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The2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series was the 28th season of theNASCAR Nationwide Series, the second nationalstock car racing series sanctioned byNASCAR in the United States. The season began on February 14 atDaytona International Speedway with theCamping World 300. The season concluded on November 21 atHomestead–Miami Speedway with theFord 300. With 25 top-five finishes,Kyle Busch was the season champion. He finished 210 points clear ofCarl Edwards and 318 ahead ofBrad Keselowski.

Before the start of the season, NASCAR changed restart rules regarding the final moments of all races in the Sprint Cup,Nationwide Series andCamping World Truck Series. Previously, when the race was inside the final ten laps, all cars/trucks on the lead lap were in a single-file restart in that window. As of the 2009 season, the window changed to the final 20 laps. The "lucky dog"/"free pass" rule was still be eliminated in the last ten laps of a race. This rule will not matter starting at the July Daytona race, with the addition of "Double-File Restarts Shootout Style."

After being successful in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR will implement a double-file restart system starting at the July Daytona race. The entire field will line up double-file, much like the start of the race at every restart. The leaders and other lead lap cars are now in front always when taking the green flag. Cars who choose to stay out and not pit during a caution flag who are in front of the leaders are now waved-around to restart (double file) at the back of the field. The lucky dog/free pass rule is now in effect the entire distance of the race, and the double-file restarts are for every restart, including green-white-checkered finishes. The only reason cars do not line up double-file in the order they are position wise on the leaderboard is if they are serving a penalty (in most cases, for pit road violations). The leader of the race also has the option of selecting which lane, inside or outside, to restart in, however, the 3rd place car (and 5th, 7th, and so on) will always restart on the inside.

• Penske purchased the #59 car's 2008 owner's points from JTG Daugherty Racing for the 2009 season.
• The #23 car's owners points were purchased from JD Motorsports for the season, coming from the #01 car in 2008.
• RAB Racing used Jay Robinson's #4 car's owner points from 2008, which had previously belonged to James Finch.
• The 07 team used the former Fitz Motorsports' teams owner points. Fitz now runs as Trail Motorsports.

TheCamping World 300 was held February 14 atDaytona International Speedway.Kevin Harvick took the pole butTony Stewart won the race.

Did not qualify:Larry Foyt (#56),Johnny Chapman (#90),Stanton Barrett (#31),Terry Cook (#91),Derrike Cope (#41),Johnny Borneman, III (#22).

• Justin Ashburn (#85) withdraw prior qualifying for unknown reasons.^[1]

TheStater Brothers 300 was held February 21 atAuto Club Speedway.Carl Edwards took the pole butKyle Busch won the race.

Did not qualify:Scott Wimmer (#40),Johnny Borneman, III (#22),Mike Harmon (#84),Andy Ponstein (#02).

TheSam's Town 300 was held February 28 atLas Vegas Motor Speedway.Scott Speed took the pole butGreg Biffle won the race.

Did not qualify:Derrike Cope (#41),Kertus Davis (#49),Johnny Borneman, III (#22),Mike Harmon (#84).

TheScotts Turf Builder 300 was held March 21 atBristol Motor Speedway.Brendan Gaughan got his first Nationwide series career pole butKevin Harvick won the race.

Did not qualify:Mark Green (#70),Kertus Davis (#49),Brad Teague (#55),Brian Keselowski (#26),Stanton Barrett (#31),Mike Harmon (#84),Benny Gordon (#72).

• Joe Ruttman (#71) was forced to withdraw after a wreck in final practice.^[2]

TheO'Reilly 300 was held April 4 atTexas Motor Speedway.Kyle Busch took the pole and won the race.

Did not qualify:Scott Wimmer (#40),Josh Wise (#43),Brian Keselowski (#26),Kertus Davis (#49),Kerry Earnhardt (#31),Mike Harmon (#84).

• Brian Keselowski replacedDennis Setzer in the #96 car in the race, after failing to qualify his #26.

TheNashville 300 was held on April 11 atNashville Superspeedway. Joey Logano won his 2nd careerNNS race.^[3] 1992 series championJoe Nemechek took a wild ride after contact with several cars and flipped once. The car was fine, and he drove it around the track a few times before being black-flagged.^[4]

Did not qualify:Brad Teague (#52),Andy Ponstein (#02),Mike Harmon (#84),Ryan Hackett (#76),Mark Green (#0).

TheBashas' Supermarket 200 was held April 17 atPhoenix International Raceway.Carl Edwards took the pole butGreg Biffle won the race.

Did not qualify:Kenny Hendrick (#42),Andy Ponstein (#02),Mike Harmon (#84),Dennis Setzer (#96).

