DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR's season-opening event had a much different feel Thursday.

Drivers came to media day with all the typical enthusiasm for the Daytona 500 and the new season. But they ended up fielding more questions about the economic downturn than Jimmie Johnson's quest for a fourth consecutive championship, Tony Stewart's new venture as an owner/driver or what could be Mark Martin's best and last chance at getting a Cup title that has eluded him for nearly three decades.

All those story lines took a back seat to the struggles facing a sponsor-driven sport trying to survive tough economic times.

"We obviously are driven by a lot of corporate sponsors and our fans are the most loyal out there," four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon said. "They're all going to be tested during this time."

Hundreds of NASCAR employees have been laid off since the end of last season. Several owners merged race teams, others slashed budgets and some even folded shops altogether. Bill Davis Racing, The Wood Brothers and Petty Enterprises had massive layoffs. Even powerhouse teams like Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Roush Fenway Racing endured cutbacks.

Chrysler, Ford and General Motors have seen a significant drop in car sales, and world leader Toyota also has been affected by the economic downturn. The problems have created doubt about whether the four automakers will be able to maintain financial and technical support that has become vital to the sport.

"The news is depressing, and I know a lot of it is real," Roush Fenway Racing driver Matt Kenseth said. "I don't know how it's going to affect the sport or our season or our sponsors or any of that."

Full sponsorships have become scarce, with teams settling for two or more corporations splitting up the high price of advertising on race cars.

David Reutimann got good news Thursday when Aaron's opted to sponsor the No. 00 Toyota for the entire season. Defending Daytona 500 champion Ryan Newman may be in a more typical situation. He moved from Penske Racing to Stewart-Haas Racing during the offseason and is still looking for someone to sponsor his car for several races.

"We all need to be conscious about it and do the best that we can to make sure the grandstands are full," veteran driver Bobby Labonte said. "Everybody's has to pucker up a little bit. But at the same time, you've got to believe the cup is half full."

NASCAR officials have tried to do their part. They sliced ticket prices for the Daytona 500 and worked with hotels to get reduced rates.

"Generally the teams, and I know NASCAR, are doing more with less," NASCAR CEO Brian France said. "Can we do even more? Sacrifice? Sure. I just know that budgets are coming down, layoffs have happened, people are doing more with less."