Daytona Shootout - Race Eligibility

Race Eligibility

• 1979-1997: Pole position winners from the previous season clinched automatic berths. The drivers that were the fastest qualifiers for the previous year's races' during Busch Second Round Qualifying were eligible for one wild card spot. The wild card driver was selected by blind draw during the week of the NASCAR awards banquet or during the January media tour.
  • From 1995-1996, the winner of the most pole positions in the secondary NASCAR Busch Series won an entry into the Busch Clash, driving a Busch-sponsored car. David Green won the right both times.
• 1998-2000: Pole position winners from the previous season clinched automatic berths. Drivers eligible from Second Round Qualifying participated in the Bud Shootout Qualifier, with the winner advancing to the main event Bud Shootout.
• 2001: Pole position winners from the previous season clinched automatic berths. In addition, all former winners of the event not already qualified received automatic berths. NASCAR eliminated second round qualifying beginning in 2001 and the Shootout Qualifier was eliminated. For the 2001 Shootout only, the drivers eligible from second round qualifying of 2000 events were placed in a blind draw for the final wild card starting position, as had been done from 1979-1997.
• 2002-2008: Pole position winners from the previous season clinched automatic berths. All former winners of the event not already qualified received automatic berths.
• 2009: The field consists of 28 cars. The top six teams from each manufacturer (Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, and Toyota) based on owners' points from the previous season clinch berths, for a total of 24 cars. Previous season's pole position winners no longer were a qualifying factor. Unlike previous formats, the entry receives the berth, not the driver. In addition, each of the four manufacturers receive one "wild card" berth for a car/driver not already qualified, to bring the grand total to 28 cars. The other four "entries" were for previous champions and past Shootout winners. This system was discarded after only one year.
• 2010-2011: A new qualifying format was introduced, which expanded the field, with no size limitations:
  • The 12 drivers from the previous season's Chase
  • Previous Budweiser Shootout winners
  • Previous points-paying winners at Daytona (Daytona 500 or Coke Zero 400)
  • Previous Sprint Cup champions
  • The last 10 Rookies of year (in 2010, it was only the reigning rookie of the year)
• 2012: The field was once again expanded. Automatic bids went to the top 25 in series points (every driver from eventual series champion Tony Stewart to 25th place Brian Vickers), as well as any Daytona race winner who was not otherwise qualified and who competed in at least one race in 2011 (which will enable Bill Elliott, Geoff Bodine, Derrike Cope, Michael Waltrip, Jamie McMurray, Trevor Bayne, Terry Labonte, and Ken Schrader to make the race if they decide to run).
• 2013: The Shootout format returned to the format used from 2002-2008, with all drivers who won pole positions via time trials (it is not known if the format will include drivers who won the open session that determined the pole winner if qualifying was rained out, a change NASCAR adopted in 2011 where in case of qualifying being rained out, the first practice session determines the field; the beer-sticker restrictions is eliminated) and previous Shootout winners that have attempted to qualify for any of the 36 points races in the previous season.