They said the economy is healthy, even booming.
All major sports have companies support it through commercials or billboards at the stadiums.
But no sport mirrors the corporate climate more than racing. Racing is the only sport where the participants are the primary exposure for advertising. Companies shell out millions to advertise their products on the hoods and panels of stock cars. So it would seem that if companies are falling on hard times with cash flow and profits then sponsorship would become an issue. Hopefully each one is just an isolated case created by a unique set of circumstances.