NASCAR: Juan Pablo Montoya out of Bud Shootout if team switches to Chevrolet

By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor
Saturday, November 15, 2008
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Juan Pablo Montoya, driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge, talks to Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Geoff Burke
Getty Images for NASCAR

HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Chip Ganassi Racing’s Juan Pablo Montoya will not be allowed to use one of Dodge’s spots in the 2009 Budweiser Shootout if the new Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing team switches to Chevrolet.
 
According to the new rules, the top six teams from each manufacturer from the previous year qualify for the Shootout. When the new rules were announced in August, NASCAR officials said the issue of teams switching manufacturers in the offseason still needed to be worked out.
 
While Earnhardt-Ganassi officials say they have not finalized a manufacturer, NASCAR Vice President of Operations Steve O’Donnell said Saturday morning that the teams will use their points from the previous year but their manufacturer of the current year to determine berths in the preseason event that comes eight days prior to the Daytona 500.

“It will be the top six Dodges starting for the ’09 season,” O’Donnell said. “Juan Pablo would be a Chevrolet. Let’s say Juan Pablo fell in No. 5 at Chevrolet, then Chevrolet [could use him].”

Montoya wouldn't fall in the top six in Chevrolet, but what would happen with the final Dodge spot?  The No. 42 Ganassi team is the sixth-ranked Dodge team, while the No. 41 Ganassi team is seventh. Next in line? Robby Gordon. As long as he remains a Dodge. If not him, then Penske Racing's Sam Hornish would get the spot.
 
“We’ll have six teams with Dodge on the jersey,” Dodge Motorsports’ Mike Delahanty said.
 
If all teams keep their current manufacturers, the Chevrolet drivers in the Budweiser Shootout will be Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, Casey Mears (as driver of the No. 07 Richard Childress Racing car), Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
 
The Fords will be Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, David Ragan, Jamie McMurray and Travis Kvapil.
 
The Toyotas will be Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano (driving the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing car), Brian Vickers, and David Reutimann. Michael Waltrip leads Dave Blaney by 55 points for the final Toyota spot.
 
The Dodge teams will be Kasey Kahne, David Stremme (in the No. 12 Penske Racing car), Kurt Busch, Bobby Labonte, Elliott Sadler and then Montoya if he remains a Dodge.

Comments

10 responses to "NASCAR: Juan Pablo Montoya out of Bud Shootout if team switches to Chevrolet ". Post a Comment.
  1. 1
    Roy Maul said:
    Nov 15, 2008 at 4:33 PM

    That is the most absurd rule I've ever heard. It may have made sense back in the day, back when there was more than .05 cents difference in the cars. But, now that all the cars are the same, Tonka toys with different names painted on them, this doesn't make any sense now.

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  2. 2
    William Olson said:
    Nov 15, 2008 at 5:08 PM

    Roy,

    "The most absurd rule......It may have made sense back in the day..."

    This is the first year of this "New" Bud Shootout.

    I think the whole premise stinks... "Oh we can't have a Bud Shootout based on Coor's Pole Winners....

    NASCAR shoots themselves in the foot at every turn trying to keep sponsors happy.

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  3. 3
    Ronald Lechner said:
    Nov 15, 2008 at 6:28 PM

    What happeens if Dodge doesnt exist or is no longer a participant in motor sports?

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  4. 4
    Werner Boehmert said:
    Nov 15, 2008 at 7:05 PM

    #3...then it's still the top 6 from the remaining mfgs per NASCAR rules...unless...the change their minds...

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  5. 5
    Andrew Briscoe said:
    Nov 15, 2008 at 7:11 PM

    I might be the only one to see this, but if Ganassi can either stay with Dodge for the Shootout and have a car run in it or switch to Chevy and not have any teams running in it, doesn't it seem obvious that he would have Montoya run a Dodge in the Shootout? I might not be 100% knowledgeable about what contracts are in place, but it seems rather obvious what the choice should be, doesn't it?

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  6. 6
    Werner Boehmert said:
    Nov 15, 2008 at 7:32 PM

    how much does the shootout really matter...it's not a car the teams use in the 500...the Petty's have never participated in it, due to the beer affiliation...

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  7. 7
    Scott Baker said:
    Nov 15, 2008 at 8:05 PM

    Who Cares!

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  8. 8
    ed gordon said:
    Nov 15, 2008 at 9:22 PM

    If there's anything positive to come out of this it's that more cars are likely to finish the race in one piece with Juan sitting it out.

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  9. 9
    Melissa Jones said:
    Nov 16, 2008 at 3:10 PM

    SAVE MONEY....get rid of the 'shoot-out!'

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  10. 10
    Ron Spang said:
    Nov 17, 2008 at 1:50 AM

    You guys have to be more negative about NASCAR's future.Look what we have all put up with: The C.O.T (the car with the spatula sticking out of its chin where the valance used to be). Don't try to trick it out. You'll pay for ingenuity. Isn't that what engineering is all about? Enough about this "stock car".
    The Chase: C'mon. Next year let's invite 18 drivers into the chase and then 23 then 33 then all of them. Let's get rid of the chase. Too bad. It's not going to happen for a while, if ever.
    Boy, They sure took our genuine manufacturer's role out of it. What all do we have? Engine blocks. Wow! I think Ford still has a rear end that NASACAR approves.
    Someone should start a new series. Anybody have a couple dozen million?

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