Live NASCAR Racing!
NASCAR Sprint Cup Budweiser Shootout
Match scheduled:
Dated: 12-02-2011.
Green flag to be expected at 8:10pm EST, 2:10CET, 1:10UK
Site: Daytona International Speedway -- Daytona Beach, Florida
Track: 2.5-mile tri-oval - 3,800 feet (Frontstretch); 3,000 feet (Backstretch)
Laps: 75 (25 laps in 1st segment; 50 laps in 2nd segment)
Miles: 187.5
Capacity: 168,000
Total purse: $1,095,439 (2010 figures)
Payouts: 1st Place - $202,357; 2nd Place - $97,834; 3rd Place - $57,834
The Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, a pre-season, non-points event,now includes a collection of the sport's top drivers and top performers atDaytona. Eligibility is based on the 12 drivers who competed in the 2010Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup title, past Cup Series champions, previousBudweiser Shootout winners and past Daytona 500 and Coke Zero 400 Powered ByCoca-Cola champions. The reigning Rookie of the Year in Cup also is eligible.This season, a total of 30 drivers are eligible to compete.As has been the case since 2003, the Budweiser Shootout will be run in twosegments, the first at 25 laps and the second a 50-lap sprint for the win.That's 187.5 miles on the track's high-banked, 2.5-mile layout.Following the first segment, a 10-minute "pit stop" gives crews theopportunity to make normal adjustments to their cars. That means tweaks theywould do on a normal pit stop during a regular Sprint Cup Series event.Following the 10-minute "pit stop", the event's second segment includes a 50-lap sprint for the win.Anheuser-Busch and its Budweiser brand has sponsored the race at DaytonaInternational Speedway since 1979. Called the Busch Clash until 1998, the namewas changed to the Bud Shootout. Renamed the Budweiser Shootout for the 2001edition, the event just underwent the most significant changes in the formatand eligibility since the inception of the event in '79. During the 32 yearsof the event, there have been 18 different winners.Tony Stewart, Neil Bonnett, Ken Schrader and now Kevin Harvick are the onlydrivers to win this race two consecutive years. Dale Earnhardt was a six-timechampion of this race. The winner of this race has gone on to capture the Cupchampionship seven times -- Dale Earnhardt (1980, 1986, 1991 and 1993),Darrell Waltrip (1981), Jeff Gordon (1997) and Stewart (2002). The Shootoutwinner has doubled as the Daytona 500 champion five times -- Bobby Allison(1982), Bill Elliott (1987), Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000) and Jeff Gordon(1997).The 28 cars in the 2009 race was the largest field in the history of theevent, five more than the previous record of 23 cars set in 2008.Since 1979, seven drivers have won the Daytona 500 who did not compete in theBudweiser Shootout the week before: Michael Waltrip (2001 and 2003), WardBurton (2002), Dale Earnhardt (1998), Sterling Marlin (1994), Dale Jarrett(1993), Derrike Cope (1990) and Richard Petty (1979).Chevrolet has won this race 19 times, including last year with Kevin Harvick,while Ford has posted seven wins in this event. Buick, Oldsmobile andPontiac have two wins each.Last season, Harvick overcame flu-like conditions earlier in the week tocapture this event for the second consecutive year. The race concluded in awild overtime finish. Michael Waltrip's crash late in the race set up a green-white-checkered finish. During the caution, Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne werethe only drivers in the field that opted not to pit.Biffle led the field for the final two-lap restart, but lost the lead on thebackstretch after Kahne pushed Harvick to the front. Jeff Gordon then rammedinto the back of Biffle heading into turn three, causing the Roush FenwayRacing driver to spin and then collect his teammates Matt Kenseth and CarlEdwards, as well as Bobby Labonte, Ryan Newman and Mark Martin. Harvick heldthe lead when NASCAR displayed the yellow flag to end the race. Kahne placedsecond under the caution. In all, Harvick led five times for 21 laps, whilepole sitter Carl Edwards, who placed 17th, led twice for 42 laps.When Harvick won in 2009, he defeated Jamie McMurray under the caution.Harvick started from the 27th position, the furthest any driver has started atthis race and won. Earnhardt Jr, who placed 18th, led four times for a race-high 23 laps, while McMurray led for 16 laps. Pole sitter Paul Menard placed12th.In 2006, Tony Stewart became a three-time winner of this event, as he raced tovictory over David Gilliland under caution. Starting from the 14th position,Stewart reclaimed the lead on lap 63 and held on for the win. Stewart ledtwice for a total of 11 laps, while Kyle Busch, who placed seventh, led threetimes for 39 laps.Bill Elliott has appeared in 23 Budweiser Shootouts, while Mark Martinhas raced in 23 overall. Only five drivers have won this race in their firstappearance: Buddy Baker (1979), Dale Earnhardt (1980), Jeff Gordon (1994),Dale Jarrett(1996) and Denny Hamlin (2006). There are seven multiple winnersof this race led by Dale Earnhardt with six. Dale Jarrett and Tony Stewart arethree-time champions, while Jeff Gordon, Neil Bonnett, Ken Schrader, DaleEarnhardt Jr and Harvick have won it twice.The 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points season kicks off with the 53rdrunning of the Daytona 500 on February 20. Jamie McMurray is the defendingrace champion.02/08 14:44:43 ET.
11665734, 9041593