December 27th, 2009 
T.C. On Wednesday last week, NASCAR announced a revised set of criteria for drivers who are eligible for the 2010 Budweiser Shootout. The exact criteria can be found here. In the article linked, near the bottom you will also find the list of drivers who are actually eligible. After looking the list and the criteria over, and remembering how this went last year, is anyone else having a problem keeping up with how these races work?
If you might remember, the 2009 Shootout featured some combination of drivers from each manufacturer, and the eligibility requirements were about as confusing as they are this year. And just when we start to maybe think we have things figured out, they change the rules again.
I don’t know about you, but I miss the days of the Shootout being the the pole winners from the previous year and the past winners of the race. It was so much easier to figure it out, plus it gave those pole winners a bit of a reward for their achievements from the previous season. It was always an elite field of drivers, plus a few guys who were able to get up on the wheel for a couple laps.
With this new set of criteria, what we have now is basically another All-Star race, but this one happens before the season, and is at Daytona instead of Charlotte.
I understand that since Coors took over the sponsorship of the pole award for NASCAR that Budweiser can’t be associated with an award sponsored by their competition. But maybe part of the pole award sponsorship should be that the company also sponsors the Shootout so the format can remain the same.
I’m not usually one to be nostalgic about things, and I hate to complain about this fun race that opens the season, but I simply don’t understand why Derrike Cope, Sterling Marlin, Ken Schrader, Terry Labonte, Geoff Bodine, and John Andretti should be allowed to enter this race. This should be a reward for those who are currently at the top of the sport, and these drivers haven’t been competitive for many years.
So please NASCAR, bring back the Bud Shootout of old.
DJ Richardson
On Christmas Day, pit road lost one of it’s stars. DJ Richardson, a tire changer for Richard Childress Racing and Braun Racing died of complications due to the H1N1 virus. DJ was a veteran on pit road, and will be missed by many. Both myself and Journo want to extend our condolences to his friends and family.
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I agree, changing the rules all the time makes it hard to keep track of what’s going on. But then again it wouldn’t be NASCAR if they didn’t tweak the rules as they see fit, whenever they want to.
That said, I kind of like the rules they’ve chosen for 2010, but they should limit it to drivers that competed the previous full season. That keeps competitive, known names in the race.
Even more, I miss the Busch Clash. The race should be a shootout like it was – 20 laps of the pole sitters. Even if you let previous race winners in you’re still going to have non-competitive drivers (Ken Schrader, Geoff Bodine, etc.). The current race has an identity crisis. Is it an all star race? A shootout? A mini-500?
Keep it simple. Make it just enough to wet everyone’s appetite for more. In the 80′s Ned Jarrett used to end almost every broadcast of the race by saying, “You think that was exciting, just imagine next week with 200 laps and 42 cars!” That’s what we need.
I agree, the pole winner clash is what we need. This new one just sounds like a rip-off of the All-Star race.
Has Ward been out of NASCAR for over two years????? Man that sucks. I would have liked to see his name on the list at least.
This is a joke. I count 9 potential start & parkers on that list.
One key point that has gone unsaid in all of this is that if they left the rules the same as last year, Dale Jr. would not be in it. Drivers who actually did something last year (12 playoff drivers, Kyle Busch, etc…) would still be in it.
Before you argue about Derrike Cope, Sterling Marlin, Ken Schrader, Terry Labonte, Geoff Bodine, and John Andretti being in the race, realize that the rules are quickly changed for everybody’s favorite non-winner. Jr. regularly gets away with breaking the rules (don’t pass the pace car, the yellow line at Daytona, etc…) almost as often the 48 (allegedly) cheats.
One thing I haven’t figured out yet however, is why is Tony Stewart constantly referred to as “owner/driver” instead of “co-owner/driver”. Mr. Haas is listed as the owner of Tony’s car, so should Jeff Gordon also be called a “owner/driver”? Then what should we call drivers such as Alan Kulwicki and Robby Gordon?
