Well it's time for the 30th Annual Sprint Cup Budweiser Shoot-out at Daytona Speedway. It is the first non-points race to begin the season and a chance to win 1 million dollars and a litle bragging rights. It is also the chance to see how the cars are going to be on the Daytona Speedway.

We have a lot of drivers who have changed owners they driver for and new cars they will be driving. Such names are Dale Earnhardt Jr now driving for Hendricks racing driving the 88 car. Kasey Kahne will now be sponsored by Budweiser (formerly Earnhardt Jr.s sponsor) Mark Martin will now be driving the #8 car (formerly Earnhardt Jr's car) with the U.S. Army as it's sponsor. Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin will now be driving Toyotas this season. (formerly driving Chevys) J.J. Yeley will now be driving the #96 car (formerly drove the 18 for Gibbs racing now driven by Kyle Busch).

There are many other changes you will hear about over the next few weeks as some other changes will be finalized. Here is a list of the pole sitters from last season and past Shoot-out winners who will be in the final portion of the Shoot-out.


1-Martin Truex Jr.-Chevrolet-Bass Pro Shops / Tracker
2-Kurt Busch-Dodge-Miller Lite
5-Casey Mears-Chevrolet-CARQUEST / Kellogg's
07-Clint Bowyer-Chevrolet-Jack Daniel's
*8-Mark Martin-Chevrolet-U.S. Army
9-Kasey Kahne-Dodge-Budweiser
11-Denny Hamlin-Toyota-FedEx Express
12-Ryan Newman-Dodge-ALLTEL
16-Greg Biffle-Ford-3M
*20-Tony Stewart-Toyota-The Home Depot
*21-Bill Elliott-Ford-U.S. Air Force
22-Dave Blaney-Toyota-Caterpillar
24-Jeff Gordon-Chevrolet-DuPont
26-Jamie McMurray-Ford-Crown Royal Cask No. 16
38-David Gilliland -Ford-FreeCreditReport.com
41-Reed Sorenson-Dodge-Target
*44-Dale Jarrett-Toyota-UPS
48-Jimmie Johnson-Chevrolet-Lowe's
*49-Ken Schrader -Dodge-Qtrax.com
55-Michael Waltrip- Toyota-NAPA AUTO PARTS
88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.-Chevrolet-National Guard / AMP Energy
96-J.J. Yeley -Toyota-DLP HDTV
99-Carl Edwards-Ford-Office Depot

(*marks the past winners that made the race. The others are last years pole sitters)

Shootout Format

The starting positions for the Shootout will be determined by a random draw.

Beginning in 2003, the Shootout was formatted into two segments. The first segment is 20 laps followed by a 10-minute intermission.

During the intermission teams may change tires or perform any other action that would be part of a normal pit stop.

The second segment is 50 laps and must end in a green-white-checkered finish. Caution laps will count toward the total in both segments so the second segment may extend beyond the scheduled 70-lap total.

2007 Eligibility

The 23-driver field for the Shootout will be the record for the largest field in the history of the event. (The previous high was 22 in 2002.)

There were 18 drivers who gained eligibility by winning a pole in 2007, while five others are eligible because they are past winners of the Shootout (and finished in the top 50 in final series point standings). Four drivers will be competing in the event for the first time.

If any of you are interested in how they pick the starting positions for the Shoot-out, watch the Speed Channel at 8pm et and you will see the drawing.

Here is the line-up for the Budweiser Shoot-out this Saturday night. This is a non-point race but you can pick who you think will win for the fun of it if you want. The first points race will be the 17th at the 50th running of the Daytona 500.

1) 2-Kurt Busch-Dodge-Miller Lite
2) 8-Mark Martin-Chevrolet-U.S. Army
3) 55-Michael Waltrip-Toyota-NAPA AUTO PARTS
4) 26-Jamie McMurray-Ford-Crown Royal Cask No. 16
5) 38-David Gilliland-Ford-FreeCreditReport.com
6) 41-Reed Sorenson-Dodge-Target
7) 88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.-Chevrolet-National Guard / AMP Energy
8) 9-Kasey Kahne-Dodge-Budweiser
9) 1-Martin Truex Jr.-Chevrolet-Bass Pro Shops / Tracker
10) 20-Tony Stewart-Toyota-The Home Depot
11) 96-J.J. Yeley-Toyota-DLP HDTV
12) 11-Denny Hamlin-Toyota-FedEx Express
13) 49-Ken Schrader-Dodge-Qtrax.com
14) 21-Bill Elliott-Ford-U.S. Air Force
15) 44-Dale Jarrett-Toyota-UPS
16) 5-Casey Mears-Chevrolet-CARQUEST / Kellogg's
17) 16-Greg Biffle-Ford-3M
18) 48-Jimmie Johnson-Chevrolet-Lowe's
19) 22-Dave Blaney-Toyota-Caterpillar
20) 99-Carl Edwards-Ford-Office Depot
21) 07-Clint Bowyer-Chevrolet-Jack Daniel's
22) 24-Jeff Gordon-Chevrolet-DuPont
23) 12-Ryan Newman-Dodge-ALLTEL

Deifan do you know when the race will start tomorrow?

Although Jeff Gordon is 22nd. I think he will finish in the top 5th spot.

It will begin at 8pm et Rose.

Thank you Deifan.

All I can say is....GO EARNHARDT JR.!!!

If there are any indicators as to how intense this season is going to be, tonight during practice it might've become evident. Tony Stewart accidentally tapped Kurt Busch headed into turn three. Busch got turned a little and hit the wall. Stewart went down to avoid him and slightly touched his teammate Denny Hamlin. Well as they entered pit road, Busch ran his car into Stewart not once, not twice but three times. These two had similar problems last season. All of this and the points races haven't even started yet. Looks like we're in for a long season.

Here is an interesting stat for you all. Dale Jarrett has won the Shoot-out 3 times. The interesting part about that is that he won all of those on presidential election years. (1996, 2000,2004) Can he do it 4 in a row in his last season?

Mark Martin

Gonna go with Gordo... Surprised??