Our tenth and final story from the 2008 season is one that is just now being implemented and one that will take some time to see the true effects. Faced with a dilemma, NASCAR officials made the decision to eliminate testing for the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series, as well as the Camping World Grand National East and West Series. The ban went into effect January 1, 2009 and is currently being implemented at all NASCAR-sanctioned tracks.

"We're doing this after a good deal of conversation that's been taking place since June regarding testing," NASCAR President Mike Helton explained while making the announcement in Homestead. "That conversation coupled with the continued turn of economic conditions has led us to this decision that we've announced today. And the particulars and on some of the details regarding this move will be formulated more over the next two or three weeks.

With every team in the garage feeling the pinch of the troubled economy, NASCAR made it a priority to examine ways to find ways to cut costs while leveling the playing field at the same time.  Making the transition to the new car (formerly known as the Car of Tomorrow) was the initial step in that cost-cutting effort and reexamining the testing policy for 2009 was the next step along that path.

Beginning in June, a variety of ideas circulated the garage area as to what NASCAR's policy towards testing should look like heading into the 2009 season. Initial reports described a policy which would grant each team twenty-four independent test dates at Cup Series tracks. The proposed idea eliminated NASCAR-sanctioned test sessions, with the exception of the two preseason tests at Daytona.

"We're still swapping ideas back and forth with the teams," Sprint Cup Series director John Darby explained in August. "Basically, all we did was meet for 15 minutes as an informational deal to let everybody know what changes had been suggested, and so on and so forth. [The modifications] are very minimal from what we handed out three weeks ago. We've added a second transporter, for example, just to help the teams move around the country -- nothing major."

Another proposed idea was to let teams run free and allow unlimited test sessions. This raised a great deal of attention from drivers, crew chiefs and media members alike. With the gap between the have's and the have-not's already widening, unlimited testing seemed to only offer an opportunity for that gap to increase. Teams such as Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Richard Childress Racing - just to name a few - have the money and the resources to set up specific test teams, while other would struggle simply to make it to the track.

As the season progressed, so did NASCAR's outlook on testing. Worsening financial markets throughout the entire United States and the world began leaving its marks on NASCAR and eventually led the sanctioning body to their ultimate decision.

"[The decision] came along collectively between the conversations that we began having with teams back at the end of June about how to go into testing in '09," Helton pointed out. "And there were a lot of conversations that were being held about a lot of different options as that dialogue unfolded.

"Along the way," he went on to say, "with the economic conditions turning the way they have turned recently, not just in our industry but worldwide, we began to think a month or so ago differently about testing as we were considering different options and different topics that we could look at in an effort to help the economic part of the sport collectively from race teams, racetracks, and the other stake holders in the sport. So it came kind of together."

Reaction from the garage was varied, but overwhelmingly supportive of NASCAR's efforts.  Ray Evernham, former crew chief and part-owner of Gillett Evernham Motorsports, saw the decision as a positive way for teams to save money. "I think it's good," Evernham explained. "NASCAR is making an attempt. At a time where costs need to be reduced, they're taking action." Evernham went on to explain that by eliminating test sessions in 2009, NASCAR will be saving teams roughly $60-70,000 per test session. When you do the math on that, it tends to add up.

"We don't know what the number is per team," Helton admitted that day. "We don't know what the collective number is for the industry. We do know or have a pretty good feel through the due diligence that we've done that this is in the range of tens of millions to the industry. When I say the industry, I'm talking about the garage areas all combined."

One driver who was a critic of NASCAR's decision was perhaps the man who was benefited the most from testing. "I think it's a mistake," said three-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. "I think the teams need a chance to work on their cars to improve their programs, to put on a better show - I do understand and recognize that we need to cut expenses. I feel a good compromise of the tow would be to allow the teams to run data acquisitions on Friday."

While the impact this new testing ban will have on the sport has yet to be seen, one thing is for sure the drivers will enjoy their additional time off. Hopefully this decision will help teams cut costs, stay in business longer and improve the overall competition in NASCAR. Making decisions that have major consequences are never easy to do, but NASCAR did what was best for the sport at the given time. Some will criticize their ultimate decision, but I say hat's off for making the right call when it mattered most.