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.

Talladega Race Won by Brad Keselowski Over Matt Kenseth

Talladega Superspeedway Winner Brad Keselowski Image Credit: Rainier Ehrhardt/AP Talladega, Ala.–The Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway was captured by Brad Keselowski on Sunday, May 6, 2012, according to reports by several international news sites. Reports say that with the help from Kyle Busch, Keselowski was able to win the race over pole leader, [...]

Smackdown: Charlotte has 'arrived'

Charlotte, North Carolina takes on Florida's Tampa Bay area in a city smackdown pitting the sites of the Democratic and Republican conventions against each other. Today we hear from a Charlotte supporter.

Robot-assisted bypass gets patient to NASCAR race

With a little help from a robot and a UAB cardiac surgeon, a NASCAR fan was able to keep his plans to watch the big race at Talledegat this weekend, despite the need for heart bypass surgery.

NASCAR Star Greg Biffle To Celebrate The 10th Anniversary Of "Give Kids A Smile®" Program With National Education ...

ST. PAUL, Minn., April 20, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- The American Dental Association's (ADA) Give Kids A Smile® program, ADA Foundation, Henry Schein, Inc. (NASDAQ:HSIC - News), and 3M ESPE Dental are teaming up ...

In the News: Memphis Tigers rout Houston in baseball

In the news: The University of Memphis got a season-high 23 hits, and a nine-run second inning was all the Tigers needed in a 15-3 defeat of host Houston on Thursday night.