What Will NASCAR Look Like in 2009 Given Manufacturer Problems?

The 2008 NASCAR season is grinding to a close as Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards battle through the last few races. The question many have in mind is how different NASCAR could look in 2009 and beyond.

The time between seasons always brings change. From drivers moving to new teams to Toyota entering the fray, the offseason is a time for ending stories and beginning new ones. 2009, however, holds out the possibility of being a very different year indeed.

Simply put, NASCAR is facing a brutal economic situation. While attendance at many races is down, the more immediate problem has to do with the viability of the manufacturers. The primary question is which manufacturers will still be viable and supporting teams?

Make no mistake, the manufacturers are in serious trouble. The sales figures for everyone from Ford to Toyota are ugly. Drops of 30 percent or more are now normal. It is estimated that as many as 40 percent of all auto dealerships in the United States may fail. General Motors and Chrysler have discussed merging, but they are in such bad shape that they have asked the government for a ten billion dollar loan to make it happen.

General Motors is a company that is having particular trouble. For the last two years, it has staggered along the fine line of needing to file bankruptcy. Ten years ago, the idea of GM going bankrupt would have been laughable, but things have changed drastically. GM has reacted by closing down factories and selling off assets as fast as it can. Still, the future is very sketch to say the least.

Ford is not in much better shape. It stock recently bottomed out at an unheard of $2 a share. The sales figures for the company are so bad, they are simply hard to digest. Still, Ford is in better shape than GM to the extent the company has built up a lot of cash reserves. That cash will only last so long, however, and Ford appears to be hoarding its money in the expectation of things being bad of years to come.

The inclusion of Toyota into NASCAR was a controversial decision. The fear of many was Toyota would throw so much money around it would simply dominate the races. Well, Toyota is suffering just as much as Ford and GM when it comes to car sales. Throw in the fact the company spends $400 million dollars a year in Formula One and it is not hard to see how the powers that be at Toyota must be reconsidering their commitment to racing. Will the company leave NASCAR? No, it is more likely that the company will leave Formula One. That being said, Toyota is hardly going to be throwing a lot of money at its teams when vehicle sales are in the tank.

So, what does this all mean for NASCAR in 2009? Well, things are moving fast in the economy. If any of the manufacturers, particularly GM, are forced into bankruptcy, the teams using those cars will be in big trouble. Even without the threat of bankruptcy, certain manufacturers certainly are going to look closely at how much they spend on NASCAR and whether they can continue to spend the money. If not, we could see the disappearance of some iconic brands from NASCAR and a reshuffling of the teams in general.

Dirk Gibson is with DCJAutoParts.com - find auto parts and accessories for your car online.