Finally, the off-season is just about over and now we can get to some racing and what a better way than with a race for the Cup series to get some of the drivers warmed up before The Daytona 500, yes I am talking about February 7th, the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, which marks the unofficial start of the 2009 NASCAR Cup Series season, and while the race format has changed over the years, the main goal of how to get in to the race hasn’t changed until now, the shootout in the past was all about getting a pole from the previous season, winning a qualifying race or being a past winner of the shootout, however for 2009, last August, NASCAR announced a huge change in who’s in and who’s out of the Shootout.
Since the shootout is now all about a new race format and the manufacturers, the first change is in the format, gone is the 20-lap segment, ten-minute break, concluding with a 50-lap second segment, the new 2009 format has increased the race distance from 70-laps to 75-laps with the increase in the first segment from 20-lap to 25-lap segment, followed by a 10 minute break, then concluding with a 50-lap segment. What about a 75 lap race since NASCAR seems to be all about increasing the distance with 50 laps in the first segment, which would include a pit stop during it, a 10 minute break, concluded with a 25 lap shootout or just 75 laps flat-out, requires one-four tire change and one-fuel only pit stop, can change two-tires on the fuel only.
However the race format change is really no big deal, the controversy comes from how you qualify for the race, first, there is no qualifying race, second, winning a pole doesn’t get you into the race, nor does being a past winner of the shootout, in 2009, its all changed and it’s all about the manufacturers.
Getting in to this 75-lap Budweiser Shootout is very simple and being a pole sitter isn’t one of them, for 2009, it all depends upon two things, first what manufacturer banner you race under and second, where your car is in owners points. Each manufacturer has the top 6 in owner’s points in the field, it doesn’t matter who the driver was in 2008, it’s where the car was in the final 2008 owner’s points standings. In addition to top six cars per manufacturer, earlier this month, NASCAR announced that they are expanding the field from 24 cars to 28 cars, each manufacturer will receive a wild card entry in the shootout which will be either a past champion or seventh driver.
Both of these changes have received not only fan and media reaction, but also some drivers as well, so who’s in and who’s out of the 2009 Budweiser Shootout? Let’s start with the 2008 manufacturer champion, Chevrolet, defending champion #48-Jimmie Johnson (HMS), #29-Kevin Harvick (RCR), #07-Casey Mears (RCR) (Casey Mears is in because Casey Mears and Clint Bowyer swapped rides for 2009), #31-Jeff Burton (RCR), #24-Jeff Gordon (HMS) and #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.(HMS), the wild card entry is the man himself, the 2005 Cup Series Champion #14-Tony Stewart (SHR).
The one change should be Clint Bowyer in, Casey Mears out, Bowyer finished 5th in driver points, not the other way around, second is with the addition of the wild card, Tony Stewart is in, boy that makes a lot of fans including me happy. I guess NASCAR is listening to fans.
Ford: #99-Carl Edwards (RFR), #16-Greg Biffle(RFR), #17-Matt Kenseth (RFR), #6-David Ragan(RFR), #26-Jamie McMurray(RFR) and #98-Paul Menard (YR - received #28 owners points), the wild card entry is #96-Bobby Labonte (HOFR - received the #38 owners points). Dodge: #9-Kasey Kahne (RPM), #12-David Stremme (PR - new driver of the #12, where Ryan Newman us to be), #2-Kurt Busch (PR), Reed Sorenson (RPM), #19-Elliott Sadler (RPM) and #7-Robby Gordon (RGM), the wild card is #44-AJ Allmendinger (RPM).
The only change in the Ford champ should be, Travis Kvapil in, Paul Menard out, again drivers points and he earned it, while in the Dodge camp, why is Robby Gordon in, he’s a Toyota driver in 2009, not Dodge, wouldn’t Sam Hornish Jr. be in, he is the only Dodge driver in 2009 not in.
And Toyota has entered #11-Denny Hamlin (JGR), #20-Joey Logano (JGR), #18-Kyle Busch (JGR), #83-Brian Vickers (RBR), #00-David Reutimann (MWR), #55-Michael Waltrip (MWR), the wild card entry is #22-Unknown driver for Triad Racing Technologies (if they run).
Oh brother, how does Michael Waltrip and Joey Logano get in, here is where Robby Gordon might come in if the #22 is not running, can you see the this entertainment entry list now?
When it comes to qualifying, how about the top 22 in driver points (not owner’s points) from 2008, a qualifying race where the winner advances and a fan pick for another spot and that equals 24.
Besides the unique field entry list of who’s in and who’s out, two things come to mind, first it doesn’t surprise me that the race is all about the manufacturers since in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, we run the new Car of Tomorrow (Today), so the cars on the race track don’t look like the cars in the showroom and the COT doesn’t give anything to the manufacturers nor does winning a pole award in the previous season get you in the shootout, keep in mind that Coors sponsors the pole award, not Budweiser, so why would Budweiser want Coors in their shootout.
Second, I have two questions for my readers:
1) Who should in the Budweiser Shootout and who should? 2) Will you watch the Budweiser Shootout with an open mind, giving it a fair chance?
Personally, my answers are: 1) In would be Ryan Newman, Joe Nemechek, Travis Kvapil (all 2008 pole sitters, not in the field), Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr. and Juan Montoya, out of the race, again that would go back to points. 2) Yes I will keep an open mind in watching the 2009 Budweiser Shootout.
