One of the most frequently asked questions we’ve fielded in recent weeks has been “how do you think the current national (and now global) economic conditions will impact NASCAR?” After seeing thousands of fans disguised as empty seats at the past two Sprint Cup events at Talladega and Charlotte, the answer has to be “significantly.”

Boasting one of the most loyal fan bases in all of sports/entertainment, NASCAR was thought to be bulletproof when it came to economic fluctuations.  However, with unemployment at a seven-year high and regular folks seeing up to a third of their retirement investments vaporize in a matter of weeks, even NASCAR Nation seems to have been brought to its monetary knees.

This is no brief blip in the economy because of a gas shortage resulting from a rogue hurricane. The latest market and credit crisis is a seismic financial shift that has people scrambling to keep their jobs and save their homes. Attending any race - not just a NASCAR event – is suddenly a distant afterthought to many.

The falloff at the NASCAR turnstyles has been gradual this season in large part because most tracks require fans to buy their ticket packages as much as six to eight months in advance. That said, many of the tickets purchased for 2008 NASCAR events were bought in late 2007, long before $4 a gallon gas and certainly well in advance to the latest epic stock market meltdowns. Simply stated, if you think the crowds were off this year at some Cup events, wait until next season.

The fewer number of fans in the stands is just the tip of the iceberg. Even those attending the events this season will tell you they aren’t spending nearly as much on souvenirs, hotels, meals out, etc. Meanwhile, those watching at home aren’t investing in extras like enhanced sports television packages and Internet fantasy leagues.

Eventually, with less activity at both the track and at home, some sponsors – many who are struggling to keep their companies afloat in these tough economic times – will fold their tents and leave the sport. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out in an era where companies are paying up to a staggering $28 million per season to sponsor a Sprint Cup team (and again as much to promote the association), the number of businesses that can afford do that gets smaller in tough financial times. In short, companies aren’t going to be able to continue to step up and support the sport when they are hemorrhaging money and seeing their stock reduced to pennies on the dollar.

The car companies – historically NASCAR’s biggest corporate benefactors – are a good example. Awash in red ink, General Motors has not posted a profit since 2004, its stock is trading at 1950 levels, is continually rumored to be headed for bankruptcy, and has reportedly approached both Ford and Chrysler about a merger. Ford, meanwhile, has seen its stock drop to $1.88 per share at the close of the market last Friday and has burned through $11 billion of its cash reserve in the past calendar year. Chrysler is trying to solidify its position by eliminating like-kind models in its Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler lines. Even Toyota is feeling the pinch of the financial drought thanks to a huge drop in truck sales.

All have either pulled or significantly reduced the amount of money they used to commit to team research and support as well as cut track sanctioning body sponsorship/marketing efforts in NASCAR’s three premiere series -  Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck.

Meanwhile, team sponsors are harder to get than ever, especially considering the over the top price points. Even the Truck Series, which is the cheapest to sponsor at $3-$5 million to the team per season, is rife with underfunded or totally unfunded teams.

Money is tight everywhere – at both the corporate board and dining room tables. We’re hearing NASCAR is even making staff cuts for the 2009 season – an interesting development considering its parent company, International Speedway Corporation, recently posted a net income of $38.8 million over the first three quarters of 2008, In case you don’t follow this kind of thing, that’s a four-fold increase over the $9.52 million posted during the same period in 2007.

The rich get richer.

Meanwhile, the fans, teams and sponsors who have supported the sport for decade are reeling. The signs of the financial times appear to indicate we have seen the end the fan and sponsor free spending heyday in NASCAR - and in all of motorsports for that matter. Like it or not, the current economic meltdown is going to change the sport forever as fewer fans, teams and companies who support racing no longer have discretionary funds to do so.

The sky isn’t totally falling, and it’s not ‘Black Friday’ yet, but it’s damn side closer than we can ever remember. All you have to do is look at the empty seats at the past two Cup races to figure that out.

Random Thoughts - Charlotte

You know the sport has changed when a garage scuffle between Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards – and not the racing – is the top headline of the weekend.

Saturday’s Cup event was the 100^th points-paying race at Charlotte since it opened on June 19, 1961 (Joe Lee Johnson was the first winner).

To the fans who booed Jessica Simpson during the National Anthem – It’s about the song and our country, stupid, not the singer. And, by the way, in case you weren’t listening, even if you didn’t like her country music stylings, Simpson totally nailed the song vocally.

P.S. – Guys, please remember to take off your hats during the Anthem.

Not only was the crowd on the light side at Charlotte, but many of them left well before the finish. For a minute, we thought we were at a Carolina Panthers game.

Not that you were counting, but 19 teams served 26 NASCAR enforced penalties during the event. That’s way too many to keep track of.

The garage buzz – never an official count, but always a barometer of accuracy when it comes to sentiment – overwhelmingly thought Regan Smith won the race at Talladega last weekend.

Speaking of garage buzz, more than one person asked us if we heard the rumor about shorter starting fields in Nationwide and Trucks next season. Currently, Nationwide starts 43 and Truck 36. Both fields have been filled by ‘start and parks’ on a regular basis this season. The numbers we're hearing is 28 starters in the trucks and 36 in NNS next season. Stay tuned...

Looking forward – Martinsville

Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson (four wins each) have captured eight of the last 11 races held at Martinsville.

Gordon has seven wins and 25 Top-10 finishes in 31 career Cup starts at Martinsville.

Sunday’s NASCAR Cup event will be the 120^th division race held at the venerable Martinsville .526-mile oval. The first NASCAR race at the track was contested on September 25, 1949. It featured 15 cars and was won by Red Byron in a 1949 Oldsmobile owned by Raymond Parks.

Richard Petty is the all-time winner at Martinsville with 15 victories in 67 career starts.

The Truck Series will be the support race at Martinsville this weekend. Mike Skinner is the defending champion of Saturday’s event.