High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season was the 61st season of professional stock car racing in the United States, which began at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, with the 2009 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, a race for the top six teams of the four brands in the 2008 season on February 7, with the first points race being the 2009 Daytona 500 to be held on February 15. The 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup began on September 20 with the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, and ended November 22 with the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports was crowned champion, his fourth consecutive in the series.