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.

Sources: Andretti could join NASCAR

Could there be another IndyCar organization testing the NASCAR waters?

NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Television Package Announced

TSN And RDS Combine For Bilingual Coverage Of All EventsNASCARHomeTracks.com LinkTweet This Release: http://hmtk.co/ImT8m7 DAYTONA BEACH, FL, May 3, 2012 /CNW/ - The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Canada's ...

Nascar Speeds Into Prime Time as Networks Fight DVRs With Sports

News Corp. (NWSA) ’s Fox and other television networks, presenting next season’s schedules to advertisers this week, are betting that sports coverage will boost ratings and get viewers to watch more programming live.

This week's NASCAR events

SPRINT CUP SERIESNATIONWIDE SERIESCAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

TSN, TSN2 covers all 2012 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series events

Go to TSN.ca for details. #TSN