Budweiser Shootout Race Review

Daytona International Speedway -- 02/07/09

Author: Becca Gladden

Published: Sunday Feb 8 2009 5:05pm

Despite of - or maybe because of - an offseason full of economic woes and perilous predictions, NASCAR fans were relieved and excited Saturday night to see a new season finally get underway with the Bud Shootout exhibition race.

This year's Shootout featured 28 cars - the biggest-ever field for the event - and a new field-setting format that left both fans and competitors scratching their heads.

The Bud Shootout started 30 years ago as a showcase for the previous year's pole winners, and qualifying for the Shootout was one of the perks of winning a pole during the regular season. When Coors Light took over sponsorship of the pole award, Budweiser decided to disassociate the event from pole performance.

The new format calls for the top six drivers based on the final 2008 owner's points for each of the series four manufacturers (GM, Ford, Dodge, Toyota) to compete in the Shootout, creating an initial field of 24 cars, plus a wildcard selection from each manufacturer for a total of 28 cars.

The problem is that the new format, combined with numerous offseason mergers and acquisitions, created a field that excluded experienced drivers like perennial pole winner Ryan Newman, while including green rookies like Scott Speed and Joey Logano. Also excluded was Mark Martin, who complained about losing out on the opportunity to race in the draft before the Duels later this week.

Past Shootout winners, who were also eligible for the race under the old rules, are likewise excluded under the new format.

The race itself seemed to pick up where the day's earlier ARCA race left off - a wreck-filled matter of attrition with only 13 of 28 cars running at the end of the event. There was a record eight cautions accounting for 23 of the 78 laps (scheduled for 75 + 3 for green-white-checkered finish), while the 23 lead changes with 14 different leaders also set records for the Shootout.

The race was divided into two segments, the first a 25-lap run and the second 50 laps, with three added for the GWC. The first segment ended with the Fords of Carl Edwards and Jamie McMurray running 1-2, while Scott Speed, David Ragan, Robby Gordon and Joey Logano all were involved in an early wreck.

Edwards was the first segment lap leader with 9, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. with 7 and Tony Stewart with 4.

Edwards and McMurray were also strong in the second segment, but more noteworthy is the list of drivers involved in second-segment crashes (some more than once), including Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears, David Stremme, Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bobby Labonte, David Reutimann, Elliott Sadler, Michael Waltrip, Reed Sorenson and Jeff Burton.

The racing was exciting at times but typical of a plate race, with some drivers benefiting from the draft and others losing it and quickly getting shuffled back through the field. In the end, it was 2007 Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick, who'd bounced off the wall earlier in the race, scooting past Jamie McMurray during the GWC finish as yet another caution flew, freezing the field and bringing the race to an end.

Jamie Mac finished 2nd followed by Tony Stewart, impressive in his Stewart-Haas Racing debut at 3rd, Jeff Gordon, 4th, and AJ Allmendinger in the No. 44 car for Richard Petty Motorsports, 5th.

Rounding out the top 10 were Kasey Kahne (6), Carl Edwards (7), Matt Kenseth (8), Kurt Busch (9), and Kyle Busch (10).

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the overall lap leader with 23, followed by McMurray with 16, Edwards with 11, and Kyle Busch with 6. Polesitter Paul Menard (chosen by random draw) finished 12th.

By manufacturer, the top finishers were: Chevy - Kevin Harvick (1st); Ford - Jamie McMurray (2nd); Dodge - AJ Allmendinger (5th); Toyota - Kyle Busch (10th).

