Daytona Shootout - Race Notes

Race Notes

• Five times the winner of the Budweiser Shootout has gone on to win the Daytona 500 the following weekend: Bobby Allison (1982), Bill Elliott (1987), Dale Jarrett (1996, 2000), and Jeff Gordon (1997).
• Though there have been drivers who have won all three of the Sprint Cup events of Speedweeks at Daytona - the Budweiser Shootout, the Gatorade Duel, and the Daytona 500 - there has not yet been a driver who won all three events in the same year. Twice, an Earnhardt won two of the events, but finished second to Dale Jarrett in the third: in 2004, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won the Gatorade Duel and the Daytona 500, and finished second to Jarrett in the Shootout. In 1993, Dale Earnhardt won the Shootout and the Gatorade Duel, and finished second to Jarrett in the Daytona 500.
• While it was still named the Busch Clash, on two occasions, the race had the year in its official title. The Busch Clash of '89 and the Busch Clash of '93 were the respective advertised titles.
• From 1979 until 2008, the drivers themselves qualified as eligible for the Budweiser Shootout, not the teams. If an eligible driver for the upcoming Shootout switches teams in the off-season, the driver, not the team, is eligible for the race. That driver competes in the race with his new team.
• Until 2008, drivers who win the pole award at a race must have had an Anheuser-Busch decal (the Busch brand from 1979–2000, and the Budweiser brand 2001-07), or the corporate logo affixed to their car (for drivers under 21 years of age) at the time in order to earn the berth for the Budweiser Shootout. If the car does not carry the sticker, the Budweiser Pole Award goes to the next car eligible, but the driver which wins the Budweiser Pole Award does not earn a Shootout spot.
  • In 1998, John Andretti was eligible to race in the Bud Shootout for having won a pole position in 1997 racing for Cale Yarborough. In the off-season, Andretti switched to Petty Enterprises, which was not allowed to participate, since they chose not affix the proper decals to their cars - it was Petty family tradition to not permit alcohol decals or sponsorship on their cars. Andretti participated in the race in a one-off ride with Hendrick Motorsports. (Ricky Craven, the regular driver for Hendrick's Budweiser-sponsored Chevrolet, did not qualify for the race; Andretti drove the Hendrick car, which carried the usual #25 instead of the #50 used by the team for NASCAR's 50-year celebration.)
  • Bobby Hamilton won the pole position for the 1997 Miller 400 racing for Petty Enterprises, but was not eligible for the 1998 Bud Shootout since the team chose not to affix the proper decal.
  • John Andretti won the pole position for the 1998 Primestar 500 racing for Petty Enterprises, but was not eligible for the 1999 Bud Shootout since the team chose not to affix the proper decal. Todd Bodine was the official winner of the Bud Pole Award by NASCAR rule, but not awarded a Budweiser Shootout position.
  • Jeff Green won the pole position for the 2003 Daytona 500 racing Richard Childress Racing's #30 AOL Chevrolet, but did not participate in the 2004 Budweiser Shootout. Green changed teams twice in 2003 ending up in the #43 Petty Enterprises Dodge (which he also signed to drive in 2004). As usual, since the team chose not to affix the proper decal the #43 was ineligible for the Shootout. Green could have driven for another team, but chose not to do so.
  • Aric Almirola drove the Richard Petty Motorsports #43, which does not have the (since 2008) Molson Coors Brewing Company-provided Pole Award sticker (Coors Light or Coors Brewing 21 Means 21), per Petty policy. With InBev withdrawing sponsorship of the Shootout, the 2013 Shootout does not have an alcohol sticker mandate, the circuit he will be in the first race of the new 2013 format.
• Drivers must carry a special decal without the alcohol brand if they are under 21 years of age, but could race in the Shootout. Drivers must be 21 or older to wear alcohol decals, and those under 21 must wear a special sticker, which during Anheuser-Busch era was a corporate logo Pole Award sticker, without any brand indication, and since Molson's Coors Light took over in 2008, a "Coors Brewing Company 21 Means 21" sticker. Special stickers are made to cover up alcohol for such drivers, which has happened four times recently.
  • On May 14, 2004, 20-year old Brian Vickers won poles at Richmond in the Chevy American Revolution 400.
  • On September 3, 2004, Vickers won the pole at the Pop Secret 500 at Fontana.
  • On February 26, 2005, 19-year old Kyle Busch won his first pole at the very same race in Fontana.
• Until the end of the 2012 season, drivers under 21 were not permitted to participate in formal activities relating to the race, such as the draw for position and other activities such as conferences related to the race because of the alcohol sponsorship. In those cases, the crew chief will participate in such activities. The abolition of the alcohol sponsorship eliminates the rule.
  • • In the 2005 Shootout (Vickers under age), Lance McGrew, who was the new crew chief for Vickers that season, participated in the Shootout draw.
    • In the 2006 Shootout (Busch under age), Alan Gustafson participated in the Shootout draw.
    • Beginning in the 2009 Shootout (Joey Logano under age), Greg Zippadelli participated in the Shootout draw. Presumably, he will continue to do so until Logano turns 21; Logano himself can participate in the draw beginning in 2012.
  • On April 20, 2006, Busch won the pole at Avondale, Arizona at age 20 years 353 days.
• Dale Jarrett (2000) and Tony Stewart (2002, 2007) are the only drivers to win the Budweiser Shootout without having won a pole position the previous year. Jarrett advanced to the Shootout' by winning the Bud Shootout Qualifier, and Stewart was eligible for the Shootout via the 2001 rule change adding a lifetime exemption for former winners.
• 2006 Shootout winner Denny Hamlin was the first rookie to win the event. He had won the pole at Phoenix in a seven-race tryout for Joe Gibbs Racing to find a driver for the FedEx #11 car late in the 2005 NASCAR Season. A driver can make up to five (until 2000) or seven (since 2001) starts in a season, or run portions of a season and not be declared in that series (since 2011), without giving up their eligibility to be a rookie in NASCAR.