Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, generally referred to as the Bud Shootout, is an annual invitation-only NASCAR Sprint Cup Series exhibition event held at Daytona International Speedway in February, the weekend before the Daytona 500. It is the first competitive event of the season and serves as a kickoff event for the NASCAR portion of Speedweeks. The field consists of the twelve drivers from the previous season's Chase, former event winners, and others.
The event was originally known as the Busch Clash, and consisted of a 20-lap/50-mile, "all-out sprint" for the previous season's pole position winners (considered the de facto "fastest drivers on the circuit"). In its current format, it is made up of two segments: an opening 25-lap segment, followed by a 50-lap race to the finish. Like the Sprint All-Star Race held at Charlotte, the race carries no championship points for the winner but instead a large purse — circumstances which are supposed to encourage an all-out driving style not seen in regular-season races.
The invitation-only field consists of a maximum of 28 cars, as opposed to 43 starters in a standard event. The starting lineup is determined by a random draw, not by time trials as all other races are determined.
[edit] Background and history
The event was first known as the Busch Clash and was the brain child of Monty Roberts. Roberts was the brand manager of the newly-formed Busch beer (which had formerly been Busch Bavarian Beer) to promote the new brand. Roberts had been successful introducing Mercury into racing while working at Ford, and had also been a part of Ontario Motor Speedway. His experiences led him to believe that racing fans were loyal brand followers. The initial format was set up as a 50-mile sprint race, with no pit stops, with a field consisting of the previous season's pole position winners. Inviting the fastest drivers from the previous season, headlined the event as the "fastest race" of the season. The race established an incentive for drivers to earn pole positions, which up to that time, offered small cash prizes, and at no time have pole winners earned bonus championship points.
The 1987 race, won by Bill Elliott was completed at an average speed of 197.802 mph. It stands as the fastest sanctioned race in the history of NASCAR (though it was not an official points-paying event).
[edit] Race format
- 1979-1990: The race consisted of a single twenty-lap (50-mile) green flag sprint with no pit stops required.
- 1991-1997: The race was broken into two ten-lap, green flag segments. The field was then inverted for the second ten-lap segment. Prize money was awarded for both segments for all positions. The race was broken up into two segments mainly because it had been lacking competitiveness since restrictor plates were introduced in 1988. The inversion rule added some needed excitement to the event, but its popularity continued to wane.
- 1998-2000: The event was renamed the Bud Shootout, and consisted of two 25-lap (62.5-mile) races, the Bud Shootout Qualifier at 11 a.m., and the Bud Shootout itself at 12 p.m. One two-tire pit stop was required for each race. The winner of the qualifier advanced to the main event.
- 2001-2002: The event was renamed the Budweiser Shootout and expanded to a new distance, 70 laps (175 miles). Caution laps would be counted, but the finish had to be under green, with the Truck Series green-white-checker rule applying if necessary. A minimum of one two-tire green flag pit was required. The Bud Shootout Qualifier was discontinued because second round qualifying for Cup races was eliminated.
- 2003-2008: The race was broken up into two segments: a 20-lap segment, followed by a ten-minute intermission, concluding with a 50-lap second segment. While a pit stop was no longer required by rule, a reduction in fuel cell size (from 22 gallons to 13.5 gallons) made a fuel stop necessary. (In 2007, fuel cells were expanded to 18.5 gallons.) Many drivers also changed two tires during their fuel stop, as the time required to fuel the car allowed for a two-tire change without additional delay.
- 2009-2011: The first segment was expanded to 25 laps.
[edit] Race eligibility
- 1979-1997: Pole position winners from the previous season clinched automatic berths. The drivers that were the fastest qualifiers for the previous year's races' during Busch Second Round Qualifying were eligible for one wild card spot. The wild card driver was selected by blind draw during the week of the NASCAR awards banquet or during the January media tour.
- From 1995-1996, the winner of the most pole positions in the secondary NASCAR Busch Series won an entry into the Busch Clash, driving a Busch-sponsored car. David Green won the right both times.
- 1998-2000: Pole position winners from the previous season clinched automatic berths. Drivers eligible from Second Round Qualifying participated in the Bud Shootout Qualifier, with the winner advancing to the main event Bud Shootout.
