Budweiser Shootout eligibility rules change

" The 12 drivers that qualified for the 2009 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup
" Past NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions
" Past Budweiser Shootout champions
" Past Daytona 500 and Coke Zero 400 champions
" The reigning Raybestos Rookie of the Year

Drivers eligible for the 2010 Budweiser Shootout include:
2009 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Drivers: #48-Jimmie Johnson, #5-Mark Martin, #24-Jeff Gordon, #2-Kurt Busch, #11-Denny Hamlin, #14-Tony Stewart, #16-Greg Biffle, #42-Juan Pablo Montoya, #39-Ryan Newman, #9-Kasey Kahne, #99-Carl Edwards & #83-Brian Vickers
Others (criteria filled in parentheses)
#1-Jamie McMurray (Coke Zero 400 winner)
#17-Matt Kenseth (Series champion, Daytona 500)
#18-Kyle Busch (Coke Zero 400)
#20-Joey Logano (Reigning Raybestos Rookie of the Year)
#21-Bill Elliott (Series champion, Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400, Budweiser Shootout)
#29-Kevin Harvick (Daytona 500, Budweiser Shootout)
#31-Jeff Burton (Coke Zero 400)
#55-Michael Waltrip (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400)
#71-Bobby Labonte (Series champion)
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400, Budweiser Shootout)
#34?-John Andretti (Coke Zero 400) - no 2010 ride announced
#75?-Derrike Cope (Daytona 500) - will supposedly run his own team again
Geoff Bodine (Daytona 500, Budweiser Shootout) - no current ride, last ran at Dover in 9/2004, made two 2009 attempts in #64
Terry Labonte (Series champion, Budweiser Shootout) - no current ride, last ran at Homestead 11/2009 in #08 car
Sterling Marlin (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400) - no current ride, last ran at Martinsville 10/2009 in #09 car
Ken Schrader (Budweiser Shootout) - no current ride, last ran at Phoenix 11/2008 in #96 car.(NASCAR)
28 drivers are eligible, no word if all will run the event. Eligibility based on a driver having competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series within the last two seasons

http://jayski.com/cupnews.htm#shootout

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Permalink Reply by Bigzoom on December 25, 2009 at 2:11pm

All about TV ratings and ticket sales.... which means getting the top mechandise sellers into the event. Suprised they didn't say Nascar gets one entry of choice: Danica Patrick!

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Permalink Reply by Patrick G . on December 27, 2009 at 1:21am

I 2 Liked When You Win A Pole and Your In . Now I don't Care .

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Permalink Reply by Thomas on December 27, 2009 at 11:48am

I thought they had to change the pole requirement because that was Budweiser's idea?

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Permalink Reply by Trooper Blue on December 27, 2009 at 1:09pm

When Budweiser was the sponsor for the pole award at each race, it made logical sense for each pole winner to become eligible for the Budweiser Shootout.

However, when Coors Light became the sponsor for the pole award, Bud had to find a way to separate itself from Coors and make the Shootout its own unique product. The format changes have been a result of that process.

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Permalink Reply by DB on December 27, 2009 at 12:50pm

Real Nascrap fan's better hope Nike doesn't become a sponsor, they'll pry get rid of the car's, make it a foot race. What a JOKE Nascar is nowaday's-Chasing their tale's, only about money-changing rule's week to week- Keep chasing those fans, CHASE em' right out the door!