2012 Bud Shootout Eligible DRivers

33 OF THEM.

NASCAR announced today the list of eligible competitors for the 2012 Budweiser Shootout. The 34th annual season-opening event launches Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 18 with start time set for 8:10 pm/et. FOX Sports and MRN Radio will broadcast live nationally. Criteria for the non-points race are based upon the following qualifications, with eligibility based on a driver having been active in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series during the 2011 season:



• The highest ranked 25 competitors in 2011 Driver Points



• Previous winners at Daytona, including the Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola, and Budweiser Shootout events (not already in by being in top 25]



“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,” Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III said. “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), consisting of two segments – 25 and 50 laps. Both green-flag laps and yellow-flag laps will count. Between segments 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 cars and will be allowed to perform functions they would do on a normal pit stop in a regular NASCAR Sprint Cup event. All work must be performed on pit road or in the garage. Changing of springs, shock absorbers or rear-ends will not be permitted.



Starting positions will again be determined by a blind-draw at the annual Budweiser Shootout Draw Party on Friday, Feb. 17 at 8 pm/et on the SPEED stage in the Midway, outside Turn 4.



Drivers eligible for the 2012 Budweiser Shootout include:

2011 Top 25 Driver Points

#14-Tony Stewart

#99-Carl Edwards

#29-Kevin Harvick

#17-Matt Kenseth

#2-Brad Keselowski

#48-Jimmie Johnson

#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.

#24-Jeff Gordon

#11-Denny Hamlin

#39-Ryan Newman

#?-Kurt Busch

#18-Kyle Busch

#15-Clint Bowyer

#5-Kasey Kahne

#43-A.J. Allmendinger

#16-Greg Biffle

#27-Paul Menard

#56-Martin Truex Jr.

#9-Marcos Ambrose

#31-Jeff Burton

#42-Juan Pablo Montoya

#55-Mark Martin

#?-David Ragan

#20-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)

#1-Jamie McMurray (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400)

#?-Trevor Bayne (Daytona 500)

#?-Terry Labonte (Budweiser Shootout)

#?-Ken Schrader (Budweiser Shootout)

Might as well just get the whole damn field in here!

33 drivers just defeats the whole damn concept. Morons.

Missed it when there were only 21 cars in the field.

honestly if and cant be poles, make it chase drivers from last year, daytona 500 champs and past cup champions. thats 20.

AntmanB wrote:honestly if and cant be poles, make it chase drivers from last year, daytona 500 champs and past cup champions. thats 20.

Wasn't that what it was last season?

it included pervious rookies of the year and coke zero 400 winners alta

AntmanB wrote:it included pervious rookies of the year and coke zero 400 winners alta

That's how much i care for the shootout, I can't even keep track of the format.

Previous Coke Zero 400 winners?! Might as well throw in all previous Talladega winners!

Might as well scrap the event. If you can't do pole winners, or something a little more exclusive (how about Top 15 or 20), just ditch the event.

PYLrulz wrote:Might as well scrap the event. If you can't do pole winners, or something a little more exclusive (how about Top 15 or 20), just ditch the event.

Ditto. Thanks for killing the Shootout.

75 laps of non-points racing at Daytona. Blech. Buy out Budweiser's contract as sponsor of the race, name it the Coors Light Shootout, get the format back to pole winners only, and no one else, and make it a 25-lap race, without that stupid mandatory pit stop they did from 1998-2000. There were 18 pole winners this season. That's plenty for a 25-lap dash for cash.

Also, I found out on Twitter that Michael Waltrip will drive the 00, not Mark Martin. Oh, hell. He might wreck the whole field, since there are 10 fewer cars.

It's a race. I'll watch it.

Hell, I think a couple guys on EFR are eligible for this race.

BREAKING NEWS: Jacquelyn Butler (Ragan's new fiancee) is now eligible for the Bud Shootout due to her win in this years Better Half Dash.

PKligBKFan wrote:BREAKING NEWS: Jacquelyn Butler (Ragan's new fiancee) is now eligible for the Bud Shootout due to her win in this years Better Half Dash.

New favorite driver.

For more fun, after segment one, the bottom 10 get eliminated, but instead of being parked, they have to survive a 5 minute shower at Penn State.

pennst24 wrote:For more fun, after segment one, the bottom 10 get eliminated, but instead of being parked, they have to survive a 5 minute shower at Penn State.

LOLOLOLOL.

I was just told I was eligible for the Bud Shootout because I drank the most Budweisers ever. Who wants to drive the MRD Crapmobile that I steal from one of the Start and Park trash teams?

Magus978 wrote:I was just told I was eligible for the Bud Shootout because I drank the most Budweisers ever. Who wants to drive the MRD Crapmobile that I steal from one of the Start and Park trash teams?

I'll do it, and the random inexplicable warping that will occur will wreck the entire field!

Again, Derrike Cope will be 10 seconds off pace of the rest of the field.

Fuck that Derrike Cope will park on lap one

Ben Atkins to drive the #6 in the Shootout.

Jose Luis Martinez is also eligible.

I'm available too. I'll take over the 22 car

I hear Derek Dudding is eligible for this....

Derek Dudding to drive for MWR in Bud Shootout. I hear it's a big improvement.

Dudding>Waltrip

pepsibottle1 wrote:Dudding>Waltrip

I wouldn't say he's better than Waltrip, but at least he'd wreck himself before he had the chance to take anyone else with him.

Cardinals5 wrote:Maybe Leon Keniston will be driving

That's just mean.

Alesis Rainsford, rumored to be the next Jimmie Johnson,will run the #1234567 in the bud shootout.