The 2009 Budweiser Shootout
Posted by GEORGE February 5, 2009 9:40:22 AM
It may not be a points race, but the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season kicks off Saturday with the Budweiser Shootout, the first real test of the cars after an off-season of tweaking.
Qualifying for the Shootout has been a bit confusing this year. Originally, the top six cars in owner points for each manufacturer were in the race. Unfortunately, this left out a few drivers who NASCAR felt needed to be in the race. So the rules changed.
Now, any owner outside of the top six in 2008 owner points whose driver is also a past NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion who attempted to qualify for all of the 2008 races will be included in the Budweiser Shootout. Only one driver of each car manufacturer can qualify by this rule; based upon the most recent past champion per manufacturer. If an owner/manufacturer does not have a past champion, the next-highest eligible owner outside of the top six will qualify.
Basically, NASCAR threw in four wildcard spots in order to get Tony Stewart into the race.
The line-up, by manufacturer, for the 2009 Budweiser Shootout:
Chevy: Casey Mears, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Jimmie Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dodge: Kurt Busch, Robby Gordon, Kasey Kahne, David Stremme, Elliot Sadler, Reed Sorenson, and AJ Allmendinger.
Ford: David Ragan, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Bobby Labonte, Paul Menard, and Carl Edwards.
Toyota: David Reutimann, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Michael Waltrip, Scott Speed, and Brian Vickers.
The Budweiser Shootout will be split into two segments of 25 laps, followed by a 50-lap run to the checkered flag. Starting positions are determined by a blind draw. This is a sprint to the finish for a lot of money and a couple of positions in the Daytona 500.
Speaking of the Daytona 500, there are currently more than 50 entries for 43 starting spots in the race. The 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season is building up to be the most closely-contested season ever, and the Budweiser Shootout and Daytona 500 are only the start!
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