With only a non-points race next weekend at Surfers Paradise, Australia, the IndyCar Series for 2008 has officially ended.

But the Series is still waving the checkered flag for a number of successes it scored on and off the track, much of it due to the unification of the two open-wheel series last winter.

In a release, it cited a 40 percent jump in the number of cars on track, a record-tying nine drivers visiting Victory Lane and 13 drivers recording podium finishes, and a record Indianapolis 500 purse in excess of $15 million.

Off the track, there were increases in attendance, television ratings, merchandise sales and new corporate partnerships.

In television, the 17-race IndyCar Series schedule had an average viewership of 1.55 million viewers, an 11 percent increase over the 1.4 million average last season.

Attendance, based on media estimates, was up at 12 of the 16 races on the 2008 schedule where the IndyCar Series raced in 2007.

Merchandise sales were up 25 percent in 2008 compared to 2007, according to Main Gate, the league’s merchandising agent. Of the 15 events where merchandise was sold, 14 events experienced gains over their 2007 merchandise sales, with 11 events witnessing double-digit percentage increases.

Online, Indycar.com has had more than nine million visits to date, marking a 33 percent increase over the same time last year according to Google Analytics. The league’s website has shown a 19 percent increase in the number of Unique Visitors this year, and usage of video on indycar.com has experienced 51% growth over 2007.

Let's hope they keep the ball rolling (and the motors running) in 2009.