Great! Another change of the rules to benefit their stars. Jr anyone. Too bad they don’t have enough ambition to make changes to things that need to be changed. (i.e. Chase, the car, poor racing, horrible tv coverage).
This change actually doesn’t suprise me one bit. Unlike TC, I am a bit of a traditionalist. Heck, I still have a problem when Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Alan Kulwicki or Cale Yarborough are referred to as “Sprint Cup Champions”. What? Sprint didn’t even exist, let alone cell phones!
After reviewing the list, I am a bit suprised that Danica Patrick is not on the eligible list, in typical NASCAR ultra-hype fashion.
Lastly, the Bud shootout would be the perfect opportunity to scrap the whole race for 20 lap segments and pit garbage and use the heat format with actual paying heat races and eliminations toward the feature race. 3 starts, 3 finishes to the flag and some “real” jockying in between.
Yeah TC, you pretty much hit the nail on the head with this one. I’ve been a die-hard fan for a long time, but all this junk they’re shoving down our throats causes me to wane a little more each year, partially because of the (some) lousy announcers and also the messing around with racing in order to generate more money. A good example is the Chase. Sounded good at the time, but it has turned into nothing but food for bad announcing and no attention to the other drivers. I’m surprised the TV people haven’t renamed the Shootout the Jimmy Johnson Classic, but give them time.
This is a quote from your article “I don’t know about you, but I miss the days of the Shootout being the the pole winners from the previous year and the past winners of the race.”
And this is another quote “but I simply don’t understand why Derrike Cope, Sterling Marlin, Ken Schrader, Terry Labonte, Geoff Bodine, and John Andretti should be allowed to enter this race.”
Ken Schrader, Terry Labonte and Geoff Bodine HAVE won a prior Shootout. Make up your mind!
Every year, since the Shoot-out Exhibition race has been run, the Dummies in Daytona find a way to add the favs of the year before, with an eye to making more money. They should just call it an exhibition, just like any local track promoter would do, and select who they want in the field, and quit trying to make-up some kind of legitimacy for the participants. We all know it’s about money. The Bozos on the Beach oughta just say so. It’s just an attempt by ISC, who has a monopoly on who gets to run where, to get an All-star exhibition race at one of their tracks, so that SMI doesn’t get ALL the promoter action.
Schrader Fan: I don’t have to make up my mind. I can have it both ways. I don’t like these guys being allowed in the race under some ridiculous, arbitrary new criteria like we have now. If the race was still based on the pole winners and previous race winners, I’m down.
Based on the current criteria, you could have as many as 46 eligible drivers. Imagine having guys like Rex White, Ned Jarrett, Dale Jarrett, the Allison brothers, The King, David Pearson, Crusty the Car Owner, and other former drivers who meet the criteria showing up. I’d pay good money to see some of the past champions race again and put the new crowd to shame.
But as Steve pointed out, there are bigger problems that need to be solved rather than tossing up more smoke and mirrors to distract fans from the real problems plaguing the sport.
I don’t have the money to sponsor the Shoot Out. Therefore, I will defer to those that do to choose the best format for their sponsorship dollars.
I just wish they’d stop changing everything. I’m not going to talk about the “good old days” unless you consider 4 years ago the good old days. I’m not sure what they hope to accomplish unless it really is to get Jr in. Creating confusion with your audience when you already have attendance and ratings problems doesn’t seem like a good idea.
If they want to make changes maybe they should focus on things that actually need to be changed like the racing. Not to highjack the thread, but perception is reality and despite the loop data people still know the product is worse now than it was a few years ago.
I’ve already not renewed a pair of season tickets and am considering dropping the rest (I normally attend four race weekends a year). It’s because of poor management and my perception that it’s about creating a circus sideshow distraction with this kind of change while the racing product has dropped in quality. Fix what needs to be fixed and leave the rest alone.
