Copyright 2010 http://www.racingone.com News from RacingOne en-us Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:01:08 -0500 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53836 Brad Keselowski will be among the guests joining Eli Gold on “NASCAR Live” on Tuesday night as MRN Radio presents a full week of coverage leading into Sunday’s Daytona 500. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:32:00 -0500 http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53836 http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53833 Motor Racing Network gets you ready for the start of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with a series of team previews. Next a look at Team Red Bull which looks to build on Brian Vickers' run into the Chase last season with a successful campaign this year. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:25:00 -0500 http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53833
That included a late-season run that gave Vickers the final spot in the Chase and cemented the year as one of the most satisfying for the Team Red Bull organization.

And although Vickers wasn't in contention for the title once the playoffs began, he's still looking back at the year as a success and the foundation for better things to come for TRB.

"No matter what happened, it's hard to argue that it wasn't a successful year and I still stand by that," said Vickers, who wound up 12th in the final points standings. "We set our goals out at the beginning of the season to sit on poles, win races and be in the Chase. Racing for a championship within the Chase was not necessarily a goal we had, but obviously when you show up at the racetrack, you want to win races and championships. That goes without saying, especially with the competitors that we are."

As TRB races into 2010, Vickers and Scott Speed again anchor the two-car effort which will use the impressive performances of a year ago as inspiration for better things this season.

"Looking back upon the whole season, everything that we've gone through with Red Bull since its inception, I'm really proud of this year and proud of everybody at Red Bull for what we've accomplished," he said.

Vickers, who has been with the team since its inception in 2007, was rewarded with a contract extension earlier that will keep him behind the wheel for the TRB No. 83 Toyota for three more seasons.

"The team is continuing to prove that it is a consistent force week in and week out," Jay Frye, vice president and general manager of Red Bull Racing. "Brian has been here from the beginning and he continues to be a vital piece of the puzzle with regard to our ultimate goal of building Red Bull Racing into a consistent contender."

So with that security now in place, Vickers is ready to bring the team to the next level in the coming campaign.

"I'm thrilled," Vickers said. "This has been a long time coming, and there is nowhere else I would rather be. I am looking forward to building on what we have started the last couple of years.

"It is an interesting experience being with a team from the ground up -- going through the growing pains, then successes, together. I am so proud to have been able to bring this team their first win."

TRM needs Speed to shore up his performance this season after a rough rookie campaign. The former Formula One driver knew he'd have a challenge on his hands making the move to NASCAR and believes there were enough positives coming out of the year to look for even better things to come in 2010.

"Ever since I came back over the pond and started racing these things, every time I get into it, there's something big that I learn," Speed said. "And honestly, it has been a lot more exciting having done that just because I physically can see so much more progress in myself, you know, from where I started out, say from my first Cup race, to where I'm at now. It's really fun and exciting for me to be able to make those improvements and be able to better myself as a racecar driver. That's honestly the most rewarding."

One thing Speed believes will be beneficial to his development is the opportunity to return to tracks where he now has experience running.

He hopes the added information and data the team was able to gather from each stop last year will also be put into the equation to better his performance.

"No one is gonna do anything different," Speed said. "I guess you're gonna try to get more productive with how you analyze information, but for the most part there is nothing you can really do differently.

"I guess you can take the off-season to decide what you do differently. But if there was something we thought we could do that would be better, everyone would be doing it."]]> http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53828 With the 2010 NASCAR season underway, Roush Fenway Racing is looking for its 400th overall win. The team enters the weekend with eight entries between the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series events and hopes to add to its 21 wins at the famed 2.5-mile tri-oval. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:39:00 -0500 http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53828
“It’s really a great opportunity to be involved in this business, to be involved in this sport, and to compete in front of the nation’s most avid and brand loyal fans,” said Jack Roush, owner, Roush Fenway Racing. “And of course to have the support of Ford Motor Company through it all is great. Ford is the river that has run through and they provide support for all our programs. To be within reach of a 400th win is pretty incredible.”

