Budweiser Shootout to include top 25 in points, past Daytona race and Shootout winners
Kurt Busch celebrates his Budweiser Shootout win last February at Daytona. // Sam Cranston, NASCAR Illustrated
The 2012 Budweiser Shootout will include the top 25 in driver points from 2011 and past winners of points events at Daytona as well as past Budweiser Shootout winners.
The revised rules set the maximum field for the Feb. 18 race at 33, although not all 33 drivers are expected to compete. Among those not expected to compete is Mark Martin, who is sharing a car with Michael Waltrip in 2012. Waltrip will drive the No. 55 car in the Budweiser Shootout.
The race distance remains the same – 75 laps, broken into segments of 25 laps and 50 laps with a 10-minute break between the two segments to allow teams to change tires and make chassis adjustments.
Starting positions will be determined by a blind draw at 8 p.m. ET Feb. 17 at the Speed stage.
The top 25 in driver points puts the following drivers in the race: Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, AJ Allmendinger, Greg Biffle, Paul Menard, Martin Truex Jr., Marcos Ambrose, Jeff Burton, Juan Pablo Montoya, Martin, David Ragan, Joey Logano and Brian Vickers.
Other drivers eligible are past Daytona 500 winners Bill Elliott, Geoff Bodine, Derrike Cope, Waltrip, Jamie McMurray and Trevor Bayne and past Shootout winners Terry Labonte and Ken Schrader.
Last year, the 12 Chase drivers, past Daytona race and Shootout winners, past Cup champions and past rookies of the year were eligible.
Bobby Labonte (past champion) and Regan Smith (past rookie of the year) are among those who were eligible last year who are not this year.