TheAaron's 312 was held April 25 atTalladega Superspeedway.David Ragan edged outRyan Newman by .030 of a second for his first win in any of NASCAR's three top national series.Matt Kenseth had a scary wreck in which he flipped 3 times on the backstretch. Kenseth was uninjured.^[5]

Did not qualify:Johnny Chapman (#90),Justin Hobgood (#91),Scott Wimmer (#40),Mike Harmon (#84).

TheLipton Tea 250 was held May 1 atRichmond International Raceway.Matt Kenseth took the pole butKyle Busch won the race.

Did not qualify:Kevin Hamlin (#52),Kenny Hendrick (#42),Travis Kittleson (#31),John Wes Townley (#09),Mike Harmon (#84).

TheDiamond Hill Plywood 200 was held May 8 atDarlington Raceway. The qualify rained out soKyle Busch started 1st butMatt Kenseth won the race.

Did not qualify:Dennis Setzer (#96),Paul Menard (#98),Derrike Cope (#73),Justin Hobgood (#41).

TheCarQuest Auto Parts 300 was held May 23 atLowe's Motor Speedway.Carl Edwards took the pole. The race was shortened to 170 laps due to rain soMike Bliss won the race.

Did not qualify:Morgan Shepherd (#89),Casey Atwood (#05),John Wes Townley (#09),Kevin Lepage (#52),Kertus Davis (#49),Marc Davis (#36),Mike Harmon (#84).

• Brandon Knupp (#75) was forced to withdraw after a wreck in practice.^[6]

TheHeluva Good! 200 was held May 30 atDover International Speedway.Joey Logano took the pole butBrad Keselowski won the race.

Did not qualify:Jeffrey Earnhardt (#31).

The Federated Auto Parts 300 was held June 6 atNashville Superspeedway and was dominated by Kyle Busch. This was his first win in Nashville. The victory made news as Kyle smashed the trophy – a custom painted Gibson guitar – in victory lane.^[7]

Did not qualify:Justin Hobgood (#41),Daryl Harr (#31).

TheMeijer 300 was held June 13 atKentucky Speedway.Joey Logano took the pole and won the race.

Did not qualify:Jeff Green (#91),J. C. Stout (#19),Benny Gordon (#72),Blake Bjorklund (#96),Kevin Lepage (#52),Travis Kittleson (#31).

TheNorthernTool.com 250 was held June 20 atMilwaukee Mile.Erik Darnell got his first Nationwide series career pole butCarl Edwards won the race.

Did not qualify:Morgan Shepherd (#89),Kevin Lepage (#52),Stanton Barrett (#41),John Wes Townley (#09).

TheCamping World RV Sales 200 presented by Turtle Wax was held June 27 atNew Hampshire Motor Speedway.Joey Logano won the pole for the third straight race he attempted.Kyle Busch won the race.

Did not qualify:Justin Hobgood (#41),Morgan Shepherd (#89),Kertus Davis (#04),Mike Wallace (#0).

TheSubway Jalapeño 250 was held July 3 atDaytona International Speedway.Clint Bowyer took the pole and won the race.

Did not qualify:Terry Cook (#91),Brian Keselowski (#26),Mike Wallace (#0).

TheDollar General 300 was held July 10 atChicagoland Speedway.Carl Edwards took the pole butJoey Logano won the race.

Did not qualify:Johnny Chapman (#90),J. C. Stout (#19),Stanton Barrett (#31),Kevin Hamlin (#52),Morgan Shepherd (#89),Brian Keselowski (#96).

TheMissouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 was held July 18 atGateway International Raceway.Brad Keselowski took the pole butKyle Busch won the race.

Did not qualify:Morgan Shepherd (#89),Jeff Green (#85),Kertus Davis (#04),Joe Ruttman (#71),Stanton Barrett (#31),Brad Teague (#52).

TheKroger 200 was held July 25 atO'Reilly Raceway Park.Trevor Bayne took the pole butCarl Edwards won the race.

Did not qualify:Dennis Setzer (#96),Brian Keselowski (#26),Joe Ruttman (#71),John Wes Townley (#09),Mike Wallace (#0).

TheU.S. Cellular 250 was held August 1 and was the inaugural Nationwide series race atIowa Speedway.Ricky Stenhouse Jr. andJustin Allgaier tied for the pole but Stenhouse started 1st.Brad Keselowski won the race.

Did not qualify:Shelby Howard (#70),Peyton Sellers (#77),Kenny Hendrick (#75),Derrike Cope (#78),Andy Ponstein (#96),Jack Smith (#52),Chris Horn (#58).

TheZippo 200 was held August 8 atWatkins Glen International.Kevin Harvick took the pole butMarcos Ambrose won the race.