Roush Fenway’s 21 Daytona wins include 14 road course wins, five Sprint Cup Series wins and two Truck Series wins. One notable missing accolade, a Nationwide win. But that could change with veteran Carl Edwards behind the wheel of the No. 60 Copart/Fastenal Ford for his sixth full-time Nationwide season and two up-and-coming rookies in Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Colin Braun. Paul Menard will also be a factor in the Nationwide race as Roush Fenway’s fourth full-time entry.

Of Roush Fenway’s seven drivers competing this weekend, three have won at the track including Matt Kenseth’s Daytona 500 win just a year ago. Greg Biffle captured his first career Sprint Cup win at Daytona in July of 2003 and Edwards drove the No. 99 F-150 to victory lane in the Truck Series in 2004.

Roush Fenway’s first win came on June 3, 1984 in the Trans-Am Series at Sears Point in California. Greg Pickett took the checkered flag that day and since that time, Roush Fenway has seen 43 drivers bring home a total of 399 victories. Drivers that include Paul Newman, Lyn St. James, Robby Gordon, Wally Dallenbach, Jr., Bruce Jenner, Max Jones, Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, and six of the current Roush Fenway drivers.

The team is hoping to capture that 400th win this weekend ... maybe even with a 44th driver.
]]> http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53824 Motor Racing Network gets you ready for the start of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with a series of team previews. Next up a look at Penske Racing which enters the 2010 season as the only major Dodge-backed team with three drivers in very different places in their careers. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:10:00 -0500 http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53824
2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch leads the effort with returning third-year driver Sam Hornish Jr. and new teammate Brad Keselowski, who will run his first full-time year in the series.

Busch, who enters his fifth consecutive season driving the No. 2 Dodge with the team in 2010, brought Penske Racing a fourth-place finish in 2009. He was the highest finishing driver in the standings that wasn't out of the Hendrick Motorsports stable.

Despite that success, the 10-year veteran is hungry for more for 2010.

"We had a great season in 2009 and we're very proud of what we were able to accomplish, especially under what could have been trying circumstances," Busch said. "But the fact is that we're driven to do even better this year. We finished fourth in the points behind the three Hendrick Motorsports teams, so we took great pride in being the best in our class. But finishing fourth was like a moral victory and we know there's much more out there to accomplish.

"The ultimate goal is to bring that first championship trophy home to Penske Racing. Until we do that, we can never look back on a season and say it was an absolute success."

In 2009, Busch nearly matched his stats from the 2004 season, when he won the title. He posted two victories, 10 top-five finishes and 21 top 10s in 2009, and the same stats, with the addition of one more victory, in 2004.

"I'd like to look at it and say, 'hey, we're getting back up there to be in championship caliber form.' But at the same time, we're realistic and know that the numbers we laid down last season were good enough only for the fourth finishing spot in the Chase battle," Busch said. "It shows just how competitive NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing is these days. The consistency will always be key and those numbers give us something to shoot at and try to beat this season. It's definitely the target we've placed in front of us and plan to be gunning at the whole year long. Now we just have to get out there and do it."

Busch starts the new season with a new crew chief, Steve Addington, and he's confident the pairing will be successful for Penske Racing. Addington comes to the team from Joe Gibbs Racing, where he and Kyle Busch captured 12 victories over the last two seasons.

"With Steve on board, I am confident we can build on the momentum from 2009 and compete for wins and the series title in the Miller Lite Dodge," Busch said. "I'm a long-term guy here and Steve is long-term. We're all operating on the same page and are devoted to making the 2010 season the most successful yet for Penske Racing, Miller Lite and Dodge."

In addition to the new crew chief, Busch will have a new teammate in Brad Keselowski. Keselowski joins the team for his first full-time season in the Cup Series driving the No. 12 Dodge.

Keselowski has simple goals for his 2010 season with Penske Racing.

"I just want to be a threat to win week in and week out. That's where we want to get to," Keselowski said.

The young driver enters the 2010 season on a lot of people's radar after he won last year's Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway in just his fifth career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start. It's not simply the victory that brings him attention, but also the way he's perceived as a driver.

