CJ's Speed & Thunder

Budweiser Shootout Information, Statistics, All Time Winners, Past Years Data

2009 Qualifiers

The Budweiser Shootout is a 75 lap, 187.5 mile NASCAR Sprint Cup non points race held at Daytona International Speedway, one week before the Daytona 500. The event is held on Saturday night, under the lights. The race will be broken up into 2 segments.  The first segment is 25 laps. The teams get a 10 minute break and line up in the same order as at the end of the segment. The second segment must end with a green, white, checkered finish. All caution laps count toward the total of each segment. All restarts are double file (like the start of the race).

To qualify:

1. Top six teams, based on previous years owner points, from each manufacturer (Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, and Toyota). If a team changes manufacturer in the off season, they may or may not qualify for the event.
2. One wildcard from each manufacturer which constists of previous winners of the event, previous champions, or the next highest in owner points.

The field starting positions are chosen by random draw.

Previous Winners of the Budweiser Shootout:

  From 1979-2008, the field was set by pole winning drivers from the previous year who displayed a decal on their car, and previous winners of the race.

Provisional Information...

The provisional rules are what they are. This is my best rendition of how I understand them.

The newest changes have taken affect in 2004.

NASCAR has set the maximum field for all their events to 43 cars.

There are 5 (used to be 7) provisional positions given in each Sprint Cup points race. The first 38 (used to be 36) positions in each race are assigned by 1 qualification session. Starting in 2001, there is only 1 qualifying session.

Positions 39-42 (used to be 37-42) are based on car owner points. The 43rd position is normally reserved for a past champion, with a limit of 7 (used to be eight and 10) per year. Usually the most recent champ if two fail to qualify, but NASCAR is not always consistent and makes a ruling at that particular race. If there is no past champion that needs a provisional, all five are based on car owner points.

For the first 5 races of the season, provisionals are given in order of car owners points at season's end the previous year. After the 5th race, they are based upon the current season's car owners standings. There are unlimited (for car owners in the top 35 in points) provisionals given to car who's owners per year.

If 46cars attempt to make a race, the first 38 will make the race based on their qualifying times. That leaves us with 8 cars fighting for 5 provisionals. Cars in the top 35 always qualify.

If there is a past champion in the field, he will be awarded the past champions provisional. If more than 1 past champ., it goes to the most recent champ. This will leave 7 cars for 4 provisionals. They will go in order of car owner points to top 4 cars in the standings. The other 3 will pack up and go home.

If 43 or fewer cars attempt to make a race, no provisional is charged to any of the teams.

All teams that attempt to qualify get car owner points, even if they do not qualify for the race.

New car owners, and owners not in the top 50 in points will not be eligible for a provisional until they have attempted to qualify for 4 races (used to be they received 4 provisionals after attempting to qualify for one race).

If a driver is in the top 35 in points, they are not eligible to receive a provisional in the NASCAR Busch Series.

The Sprint Cup series was also formerly known as the Nextel Cup, and Winston Cup.