“The criteria for the 2012 Budweiser Shootout ensures race fans that the best NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers will battle for a coveted victory on the historic high banks,” said Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III. “Throughout its long history, the Budweiser Shootout has produced plenty of fireworks on the track and race fans can expect another exciting star-studded night of racing as we kick off the new NASCAR season.”
“By taking the top 25 competitors in last year’s driver points and combine that with former race winners at Daytona, you have all the ingredients for an extremely deep and talented field of drivers for the 2012 Budweiser Shootout,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “When you take a look at the roster of drivers that this entails, I have to believe this is one of the most competitive fields that have ever been assembled for this event.”
The race distance will again be 75 laps (187.5 miles), divided into two segments of 25 and 50 laps. Green-flag and yellow-flag laps will all count toward the total. Following the first segment, there will be a 10-minute pit stop allowing teams to pit to change tires, add fuel and make normal chassis adjustments. Crews will be permitted to work on their cars and perform any function done on a normal pit stop in any NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. Changing of springs, shock absorbers or rear-ends will not be permitted.
Starting positions will be determined by a blind draw at the annual Budweiser Shootout Draw Party on Friday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. on the SPEED stage in the Midway, outside Turn 4.
Tickets for the Budweiser Shootout start at $39, with special advance pricing available for tickets purchased in January, and admission is free for children 12 and under. Tickets for all 2012 Speedweeks events -- including the Budweiser Shootout -- can be purchased online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.
Drivers eligible for the 2012 Budweiser Shootout include:
2011 Top 25 Driver Points
Tony Stewart
Carl Edwards
Kevin Harvick
Matt Kenseth
Brad Keselowski
Jimmie Johnson
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Jeff Gordon
Denny Hamlin
Ryan Newman
Kurt Busch
Kyle Busch
Clint Bowyer
Kasey Kahne
A.J. Allmendinger
Greg Biffle
Paul Menard
Martin Truex Jr.
Marcos Ambrose
Jeff Burton
Juan Pablo Montoya
Mark Martin
David Ragan
Joey Logano
Brian Vickers
Others (criteria in parentheses)
Bill Elliott (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400, Budweiser Shootout)
Geoff Bodine (Daytona 500, Budweiser Shootout)
Derrike Cope (Daytona 500)
Michael Waltrip (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400)
Jamie McMurray (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400)
Trevor Bayne (Daytona 500)
Terry Labonte (Budweiser Shootout)
Ken Schrader (Budweiser Shootout)
So it's gone from exclusive to everyone gets a shot. This isn't gym class. Not everyone has to get a turn to play. Field should be capped to the Top 10 in points from the previous year and any previous Daytona winners.
ReplyDeleteGuys like Cope are eligable but past champ Bobby Labonte isn't in the field. Bud and NASCAR need to keep up with one critiria and not change it every year.
ReplyDeleteremember when you used to have to win a pole to get in....and a couple years they let the guy with most poles in the Busch Grand National Series try to find a ride...ah good times
ReplyDeleteGo back to pole winners. This has just become another boring Daytona race!!!
ReplyDeleteThey cannot use pole winners. The Pole Award is sponsored by Coors Light, and the Bud Shootout is a Budweiser property. The marketing on that one is obviously not going to work.
ReplyDeleteAs a long time fan of all types of motor racing, John Force said it best a few years ago. "NHRA funny car where the field is capped at the 16 fastest on that day, this anit NASCAR where if your name is Jr. we make a place for you in the field no matter how slow you are." This statement was made just after Force was bumped from the field for the weekend. Mike Ashley
ReplyDeleteSo this is even less exclusive than the all star race.. Ok I can deal with that.
ReplyDeleteI'll watch.. happily in fact..
After 2 months with no races.. id watch the drivers in bumper cars at the local county fair!
.. Just don't try to call it exclusive or anything more than an advanced testing for the top teams event.
its a stupid race it means nothing.
ReplyDeleteHow is having more cars in the field a bad thing? If there were only a few cars they would get so spread out that there would be no racing, just a Sunday drive (or Saturday in this case. lol) Having more cars in the feild make for more of a challenge, besides all the big names are in it.
ReplyDeleteNancy K
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeletePaul F, you were doing extremely well, right up to your final word. We do not do the name-calling thing here, so I have removed your post. You are welcome to re-post it, in its entirety, minus that final word.
ReplyDeletethe fault here falls right into the marketing arm of nascar. we can pretend that the shootout is an isc deal with daytona speedway. we can pretend that the pole award is a nascar deal set up for all tracks. but the bottom line is, from a fan and competitive stand point, the shootout and pole awards should never have been sold as two properties. the shootout and pole award program should have been an all or nothing deal. but the bottom line from a fan or competitive standpoint was never considered. the financial bottom line was all that mattered to those in the big offices.
ReplyDeleteprevious year race winners, plus any past daytona 500 winner seems to work well in my book. thanks for makin the miles pass quickly. eric in pa
ReplyDeleteway i see it lets just race but i would like to see it go back to being a pole winner to get in
ReplyDeleteShootout should be the top 20 speeds from the fastest of the fastest in single runs held same day as the Shootout.
ReplyDeleteThis race is getting more pointless every year. Let's just open it up to anyone who's ever drove a frickin Cup car, ehh? Might as well at this rate.
ReplyDeletehey now this race is nothing no points just money and lets face it its a free testing for teams that make the race and now with the new fuel systems they are gonna need it
ReplyDelete