Call the 2010 Shoot-out rules what they really are. A Pity Pass for Dale Jr.
In answer to the post’s title question… a single word.
No.
Simply no, it at best is an exhibition race with zero meaning.
So… if rules are tweaked to get Dale Jr. in as this recent tweak apparently has done on purpose or by accident… so what.
There’s something wrong with placing the sport’s most popular driver in an exhibition event?
As I recall Dale, Jr. has won at least 3 races at Daytona. Seems to me that should be enough to qualify him for the Shootout.
TC – Then Schrader would be in.
Brian France is simply an idiot.
Schrader Fan: I realize that. What I’m saying is, is that I’m okay with that as long as the race is a format that makes sense (like we used to have). But when it’s just another All Star race, I’m not cool with it.
Like a few others that replied, I miss the Busch Clash even more that this shootout nonsense.
The Bud Shootout or the “Bud”just join in” is no longer anything special. It might as well just be another Happy Hour practice session with a payout. Nothing like it used to be where you had to earn a spot.
Some of you are really not with it. Do some of you know what the qualifications were before the change? This change was NOT made to get Jr in the race. Jr has won the Bud shootout so he already was in before the change. Jr bashers just can’t think of anything but how to throw jabs at Jr. In doing this it shows just how stupid some people are. Open mouth, insert foot. Read before you write so you can at least look smart. LOL
I read the new rules and all I could think of was “WHAT?” I understand it can’t be pole winners don’t like it but I understand. I even got the top of each manufacturer. This just makes my head spin.
Hey Richard and Connie, wasn’t the 2009 shootout based on the top five drivers of each manufacturer? Was this done to coddle the Toyota teams before Joe Gibbs gave them the RO7 (as confessed to by Waltrip)? Leaving pole and race winners like Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman watching it on TV. What part of being a Daytona winner makes him one of the top five drivers that was in the rules for driver placement last year?
Jr. will (somehow) do better this year. However I’m sure that it will still be the same problems he blames on the car, owner, jackman, spotter, pit signs all being the same, crew chief, rear tire carrier, stripes on pit road, etc…
Oh, how I miss the days of the red #9, a Piedmont Oldsmobile and the Underbird.
Neon – I am with you…they were NOT Sprint Cup Champions!!! The King won 3 Grand National titles. Not even Winston Cup. Grand National!
Now let’s limit the former winners in the shootout & all-star to the last 3-4-5 years or something reasonable. Otherwise you dilute what these races are supposed to be. All due respect to Shrader, Labonte, etc… but come on. They were great drivers, but their time is up.
I do not know if they are still this way (don’t care enough to look), but the driver and car # that won a race were eligible. Ugh. Let’s just include cousins, neighbors and uncles of winners.
And yes, let’s put some meaningful prizes towards heat races…20 laps max. Then invert the field and do it again. I don’t want to see and parades.
For those of you that feel they have to make these changes to get Jr in. I have taken time to look up the history of eligibility for the Bud shootout unlike many others who spout off claiming the changes have been made to get Jr into the race. 2002-2008 the rules were: Pole Position winners from previous season clinched automatic berths. ALL FORMER WINNERS OF THE EVENT not already qualified received automatic berths.
In 2009 they did add the top six teams from each manufacturer and the FORMER WINNERS OF THE EVENT eligibility WAS STILL in tact.
JR HAS WON THE BUD SHOOTOUT TWO TIMES 2003 and 2008. HIS ELIGIBILITY HAS NOT CHANGED.
It looks to me that this rule was made to get Kyle in the race and to shove the top 12 from last year down our throats again.
Yep, give Busch Clash or Bud Shoot Out! Ditch this, yet another crummy change, they are shoving down our throats! I agree with Neon, if your a Sprint Cup champ, your a Sprint Cup champ, (or Nextel), but goodness sake, we have many more Winston Cup champs, and THAT is what they are Winston Cup champs. Have boys in Daytona begun to wonder why so many long time fans are getting turned off?