Budweiser Shootout at Daytona Facts and Numbers
Historical Facts & Information
· The very first Budweiser Shootout at Daytona took place on Feb. 11, 1979, and was a 20-lap race with no scheduled breaks.
· Nine drivers participated in the inaugural event and Buddy Baker scored the win, edging out Darrell Waltrip by one car length to take the checkered flag.
· Utilizing the format established in 2009, the Budweiser Shootout is currently a 75-lap race that features a 10-minute break after the first 25 laps.
· Kurt Busch is the defending Budweiser Shootout champion. Busch scored the win by making a last-lap pass on the dueling duo of Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin. While Busch went to the outside to make his move, Hamlin dropped below Newman in an effort to go for the win. After a review of the final lap, NASCAR determined Hamlin went below the yellow line in trying to pass Newman, which was a violation of the rulebook. Busch was then scored as the race winner, becoming the 19th different driver to score a victory in the Budweiser Shootout.
· The margin of victory in last year’s race was a mere 0.058 seconds, setting a new record for the closest finish in the history of the Budweiser Shootout.