- 2001: Pole position winners from the previous season clinched automatic berths. In addition, all former winners of the event not already qualified received automatic berths. NASCAR eliminated second round qualifying beginning in 2001 and the Shootout Qualifier was eliminated. For the 2001 Shootout only, the drivers eligible from second round qualifying of 2000 events were placed in a blind draw for the final wild card starting position, as had been done from 1979-1997.
- 2002-2008: Pole position winners from the previous season clinched automatic berths. All former winners of the event not already qualified received automatic berths.
- 2009: The field consists of 28 cars. The top six teams from each manufacturer (Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, and Toyota) based on owners' points from the previous season clinch berths, for a total of 24 cars. Previous season's pole position winners no longer were a qualifying factor. Unlike previous formats, the entry receives the berth, not the driver. In addition, each of the four manufacturers receive one "wild card" berth for a car/driver not already qualified, to bring the grand total to 28 cars. The other four "entries" were for previous champions and past Shootout winners. This system was discarded after only one year.
- 2010-2011: A new qualifying format was introduced, which expanded the field, with no size limitations:
- 2012: The field was once again expanded. Automatic bids went to the top 25 in series points (every driver from eventual series champion Tony Stewart to 25th place Brian Vickers), as well as any Daytona race winner who was not otherwise qualified and who competed in at least one race in 2011 (which will enable Bill Elliott, Geoff Bodine, Derrike Cope, Michael Waltrip, Jamie McMurray, Trevor Bayne, Terry Labonte, and Ken Schrader to make the race if they decide to run).
[edit] Race history
- 1979: The race debuted on Sunday, broadcast live on CBS. Pole position qualifying for the Daytona 500 would start Sunday at 10 a.m., followed by the ARCA 200. The Busch Clash would be held after the ARCA race at 3 p.m.
- 1980: Heavy winds during Daytona 500 pole qualifying delayed the proceedings and the ARCA 200 began 90 minutes later than scheduled. As 3 p.m. approached, the ARCA race was red flagged and halted so that the Busch Clash could be held as scheduled and be shown on live television. After the Clash was finished, the ARCA race resumed.
- 1981: Morning rain washed out Daytona 500 pole qualifying, which was rescheduled for the following day. After the track dried Sunday, the ARCA race began at 2:30 p.m. The Busch Clash, scheduled for 3 p.m., was held following the delayed ARCA race.
- 1983: Rain washed out all scheduled activities for Sunday. The Busch Clash was rescheduled and run the following day, Monday.
- 1984: Ricky Rudd was spun of the track at turn four at a very high speed, resulting in a blowover, then a series of violent flips. Ricky suffered a concussion, and his eyes were so swollen that he had to tape them open so he could race in the Daytona 500.
- 1985: Track officials reorganized the schedule for track activities for the weekend. Daytona 500 pole qualifying was moved from Sunday to Saturday, and the Busch Clash was moved from 3 p.m. to 12 p.m. on Sunday. The ARCA 200 was then held after the Busch Clash rather than before.
- 1992: For one year, Daytona 500 pole qualifying and the Busch Clash swapped days. The Busch Clash was held Saturday, and qualifying was held Sunday. This move was made at the request of CBS, who wanted the additional time on Sunday for their coverage of the 1992 Winter Olympics.
- 1995: Morning rain delayed the start by 30 minutes.
- 2001: FOX broadcasts the race for the first time. It also marked the first race televised on Fox. The start time was shifted to 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
- 2002: TNT broadcast the race for the first time.
- 2003: The race was moved from Sunday afternoon to Saturday night at 8 p.m. In addition, pole qualifying for the Daytona 500 was moved to Sunday afternoon, and the ARCA race was moved to Saturday afternoon, just prior to the Shootout.
- 2004: A crash at the final lap resulted in controversy. A 2003 incident at Loudon involving Dale Jarrett and Casey Mears had resulted in the banning of racing back to the caution. In this case, NASCAR did not wave the caution at the end of the race despite a crash involving Ryan Newman and Jamie McMurray, and allow the race to run to the finish, creating a potentially dangerous situation. Ironically, Dale Jarrett won the race.
- 2006: The event was postponed from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon due to rain. This was also the first shootout to feature the green-white-checkered finish. Denny Hamlin became the first rookie to win the event in 2006 in his Fedex #11.
