of the closest ever as Schumacher received six votes, compared to five each for Johnson and Edwards.

Johnson won his third consecutive Sprint Cup Series championship this year, tying Cale Yarborough's 30-year record for most consecutive titles in the series. Johnson won Driver of the Year honors in 2006 and '07. Edwards, meanwhile, ended the year with a series-high nine wins.

Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart, also from NASCAR, received one vote each.

Schumacher will be honored next April at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, AL.

The award is presented by the Driver of the Year Foundation, based in Sarasota, FL. Previous winners include: Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Mario Andretti, Al Unser and A.J. Foyt.