Instances on track with drivers have caused Keselowski trouble early in his career, but the young driver isn't too worried about the hype.

"I feel like I give when it's the right time to give and I take when it's the right time to take," Keselowski said of his racing. "For the most part I always do that. There have been a few races during the season where I step back and say, 'Whoa, I did a terrible job of not giving right there.' There have been a few (races) where I've given too much.

"But at the end of the day, when I look my team in the eyes, I want to be able to look at them and say that I took more than I gave. I want to be able to look at them and for them to know that when I got out of that race car, I left nothing on the table."

To tackle his first full-time season, Keselowski will be under the leadership of Jay Guy, who joins the team as crew chief. Guy has worked in all three top NASCAR Series and is ready to bring the No. 12 team back to victory lane.

"Over the years, the No. 12 team has had a lot of success, including winning the 2008 Daytona 500, and we certainly want to build on that tradition of winning," Guy said of his plans with the team for 2010. "Brad (Keselowski) is one of the most talented drivers in NASCAR and we will work together to develop his skills and make this team the best it can be."

For his part, Hornish is ready to make the most of his third year with Penske Racing.

"We started the No. 77 team from scratch in 2008 with a new driver, crew chief and crew," Hornish said. "I feel that 2009 was a season of tremendous growth for the entire No. 77 team. We went from a rookie season without any top-15 finishes to having a year with seven top-10 and two top-five results. I have learned so much as a driver and the team has really come together as a cohesive group, so I feel that there are great possibilities for us (this) season."

Hornish will be with crew chief Travis Geisler for a second year.]]> http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53840 Tim Tebow, the quarterback for the past four seasons with the University of Florida, and Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew will serve as Grand Marshals for the Gatorade Duel At Daytona on Thursday, Feb. 11. Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:20:00 -0500 http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53840 Tim Tebow, Maurice Jones-Drew Named Grand Marshals For Gatorade Duel At Daytona
Tim Tebow, the quarterback for the past four seasons with the University of Florida, and Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew will serve as Grand Marshals for the Gatorade Duel At Daytona on Thursday, Feb. 11.
Tebow, who won the Heisman Trophy as college football’s top player in 2007, will deliver the starting command “Gentlemen, start your engines” for the first Gatorade Duel while Jones-Drew will give the command to fire engines in the second Gatorade Duel.

Tebow led the University of Florida Gators to National Championships in 2006 and 2008 and set numerous national, SEC conference and school records on the field including becoming the only player in the NCAA to rush and pass for at least 20 touchdowns in a season.

Jones-Drew is an explosive triple threat as a rusher, receiver and returner for the Jaguars and has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting running backs to watch in the NFL. Drafted in second round out of UCLA, Jones-Drew averaged 83.8 yards from scrimmage and 127.7 all-purpose yards per game in his first three seasons.

This year, Jones-Drew had a stellar year and was named to the Pro Bowl. He rushed for 1,391 yards and 15 touchdowns on 312 carries and added 53 catches, 374 yards and a touchdown receiving. It was the first time in his career that he eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in rushing.

“We’re excited to welcome two of the state’s most popular football figures to the Gatorade Duel At Daytona,” Track President Robin Braig said. “Tim Tebow is a football hero to so many Floridians and Maurice Jones-Drew is one of the NFL’s most versatile players. We’re looking forward to hearing their starting commands and kicking off an exciting doubleheader day of racing.”

The two 150-mile, 60-lap Gatorade Duel races will finalize the starting lineup for NASCAR’s most prestigious race – the 52nd annual Daytona 500. The front row for ‘The Great American Race’ was set during Daytona 500 Qualifying Presented By Kroger with Mark Martin taking the pole and Dale Earnhardt Jr. capturing the outside pole.

1960 Daytona 500 Champion Junior Johnson Named Grand Marshal For 52nd Annual Daytona 500
To mark the 50th anniversary of his 1960 Daytona 500 triumph, NASCAR legend Junior Johnson will serve as the Grand Marshal for the 52nd running of NASCAR’s most prestigious race – the Daytona 500 – on Sunday Feb. 14.

As Grand Marshal, Johnson will deliver the four most famous words in motorsports – “Gentlemen, start your engines.”

“Junior Johnson is an icon in NASCAR racing,” Daytona International Speedway President Robin Braig said. “His accomplishments are remarkable and we’re proud to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his 1960 Daytona 500 win by having him preside as Grand Marshal of NASCAR’s most storied event.”

Johnson, who was the first driver to use drafting on the superspeedways, was recently selected in 2009 as one of the five inductees for the inaugural class for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1990 and named one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers in 1998, Johnson claimed his only Daytona 500 win in 1960 driving for crew chief Ray Fox and owner John Masoni in a last-minute deal.

Retiring from driving in 1966, Johnson moved into ownership earning 139 victories and six championships.]]> http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53804 Motor Racing Network gets you ready for the start of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with a series of team previews. Next up a look at Joe Gibbs Racing which looks to take another step closer to winning a Sprint Cup title this season. Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:50:00 -0500 http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53804
After Denny Hamlin won the season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway last November, JGR kept the momentum going by placing all three of its drivers in the top 10 at Saturday's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.

For Busch, who comes into the new campaign paired up with crew chief Dave Rogers, getting back on track was the best thing for him.

"We're looking forward to 2010," Busch said. "We've got a lot of expectations to live up to. As far as the new contract goes, it's really nothing different than what I had before. It's a multi-year deal and something that shows our commitment to Joe Gibbs Racing for the years down the road."

Despite not being in position to challenge for a title the last two years, Busch sees nothing but positive things down the road for his team and the entire JGR operation.

"We struggled a little bit through 2008 and unfortunately missed the Chase [in 2009]," he said. "But I see the organization is strong, I see the way Joey [Logano] really came along toward the end of the year and got a lot better. I see the way Denny [Hamlin] ran. I mean, shoot, he had a shot to win the championship.

"Our stuff is there. It's all about having the right people in the right place. Hopefully, Dave is that guy, and he and I can really develop a great relationship like Denny and [crew chief] Mike Ford have."

Hamlin is a pre-season favorite by many to unseat Jimmie Johnson as series champion. Although a torn ACL injury playing basketball has slowed down Hamlin some off the track, he's not missing a beat behind the wheel of his race car.

"Been better for sure but my range of motion is almost 100% and the discomfort lessens a little bit each day," Hamlin said. "I expect that by the time I get in the car, while probably a little uncomfortable, it won't be an issue for me. I am using it as a motivating force."

Hamlin's strong finish to the season is another motivating factor as the season begins and he believes 2010 will prove to be a year that finds the No. 11 car in the thick of the championship battle.

"I feel like talent-wise, I'm as good as anyone on the race track," he said. "Ultimately, it takes a lot of pieces of a puzzle to make a championship run. The driver's skill levels are probably 15 to 20 percent of it. So, there's only so much I can help but I think my team is better prepared this year. We learned a lot from how we ran our race team last year and started to peak at the right time. Those are some things that are very valuable to our race team that you’re going to see the same characteristics this year."

Logano hopes to build on the impressive characteristics that carried him to the 2009 Rookie of the Year award. With his first full year of experience under his belt, Logano expects even better things in year two of his Sprint Cup career.

"This year I am so much more confident heading to Daytona," Logano said. "I had no idea what I was getting into last year and I was a little lost at first. This year I know what I need to do in the draft and we ran really well in the July race at Daytona before getting shuffled a little there at the end. I feel like a different driver going into this season.

"I know how to communicate with Zippy (crew chief Greg Zipadelli) now about the car and we have a much better understanding of one another. I really feel like we are going to continue to build on how we ran at the end of last season and that makes me extremely excited about this year."

After winning a race last year, Logano has also been picked by many to make the next move and possibly secure a Chase spot in 2010.