- 2007: Tony Stewart won the race for the third time driving his #20 Home Depot car. It was the second win in a row for Joe Gibbs Racing because Denny Hamlin won in 2006.
- 2008: Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won the race for the second time, and won in his first start with Hendrick Motorsports. He also made the record of leading the most laps, 47, during the shootout.
- 2009: Kevin Harvick, won the race for the first time on a last-lap pass reminiscent of his 2007 Daytona 500 last-lap pass on Mark Martin. This time however Harvick passed Jamie McMurray in Turn 3 for the win as an accident would occur behind Harvick, also the same scenario happened in the 500 for Harvick.
- 2010: Kevin Harvick won the race for the second time in a row, becoming the first driver to win it consecutively since Tony Stewart. A second to last lap crash caused by Jeff Gordon led the race to finish under caution.
- 2011: Kurt Busch won the race in a complicated finish. For the last few laps, a lead pack of 4 cars ran single file, with Ryan Newman in the lead, followed by Denny Hamlin, then Kurt Busch, and then Jamie McMurray. Coming out of Turn 4 on the final lap, Kurt Busch and Jamie McMurray pulled to the outside, while Denny Hamlin pulled to the inside. Hamlin took the lead from Newman under the yellow line, which is prohibited at "Restrictor Plate Tracks" like Daytona. Busch and McMurray couldn't get to the line quick enough, so at first it seemed that Hamlin had won with 2-4 being Busch, McMurray, and Newman, but after reviewing the footage, the Hamlin was dropped to the last car on the lead lap, in 13th, and all other drivers on the lead lap gained a position, giving Busch the win.
[edit] Race notes
- Five times the winner of the Budweiser Shootout has gone on to win the Daytona 500 the following weekend: Bobby Allison (1982), Bill Elliott (1987), Dale Jarrett (1996, 2000), and Jeff Gordon (1997).
- No driver has ever won the Budweiser Shootout, the Gatorade Duel, and the Daytona 500 in the same speedweeks.
- While it was still named the Busch Clash, on two occasions, the race had the year in its official title. The Busch Clash of '89 and the Busch Clash of '93 were the respective advertised titles.
- From 1979 until 2008, the drivers themselves qualified as eligible for the Budweiser Shootout, not the teams. If an eligible driver for the upcoming Shootout switches teams in the off-season, the driver, not the team, is eligible for the race. That driver competes in the race with his new team.
- Drivers who win the pole award at a race must have had an Anheuser-Busch decal (the Busch brand from 1979–2000, and the Budweiser brand since 2001), or the corporate logo affixed to their car (for drivers under 21 years of age) at the time in order to earn the berth for the Budweiser Shootout. If the car does not carry the sticker, the Budweiser Pole Award goes to the next car eligible, but the driver which wins the Budweiser Pole Award does not earn a Shootout spot.
- In 1998, John Andretti was eligible to race in the Bud Shootout for having won a pole position in 1997 racing for Cale Yarborough. In the off-season, Andretti switched to Petty Enterprises, which was not allowed to participate, since they chose not affix the proper decals to their cars - it was Petty family tradition to not permit alcohol decals or sponsorship on their cars. Andretti participated in the race in a one-off ride with Hendrick Motorsports. (Ricky Craven, the regular driver for Hendrick's Budweiser-sponsored Chevrolet, did not qualify for the race; Andretti drove the Hendrick car, which carried the usual #25 instead of the #50 used by the team for NASCAR's 50-year celebration.)
- Bobby Hamilton won the pole position for the 1997 Miller 400 racing for Petty Enterprises, but was not eligible for the 1998 Bud Shootout since the team chose not to affix the proper decal.
- John Andretti won the pole position for the 1998 Primestar 500 racing for Petty Enterprises, but was not eligible for the 1999 Bud Shootout since the team chose not to affix the proper decal. Todd Bodine was the official winner of the Bud Pole Award by NASCAR rule, but not awarded a Budweiser Shootout position.
- Jeff Green won the pole position for the 2003 Daytona 500 racing Richard Childress Racing's #30 AOL Chevrolet, but did not participate in the 2004 Budweiser Shootout. Green changed teams twice in 2003 ending up in the #43 Petty Enterprises Dodge (which he also signed to drive in 2004). As usual, since the team chose not to affix the proper decal the #43 was ineligible for the Shootout. Green could have driven for another team, but chose not to do so.