Did not qualify:Peyton Sellers (#77),Daryl Harr (#31),Brad Baker (#05),Scott Gaylord (#52),Brett Rowe (#75).

TheCarfax 250 was held August 15 atMichigan International Speedway.Brian Vickers took the pole butBrad Keselowski won the race.

Did not qualify:Kevin Lepage (#73),Jason White (#07),Casey Atwood (#05),Kertus Davis (#0),Derrike Cope (#78),J. C. Stout (#19),Morgan Shepherd (#89),John Wes Townley (#09).

TheFood City 250 was held August 21 atBristol Motor Speedway.Brad Keselowski took the pole butDavid Ragan won the race.

Did not qualify:Dennis Setzer (#96),Kertus Davis (#0),Shelby Howard (#70),Travis Kittleson (#31),Scott Lagasse Jr. (#42),Morgan Shepherd (#89).

All practice and qualifying was done in the wet using rain tires. The final 16 laps of the race were also run under wet conditions using rain tires. For the third consecutive year,Marcos Ambrose dominated the race, but he blew the final corner by jumping over the curb too high, giving Edwards the win. Ambrose also won the pole.

Did not qualify:Daryl Harr (#31),Morgan Shepherd (#89).

TheDegree Men V12 300 was held September 5 atAtlanta Motor Speedway.Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the pole butKevin Harvick won the race.

Did not qualify:Derrike Cope (#73),Morgan Shepherd (#89),John Wes Townley (#09),J. C. Stout (#0),Tony Ave (#52).

TheVirginia 529 College Savings 250 was held September 11 atRichmond International Raceway.Denny Hamlin took the pole butCarl Edwards won the race.

Did not qualify:Derrike Cope (#73),Casey Atwood (#05),Morgan Shepherd (#89),Chris Lawson (#52).

TheDover 200 was held September 26 atDover International Speedway.Kyle Busch took the pole butClint Bowyer won the race.

Did not qualify:J. C. Stout (#0).

TheKansas Lottery 300 was held October 3 atKansas Speedway.Parker Kligerman got his first Nationwide series career pole.Joey Logano won the race.

Did not qualify:Michael McDowell (#96),Kevin Hamlin (#52),Willie Allen (#92),Derrike Cope (#73),Jennifer Jo Cobb (#79),Morgan Shepherd (#89),Chris Horn (#58),Andy Ponstein (#02).

• Michael McDowell replacedChase Miller in the #47 car in the race, after failing to qualify his #96.

TheCopart 300 was held October 10 atAuto Club Speedway.Joey Logano took the pole and won the race.

Did not qualify:Stanton Barrett (#31),Jarit Johnson (#44),Casey Atwood (#05).

TheDollar General 300 was held October 16 atLowe's Motor Speedway.Carl Edwards took the pole butKyle Busch won the race.

Did not qualify:Terry Cook (#91),Kevin Lepage (#78),Casey Atwood (#05),Derrike Cope (#73),Peyton Sellers (#77),Morgan Shepherd (#89).

TheKroger on Track for the Cure 250 was held October 24 atMemphis Motorsports Park.Justin Allgaier got his first Nationwide career pole.Kyle Busch nudgedBrad Keselowski on the final turn but Keselowski held on and won the race.

Did not qualify:Johnny Chapman (#90),Todd Kluever (#42),Kevin Lepage (#78),Nick Joanides (#31),Mark Green (#49),Jarit Johnson (#44),Brad Teague (#52).

TheO'Reilly Challenge was held November 7 atTexas Motor Speedway.Matt Kenseth took the pole butKyle Busch won the race.

Did not qualify:Casey Atwood (#85),Mike Harmon (#84),Andy Ponstein (#02).

TheAble Body Labor 200 was held November 14 atPhoenix International Raceway.Denny Hamlin won the pole with a new track record.Carl Edwards won the race.

Did not qualify:Chris Lawson (#52),Blake Koch (#05),Morgan Shepherd (#89),Daryl Harr (#31).

TheFord 300 was held November 21 atHomestead–Miami Speedway.Carl Edwards won the pole.Kyle Busch won the race and the championship.Denny Hamlin also spunBrad Keselowski earlier in the race.

Did not qualify:Jeremy Clements (#0),Chase Austin (#58),Johnny Borneman, III (#83),Parker Kligerman (#22),Morgan Shepherd (#89),Eddie MacDonald (#39),Jennifer Jo Cobb (#84),Brian Keselowski (#96),Benny Gordon (#72).

• Parker Kligerman replacedTodd Bodine in the #42 car in the race, after failing to qualify his #22.

(key) Bold – Pole position awarded by time.Italics – Pole position set by owner's points. * – Most laps led.