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.

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 »

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

ESPN

ALL-STAR: Keselowski Poised To Break Out? SPEEDtv.com Brad Keselowski celebrates his win at Bristol Motor Speedway earlier this year. (Photo: Getty Images) To that end, as outgoing and engaging as Keselowski is, he insisted the promotional element of being a racer isn't about him. '92 All-Star Race lights up NASCARESPN 2012 Charlotte (All-Star) Q&A: NASCAR Sprint Cup - Trevor BaynePaddockTalk Racing Roundtable: Weighing in on Kurt Busch's fine; memorable All-Star Race ...SportingNews.com Motorsport.com -CBSSports.com (blog) all 568 news articles »

IRWIN Tools Excited About Bristol Motor Speedway Modification - WhoWon.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 ... and more »

Race on: Instructor Moffitt vs. apt pupil - DesMoinesRegister.com

Race on: Instructor Moffitt vs. apt pupil DesMoinesRegister.com Finished 32nd in the opening race of the season at Bristol after an oil leak prematurely ended his night and fourth in Greenville. Sunny; windy this afternoon. Afternoon high of 88, morning temperatures in the upper 60s. South wind steady at 10 to 20 ... and more »

2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule and standings - Washington Post

2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule and standings Washington Post (Elliott Sadler) March 10 — Sam's Town 300, Las Vegas (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.) March 17 — St. Patrick's Day 300, Bristol, Tenn. (Elliott Sadler) March 24 — Royal Purple 300, Fontana, Calif. (Joey Logano) April 13 — O'Reilly Auto Parts 300, Fort Worth, ...