Many drivers complained about loose handling cars that were a handful to drive, while some criticized the on-track recklessness of their competitors. Jeff Gordon, though pleased with his 3rd-place finish, mentioned both concerns: `Man I hope the 500 is not like this. If there are cautions late in the race, absolutely - everybody comes here to win. A 500-mile race, we have to use our heads more than that. Just because it is a shorter race - it is not for points or the Daytona 500 - I think guys are laying it out there on the line quite a bit more. I expected it to be wild, (but) there were a couple of guys out there doing some things I thought were unnecessary. Other than that, I thought it was a great, fun, exciting race with a lot of action. Unfortunately, the cars were dancing around a lot and I thought that had a lot to do with the wrecks.`

The caution fest that was Saturday's Shootout was tolerable, perhaps even exciting in small doses. But if Gordon's fears are realized for the Daytona 500 and it, too, becomes a crash-marred attrition event, it could make for a very long race day for both drivers and fans.

Comment on this article.

(255 chars max)

Username:
(No HTML)

Captcha:

User	Comment
RaceFan88	The change in the Bud Shootout format is definitely frustrating. Fans have always looked forward to seeing many of the experienced drivers and, oftentimes, the stars of the previous seasons in the Shootout. Hopefully, going back to the previous format will be reconsidered next year.
goJJgo	I think Nascar made too many changes in too short a time frame. Now when something goes wrong, it`s going to be tough to pinpoint why it happens. I think it`s going to be a rough year.
MartyS	Although I was disappointed about some of the better drivers being left out. I think it`s about time Nascar made a few changes. Hears hoping they are all for the better.
racegirl	I am just so glad the season is starting back up again. I can`t wait for this weekend! I hope it`s a much closer race this year than it was last year.
racefan	I agree with you roadrunner. I was disappointed at how some were left out because of the change. I was very surprised at the outcome though.
Cal	It could be the start of the season and lady luck on someones side. I know some friends were peeved at the end result but I think it was kind of a good way to start things rolling in the new season.
spinout	Well, was anyone else surprised at the outcome of this race? I really thought Martin had it for a while there but Harvick managed to pull it off.
littlebit	I, too, hope that the Daytona 500 isn`t filled with crashes. It may make it more exciting for fans watching on television but they need to remember there are live people in there and they get seriously injured in these crashes.
roadrunner	I really hate that they changed the rules on this race. They should put it back to pole positions and not owner`s points as it`s more fair and includes the best drivers that way.
Rac3r	I hope we get to see great exciting crashes this year. Nope, I am not speaking of the crashes between the cars we saw, but crashes between the race winners. Lets hope we start off with close finishing results this time.
navigator07	It`s not surprising that the green rookies were excluded at the shootout race. They have a long way to go, get recognized and attract more fans someday.
the_champ	Train wreck? They don`t race trains in the shootout race but cars. I think driving trains could be fun. Seriously, train wrecks are another words for stock car crashes.
FunDriv3	I couldn`t believe that JJ was not included in the top 10 Shootout race. I was expecting that he would defeat Carl Edwards. At least Edwards fans are having a good time watching him win the race.
MasterModder	I think the words train wreck was referring to all the wrecks they had during the race. I think I remember reading about twelve or around about. I for one did not like the new format and think Nascar is compromising to corporate wants and needs rather
Elgar	Train wreck is one way to look at it, or that someone with power used it too much and ended up with some crappy reason for excluding peoples. It happens in any sport, why not this one?
nascarrocks	So glad to get this new season started up and after Saturday now I am really ready for this season to get going. Are there normally that many crashes in a shoot out?
racefan	Well I for one am just glad it`s finally time for the season to get started. I didn`t like how some of the drivers were excluded from the event though.
Daniel Wallace	This was an interesting start to the season and the words train wreck do come to mind considering the number of crashes. Of course a crash fest is exciting from the viewers point of view. I`m just glad everyone was ok.
Kevin	Do the words " train wreck " mean anything to the rest of you? I am really annoyed that Nascar excluded my favorite driver. Nascar seems shaky this year like the rest of the country seems to be. I`ll give them time to find their way but they need to shape
nascarrocks	I think you hit the nail on the head there gojjgo. I think it`s too much too soon and they are risking losing some fans in an already shaky economy.