Budwieser Shootout Preview

            Even though the Budweiser Shootout isn’t a points race, it’s always one of the most exciting races on the NASCAR schedule. Last year’s edition featured 28 lead changes and a .058 winning margin, both were records in the history of the Shootout.

                
            The biggest complaint I usually have against the Shootout (and the All-Star race in May) is that the rules and eligibility to get in are complicated and a bit insane. This year though, the rules have been made pretty simple. The Top 25 drivers from last year’s points standings are allowed to race. Any driver who has ever won a race at Daytona is also allowed in.

                
             This year’s race will be 75 laps long and divided into two segments. The first segment will be 25 laps. Then there will be a 10-minute break that will allow teams to change tires, add fuel, and make other minor changes. The race concludes with a 50-lap race sprint. The driver that crosses the finish line first walks away with a huge chunk of money.

                
            The starting lineup is basically decided randomly. Each driver selects a Budweiser beer bottle that has a number inside of it, ranging from 1 through 25. The drawing was Friday night and this is the lineup for the 2012 Bud Shootout:

1- #56 Martin Truex Jr.

2- #18 Kyle Busch

3- #2 Brad Keselowski

4- # 1 Jamie McMurray

5- #34 David Ragan

6- #51 Kurt Busch

7- #16 Greg Bifle

8- #88 Dale Earnhardt Jr.

9- #22 A.J. Allmendinger

10- #20 Joey Logano

11- #99 Carl Edwards

12- #31 Jeff Burton

13- #39 Ryan Newman

14- #24 Jeff Gordon

15- #14 Tony Stewart

16- #11 Denny Hamlin

17- #15 Clint Bowyer

18- #48 Jimmie Johnson

19- #5 Kasey Kahne

20- #55 Michael Waltrip

21- #9 Marcos Ambrose

22- #29 Kevin Harvick

23- #17 Matt Kenseth

24- #27 Paul Menard

25- #42 Juan Pablo Montoya

            The most intriguing aspect of this lineup is the quality of drivers starting in the back. From 11^th-25^th you have Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick. It will be interesting to see how those guys handle the first 25 lap segment. I wouldn’t be surprised to see most of them hang back and not try to race towards the front.

            This will be a great preview of the Daytona 500 next Sunday. Watch for drivers that team up and how they handle working with each other. Will the Hendrick guys work together better than the Childress team? Will the Chevys be faster than the Fords? All that will be answered tonight. 

My picks to win: Jamie McMurray, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick