Stewart-Haas Racing News and Video » Stewart-Haas Racing, Tony Stewart » Tony Stewart back in the Bud Shootout after rule change
Tony Stewart back in the Bud Shootout after rule change
Stewart-Haas Racing will have an entry in the Bud Shootout after all. Tony Stewart is back in with the announcement today that NASCAR that it was revising the entry rules. Under the new rules, each manufacturer will have a ‘wild card’ entry, increasing the size of the field from 24 to 28 cars.
The 31st annual season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway will be held on Saturday night, Feb. 7. As was announced last August, the lineup will consist of the top six teams from each manufacturer, based on the final 2008 car owner points. Eligibility is based on owners competing in this event with the same manufacturer as 2008.
The new wrinkle calls for each manufacturer to be able to enter a seventh car, or “wild card” entry, based on the following criteria:
- Any owner outside of the top six in year end 2008 owner points whose driver is a past Cup Series champion that attempted to qualify for all 36 of the 2008 events (only one position will be filled per manufacturer and will be based on the most recent past champion per manufacturer).
This is the rule that will put Tony into the Shootout. He’s the only Chevrolet driver eligible under this rule. Tony’s former Joe Gibbs teammate Bobby Labonte will take the Ford past champion entry as he drives for his new team at Yates/Hall of Fame.
- If an owner/manufacturer does not have a past champion driver, the next highest eligible owner outside the top six in year end 2008 owner points from each manufacturer will be eligible to compete in the event. If he wasn’t a past champion, Bobby Labonte would have qualified under this rule.
Starting positions for the Budweiser Shootout will be determined by a blind draw, at the annual Budweiser Shootout Draw Party on Thursday night, Feb. 5, on the SPEED stage outside Turn 4.
Filed under: Stewart-Haas Racing, Tony Stewart · Tags: Bobby Labonte, Bud Shootout, Budweiser Shootout
YES!! I knew someone, somewhere would find a way to put Tony in the shootout. Although I would have watched it anyway cause I am having NASCAR withdrawals and need to see a race, I will so much more enjoy it now that Tony is on the move. Thank you!!! And let’s win it one more time Tony!!!
Lets go do the Bud dance Tony. Its time to get back to it and kick some butt…
Go Tony Go, I thank the Racing Gods to be on Smokes shoulder. The Bud Shoot out was not going to be the same without Tony. Hopefully he wins the first race of the season with his new team. Gooooooooooooo Smoke. Wish Ryan could race as well. Smoke will show those other Hendricks teams something.
A wrong has been righted – thank goodness!
Go Tony Go!
THANK YOU NASCAR!!!!! I’m going through severe Smoke withdrawal…. along with overall NASCAR withdrawal… so a Tony fix the sooner the better :)
HEY!!! I can ACTUALLY watch it now…I wouldn’t have even turned it on without Smoke there:)
And I thought nascar made the first change to keep smoke out of the shoot out.You go smoke
Like smoke, prayers go up! Go Smoke, we love you
Great News for all of us Smoke Fans! My two year old granddaughter even cheers “Go Tony”when he races. Kudos to Tony for contributing & encouraging others to help out Tim McCreadie! Smoke has had a bad boy reputation just because he refuses to be “politically correct” but he also has a heart of gold! No wonder we love him!! Go Smoke!