"Our goal for this year is simple, keep improving," he said. "If we can gain the same amount this year as we did from the start of last year to the end of the season that would be huge. Obviously everyone's goal is to make a run at the Chase that would be awesome for The Home Depot Team."]]> http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53801 The first edition of our weekly look at news, notes and observations from around the racing world. Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:48:00 -0500 http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53801 http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53795 Kevin Harvick scored his second consecutive win in the Budweiser Shootout with a wild victory Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway. Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:11:00 -0500 http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53795
Harvick shot around Greg Biffle for the lead with two laps to go and set sail for the checkered flag. When a multi-car accident broke out in turns three and four after Biffle was rammed from behind by Jeff Gordon, the race was declared official and the No. 29 car was in victory lane for the second straight year.

"I knew I needed to go, but I thought I could get by at least one of the guys on old tires there and try to get myself in position," Harvick said. "I was happy Greg (Biffle) chose the outside because he set the pace to start. We were able to get the best restart we had all night and push him out there and were able to just carry that momentum in to turn one."

Biffle's teammates Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth were swept up in the accident which ended the race. Edwards had the dominant car in the early stages of the race after leading two times for 42 laps from the pole.

Harvick hadn't turned a lap behind the wheel of his Shootout car, which was a back-up, until tonight as he was ill earlier in the week. Harvick's Richard Childress Racing teammates Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton practiced the primary and back-up car on Thursday while he was battling the flu.

"I have to thank my team, they did a great job," Harvick said. "Man that thing was a rocket. The best thing about it was it handled really well."

After a disappointing 2009 season, Harvick wound up leading 21 laps in the first race of 2010.

"When you go through the year that we went through at RCR last year, got to thank my team; they did a great job,” Harvick said.

Kasey Kahne finished second in his first Cup race behind the wheel of a Ford.

“The Roush Yates Ford engine was unbelievable for me,” Kahne said. “I loved it, so I can’t wait for next week.”

Despite staying on track rather than pitting for new tires during the final caution flag of the race Kahne was able to score the runner-up finish.

“I was having a blast, the racing was good," he said. "We were right there. Harvick got in front of me and I was pushing him. I thought, ‘These tires aren’t bad.’”

Jamie McMurray came home third in his first race in the No. 1 Chevrolet for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing with Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin rounding out the top five.

Besides the closing lap fireworks, Kurt Busch was involved in an incident on lap 33 when his No. 2 Dodge was sent flying through the frontstretch infield grass and into the wall after contact from the No. 5 Chevrolet of Mark Martin, which he took full responsibility for.

“I’m just making more laps in the ambulance than I am on the track,” Busch chuckled. “We still have two good bullets. I thought that I was in the outside lane, crossed into the middle; I was just trying to figure out the draft with the big restrictor plate.”

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series action returns to Daytona on Thursday with the running of the Gatorade Duel to set the field for the Daytona 500.]]> http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53790 Mark Martin secured his first career pole for the Daytona 500 on Saturday when he topped a 54 car field to earn the top spot for the 52nd running of "The Great American Race." Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:13:00 -0500 http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53790
Martin, who started second in last year's Daytona 500 with Hendrick Motorsports, posted a lap of 191.188 mph for his 49th career pole. He also became the oldest driver to win a pole for the 500 at 51 years, 27 days, and it was his first at the speedway since taking the top spot for the 1989 July race with Roush Racing.

"I'd like to thank Alan Gustafson (crew chief), the GoDaddy.com team and Hendrick Motorsports," Martin said. "I was just out there riding really fast. It sure is fun. It's quite an opportunity to get to drive their stuff here."

Martin will be joined on the front row by Hendrick Motorsports teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. to mark the first time one team swept the top two Daytona 500 qualifying positions since Yates Racing in 2007.

"Man, it is fun to drive a car that performs like that," said Earnhardt Jr. who matched his best Daytona 500 qualifying effort (qualified second in 2003). "We have a little bit different wind situation but we were able to put down a pretty good lap. It was hitting the ground a little bit yesterday and that is slowing it down some. Was hoping to get that fixed. We ran so much faster, we got such a good tail wind down the back straightaway today that we didn't do it enough. It hit the ground a little bit in three and four and slowed it down some."

