Furniture Row Racing has announced that it is planning a limited 2009 schedule for its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team.

The announcement has been taken due to the global economic situation and will affect the #78 driven by Joe Nemechek.

The team has enjoyed its best season in the Sprint Cup to date this year, qualifying for 31 of the 35 races run so far and taking pole at Talladega, with team president Joe Garone quick to point out that results on track had nothing to do with the decision taken.

"This has nothing to do with our on-track performance," said he said. "This is simply a business decision by Furniture Row of balancing priorities in a tough economy and, from all appearances, looks to be getting even tougher.

"We've got some tough decisions to make, but we all know it will take fewer people and resources to run a limited versus full schedule. But we're also optimistic that our best days are still ahead of us."

As a privately-held entity, Furniture Row Companies - the team owner, primary sponsor, and one the nation's largest furniture retailers - does not make its sales figures public but has been forced to look at retail sales trends and tighten all expenses as a result.

"Running a limited schedule is simply a cautionary measure," Tom Faulkner, president of Furniture Row Companies, said. "While we've been faring significantly better than most in our category, it's no secret that our business is tied to the health of the economy - in particular, housing starts and real estate sales."