Daytona Shootout

The Daytona Shootout, formerly known as the Budweiser Shootout, is an annual invitation-only NASCAR Sprint Cup Series exhibition event held at Daytona International Speedway in February, the weekend before the Daytona 500. It is the first competitive event of the season and serves as a kickoff event for the NASCAR portion of Speedweeks. The field consists of the twelve drivers from the previous season's Chase, former event winners, and others. Budweiser announced that it will no longer sponsor the event starting in 2013.

The event was originally known as the Busch Clash, and consisted of a 20-lap/50-mile, "all-out sprint" for the previous season's pole position winners (considered the de facto "fastest drivers on the circuit"). In its current format, it is made up of two segments: an opening 25-lap segment, followed by a 50-lap race to the finish. Like the Sprint All-Star Race held at Charlotte, the race carries no championship points for the winner but instead a large purse — circumstances which are supposed to encourage an all-out driving style not seen in regular-season races.

The invitation-only field consists of a maximum of 28 cars, as opposed to 43 starters in a standard event. The starting lineup is determined by a random draw, not by time trials as all other races are determined.

Read more about Daytona Shootout:  Background and History, Race Format, Race Eligibility, Race History, Race Notes, Manufacturer Wins, Television Broadcasters