Only Martin and Earnhardt Jr. have their Daytona 500 starting spots secured with the rest of the starting line-up determined by Thursday's Gatorade Duel 150-mile races.

"After watching Shootout practice I'm glad we got two up front," said owner Rick Hendrick.

Ryan Newman and Bill Elliott qualified third and fourth, respectively and will start second and third in the first Duel.

Juan Pablo Montoya rounded out the day's fastest five qualifiers and will start second in the second qualifying race.

Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch and defending Daytona 500 winner Matt Kenseth completed the top 10.

NASCAR's implementation of a bigger restrictor plate resulted in 40 cars topping Martin Truex Jr.'s pole winning speed of a year ago.

Elliott was the fastest among the drivers that needed to qualify on time with a lap of 190.573 mph in the No. 21 Ford. Scott Speed (13th) and Joe Nemechek (16th) joined Elliott for the top three go-or-go-homers and all will have a spot in the 500.

Bobby Labonte, who qualified 18th, is locked into the 500 regardless of his finish on Thursday because of the past champion's provisional.]]> http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53792 A look at some stats and facts as we get ready to run tonight's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. Sat, 06 Feb 2010 11:55:00 -0500 http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=53792
Budweiser Shootout at Daytona Tidbits

The number of participants has ranged from a low of seven in 1981 to a high of 28 in 2009.

The drivers with the most Budweiser Shootout appearances:

·Bill Elliott (23)
· Mark Martin (21)
· Rusty Wallace (19)
· Ken Schrader (18)
· Geoffrey Bodine (16)
· Ricky Rudd (16)
· Jeff Gordon (16)

Mark Martin had appeared in the most consecutive Budweiser Shootout races, competing in 20 consecutive events from 1989-2008. The active leader in consecutive appearances is Jeff Gordon, with 16. This year marks his 17th.

There have been seven multiple winners in the Budweiser Shootout:

· Tony Stewart has won three of the last nine (2001, 2002 and 2007).
· Dale Earnhardt won six events, most all-time.
· Dale Jarrett won in 1996, 2000 and 2004.
· Other multiple winners: Neil Bonnett (1983 and 1984), Ken Schrader, (1989 and 1990), Jeff Gordon (1994 and 1997) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003 and 2008).
· Bonnett, Schrader and Stewart are the only drivers to win back-to-back races.
· Buddy Baker (1979), Dale Earnhardt (1980), Jeff Gordon (1994), Dale Jarrett (1996) and Denny Hamlin (2006) all won the first Budweiser Shootout in which they competed.

Only five times in the 31-year history of the race has the winner gone on to win the Daytona 500:

Bobby Allison (1982)
Bill Elliott (1987)
Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000)
Jeff Gordon (1997)

There have been three winners from the pole: Darrell Waltrip (1981), Bill Elliott (1987) and Ken Schrader (1989).

By the Numbers: Budweiser Shootout at Daytona

.08 –Margin of victory in seconds by Dale Earnhardt over Sterling Marlin in 1995, the closest margin in Budweiser Shootout history

1 – Laps led by Rusty Wallace (1998), Neil Bonnett (1983-84), Dale Earnhardt (1980), Dale Jarrett (2000 and 2004) and Kevin Harvick (2009) in the Budweiser Shootouts they won

2.75 – Average finish by Dale Earnhardt, best by any driver with multiple starts

5 – Drivers who have won the event in their first appearance (Buddy Baker, 1979; Dale Earnhardt, 1980; Jeff Gordon, 1994; Dale Jarrett, 1996; Denny Hamlin, 2006)

14 – Number of different leaders in last season’s event, most since race began in 1979

23 – Number of lead changes in last season’s event, highest number since race began in 1979

27 – Kevin Harvick’s starting position last season, the lowest by a race winner in the event’s history

28 – Number of participants in 2009, the largest field in the event’s history

44 – Laps led by Greg Biffle in 2005, the most by a driver who did not win the event

47 – Laps led by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2008, the most in a single Budweiser Shootout]]>