Budweiser Shootout

victory in the Budweiser Shootout through Denny Hamlin's win in the season finale at Homestead, the 2009 season belonged to Jimmie Johnson. Now a four-time Cup Series champion, Johnson wrapped up his fourth consecutive title with another 10-race Chase run into the record books.

However, there were many other storylines that made headlines this year -- the economy and its effect on a sponsor-driven sport, Jeremy Mayfield's suspension following a failed drug test and the subsequent legal filings, Danica Patrick's seemingly never ending "talks" with team owners, not to mention the Hall of Fame as well as the on-track competition.

NAS-CAR.COM's staff writers weigh in with their top stories of the year: Sponsorship was priceless in '09. Sponsorship was priceless in '09.

MARK AUMANN The economic slowdown affected every facet of the sport in 2009, and may continue to do so in the near future.

Two of the sport's manufacturers -- Chevrolet and Chrysler -- faced bankruptcy and throttled back their monetary and engineering assistance. Major corporations cut back or eliminated their sponsorships altogether. Several teams merged or shuttered their operations, and in the process, laid off hundreds of employees. Others went the "start and park" route in an effort to limit expenses and maximize revenues.

The drop in attendance, close to 10 percent from 2008 estimates, was partially blamed on the recession, as fans had more difficult choices to make with their increasingly limited disposable income. Many members of the media found themselves facing the same situation as declining advertising revenue required downsizing. And even though the forecast is rosier for the foreseeable future, there's no guarantee NASCAR will return to its halcyon days any time soon.

ALL-STAR: Keselowski Poised To Break Out? - SPEEDtv.com

SpeedwayMedia.com (press release)

ALL-STAR: Keselowski Poised To Break Out? SPEEDtv.com Tonight's Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is one of NASCAR's biggest nights, an event that shines a bright spotlight on raw speed, aggressiveness and drivers willing to take risks. For some drivers, winning the All-Star event can put ... RCR Team Advance — Charlotte Motor Speedway and Iowa SpeedwaySpeedwayMedia.com (press release) Racing Roundtable: Weighing in on Kurt Busch's fine; memorable All-Star Race ...SportingNews.com '92 All-Star Race lights up NASCARESPN CLNS Radio (blog) -PaddockTalk -Motorsport.com all 568 news articles »

Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski, Kasey Kahne Q&A Ticket Packages Available for ... - WhoWon.com

Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski, Kasey Kahne Q&A Ticket Packages Available for ... WhoWon.com Packages involving Brad Keselowski, winner of the last two NASCAR Sprint Cup events at Bristol Motor Speedway, and Kasey Kahne also are available. While Gordon, Keselowski and Kahne are the first to confirm participation in the program, more drivers ... and more »

Former Rotary International president visits Bristol - TriCities.com

Former Rotary International president visits Bristol TriCities.com ANDRE TEAGUE/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER - Rotary International Past President DK Lee speaks to local Rotarians Thursday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. ANDRE TEAGUE/BRISTOL HERALD COURIER - Bristol, Virginia Vice-Mayor Jim Steele presents Rotary ...

IRWIN Tools Excited About Bristol Motor Speedway Modification - WhoWon.com

SpeedwayMedia.com

IRWIN Tools Excited About Bristol Motor Speedway Modification WhoWon.com by Russell Branham HUNTERSVILLE, NC -- IRWIN Tools, proud sponsor of the IRWIN Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, applauds track management for making modifications to the world's fastest half-mile facility in hopes of creating closer ... Second Annual National Tradesmen Day Slated For Sept. 21Industrial Distribution all 4 news articles »

SMI to knock down some banking at Bristol - Yahoo! Sports

USA TODAY

SMI to knock down some banking at Bristol Yahoo! Sports We Listened,'' track operator Bruton Smith unveiled changes Wednesday to Bristol Motor Speedway that he believes will return the excitement to the once-beloved bullring. ''We are modifying what we have, and I really believe we are doing the right thing ... Changes To Bristol AnnouncedESPN Smith, Bristol Motor Speedway say goodbye to progressive bankingTriCities.com Bristol plans return to 'greasy spoon' racingUSA TODAY SportingNews.com -SI.com all 237 news articles »