Part of the annual Speedweek events leading up to the Daytona 500, the Bud Shootout is a furious race to the finish featuring the top NASCAR drivers and teams. Originally known as the Busch Clash when it began in 1979, the all-star race doesn’t give Sprint Cup championship points to the winner, but a large purse and the drivers’ natural competitiveness provide plenty of action during the two segments that make up the Bud Shootout race. Read more about the U2 below or click on the "View Tickets" button below to get seats to the race.
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The first part of the race is a short 25 laps, followed by a 10-minute intermission in which teams are able to make whatever changes to the cars would normally be allowed during a pit stop. The second segment is 50 laps in which each car will have to make another pit stop. The field is smaller than a normal NASCAR race. Entrants are made up of the top six teams from each manufacturer (Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge and Toyota) based on the previous year’s final points standings. Manufacturers are also able to add a former champion who was not one of the top six from the previous year. The Bud Shootout is held the weekend before the Daytona 500 and run under the lights of the track. The race in 2010 will be held Feb. 6. Bud Shootout tickets will be available through our web site.
There have been five times the winner of the Bud Shootout has gone on to win the Daytona 500 the following weekend, with the last one coming when Jeff Gordon won in 1997. Buddy Baker won the inaugural event, then known as the Busch Clash. That race was a 50-lap sprint to the finish. Bill Elliot has competed in the most Bud Shootouts with 23 races, followed closely by Mark Martin with 21. Tony Stewart has won three of the last eight Shootouts, while Dale Earnhardt Sr. won six titles in 12 appearances from 1979-2001. In 2008, Dale Earnhardt Jr. led 47 laps, the most ever by a winning driver. Last year, Kevin Harvick won his first Bud Shootout on a last lap pass of Jamie McMurray. The purse for the race has grown from $50,000 in 1979 to around $200,000 the last several years. Team Chevrolet has the most wins at 18.