- Drivers must carry a special decal without the Budweiser brand if they are under 21 years of age, but can race in the Budweiser Shootout. By Anheuser-Busch rule, Drivers must be 21 or older to wear Budweiser decals, and those under 21 must wear an Anheuser-Busch corporate logo Pole Award sticker, without any brand indication. Special stickers are made to cover up Budweiser stickers for such drivers, which has happened four times recently.
- On May 14, 2004, 20-year old Brian Vickers won poles at Richmond in the Chevy American Revolution 400.
- On September 3, 2004, Vickers won the pole at the Pop Secret 500 at Fontana.
- On February 26, 2005, 19-year old Kyle Busch won his first pole at the very same race in Fontana.
- Drivers under 21 are not permitted to participate in formal activities relating to the race, such as the draw for position and other activities such as conferences related to the race because of the alcohol sponsorship. In those cases, the crew chief will participate in such activities.
- In the 2005 Shootout (Vickers under age), Lance McGrew, who was the new crew chief for Vickers that season, participated in the Shootout draw.
- In the 2006 Shootout (Busch under age), Alan Gustafson participated in the Shootout draw.
- Beginning in the 2009 Shootout (Joey Logano under age), Greg Zippadelli participated in the Shootout draw. Presumably, he will continue to do so until Logano turns 21; Logano himself can participate in the draw beginning in 2012.
- On April 20, 2006, Busch won the pole at Avondale, Arizona at age 20 years 353 days.
- Dale Jarrett (2000) and Tony Stewart (2002, 2007) are the only drivers to win the Budweiser Shootout without having won a pole position the previous year. Jarrett advanced to the Shootout' by winning the Bud Shootout Qualifier, and Stewart was eligible for the Shootout via the 2001 rule change adding a lifetime exemption for former winners.
- 2006 Shootout winner Denny Hamlin was the first rookie to win the event. He had won the pole at Phoenix in a seven-race tryout for Joe Gibbs Racing to find a driver for the FedEx #11 car late in the 2005 NASCAR Season. A driver can make up to seven starts per season without giving up their eligibility to be a rookie in NASCAR.
[edit] Past winners
[edit] Budweiser Shootout
- 1983: Race postponed from Sunday to Monday due to rain.
- 2006: Race postponed from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon due to rain and extended due to a Green-white-checker finish.
- 2009 & 2010: Race extended due to a Green-white-checkered finish.
- 2011: Denny Hamlin was 2nd (pushing Ryan Newman) coming out of Turn 4 heading for the checkered flag, Hamlin then attempted the "slingshot pass" on the bottom and in doing so, dipped under the track's yellow out-of-bounds line. He proceeded to cross the finish line first, edging Busch by a nose (who, legally, went to the high side with Jamie Mac still pushing him), but NASCAR ruled (correctly) his <Hamlin's> move illegal, black flagged him, and placed his car as the last lead lap car (12th). Hamlin, interviewed afterward, acknowledged the fact that his "below the line driving" was against the rules, and opined that had his car gone up the racetrack, he would've wrecked all four cars and potentially endangered the drivers and fans, so he was fine with the 'black flag' given to him and the #11 team.
[edit] Segment winners
- 1991: Earnhardt won first 10-lap segment, and second 10-lap segment
- 1992: Sterling Marlin won first 10-lap segment, and Bodine won second 10-lap segment
- 1993: Earnhardt won first 10-lap segment, and second 10-lap segment
- 1994: Dale Earnhardt won first 10-lap segment, and Gordon won second 10-lap segment
- 1995: Jeff Gordon won first 10-lap segment, and Earnhardt won second 10-lap segment
- 1996: Sterling Marlin won first 10-lap segment, and Jarrett won second 10-lap segment
- 1997: Terry Labonte won first 10-lap segment, and Gordon won second 10-lap segment
[edit] Bud Shootout Qualifier
[edit] Past winners
[edit] Manufacturer wins
[edit] Television broadcasters
- Due to the nature of qualifying for the event (see above), several top NASCAR drivers were often excluded from the field in it first two decades. During its tenure on CBS, the Busch Clash telecast sometimes included a special guest color commentator(s), who was an active driver(s) on the circuit, but did not win a pole position the previous year, and thus was not in the field.
[edit] Bud Shootout Qualifying Race
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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