Budweiser Shootout at Daytona Gets Facelift

There will be a new format for the preseason spectacle known as the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona. This year’s field will feature 28 cars, representing the top seven teams from Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford and Toyota. That lineup will consist of the top six teams from each manufacturer based on the final 2008 car owner points, with the seventh team filled by a “wild card entry” based on the following criteria:

any owner outside of the top six in year end 2008 owners’ points whose driver is a past NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion that attempted to qualify for all of the 2008 events (only one position will be filled per manufacturer and will be based on the most recent past champion per manufacturer);

if an owner/manufacturer doesn’t have a past champion driver, the next highest eligible owner outside the top six in year end 2008 owners’ points from each manufacturer will be eligible to compete in the event.