Tonight the green flag flys for the Budweiser Shootout field of 30 NASCAR Sprint Cup cars.
It is the largest Shootout-eligible field in the 32-year history of the event. The largest field prior to this year was 28 cars in 2009, and the smallest was seven cars in 1981.
Eligibility requirements were opened up this year by adding all 12 of the 2010 Chase drivers and Rookie of the Year winners from 2001 to 2010. Although 30 drivers are eligible, only 24 are scheduled to start the race - John Andretti, Terry Labonte, Ken Schrader, Geoff Bodine, Bill Elliott and Sterling Marlin either don't have rides or have elected not to compete. The race's format has changed over the years, and this year it will consist of two segments, the first 25 laps and the second 50 laps, for a total of 75 laps or 187.5 miles.
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Here are a few fun facts about the Shootout. Only five drivers have won the race the first time out: Buddy Baker (1979), Dale Earnhardt (1980), Jeff Gordon (1994), Dale Jarrett (1996) and Denny Hamlin (2006).
Bill Elliott has appeared in the most Shootouts (23), with Mark Martin close behind at 22. Martin also holds the record for the most consecutive Shootout appearances, 20, from 1989 to 2008. Earnhardt Sr. has won the most Shootouts (6). Tony Stewart has won three of the last 10.
The closest margin of victory, .08 second, was recorded in 1995 when Earnhardt Sr. beat Marlin to the checker. The 2009 Shootout set the lead-change record, with 14 drivers swapping the lead 23 times. Only four drivers went on to win the Daytona 500 in the same year they won the Shootout - Bobby Allison (1982), Elliott (1987), Jarrett (1996 and 2000), and Gordon (1997). Earnhardt Sr. won both the Shootout and the Cup championship in four different years (1980, 1986, 1991, and 1993). Three other drivers accomplished the same feat, but only once each: Darrell Waltrip (1981), Gordon (1997), and Tony Stewart (2002).
Manufacturer stats show that Chevrolets have won 19 Shootouts, Ford seven, and Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac two each. Dodge and Toyota have yet to score a Shootout victory.
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Although tonight's race is a non-points event, next weekend will see the first application of the new NASCAR points system, intended to make scoring more understandable by both fans and race teams.
All three of NASCAR's national series (Camping World Trucks, Nationwide, and Sprint Cup) will use the new system which awards 43 points to the winner, 42 to second place, and on down by one point per position with bonus points for winning and leading laps. It also will be interesting to watch the pit stops in this year's Daytona 500. Expect them to be slower due to the new fueling system that NASCAR has mandated for all three national series. The new system incorporates a gas can that vents, eliminating the catch can man and reducing the over-the-wall crew from seven to six. However, teams have been having problems with spillage, fuel flow, and disengaging the can. So not only will the stops be slower, but there is a possibility of fires due to the spillage and of cars leaving the pits with the fuel can still attached. In addition, the sensitivity of the new system to fuel flow rate may leave some teams short-fueled and could potentially cost somebody a race. I expect the teams to adapt to the system's quirks as the season progresses, but it is a definite wild card for Daytona.
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Finally, for those of you who think you are such good drivers that you can safely drink and/or text and drive, let me ask you this. Are you good enough to drive a NASCAR Nationwide stock car? Because Michael Annett, driver of the No. 62 Rusty Wallace Racing Nationwide car, was arrested after a crash last week and charged with DWI (.32 blood alcohol level), texting while driving and resisting arrest. Annett was also involved in an accident caused by texting while driving last July. If he can't handle it, you probably can't either ... so don't try.