Skip to main content VideoAudio Sign UpLearn MoreDemo Sign UpLearn MoreDemo Sign UpLearn MoreDemo Sign UpLearn MoreDemo
FOLLOW ON: Twitter Facebook RSS
Features
By The Numbers
Headlines
See More:
All of the headlines
Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Johnson will try to become just the fourth driver to win back-to-back Budweiser Shootouts. Credit: Autostock

By the Numbers: Budweiser Shootout

Money race has been dominated by Earnhardts and Chevys

By Josh Pate, NASCAR.COM
February 13, 2006
01:58 PM EST (18:58 GMT)

Call it exhibition season for NASCAR.

The 28th running of the Budweiser Shootout will take place at 8 p.m. ET Saturday on TNT. No points, no penalties -- just cash. A collection of pole winners from the past year, in addition to the race's previous winners, the race gives fans a chance to preview the fastest of the fast as they battle it out under the lights.

VICKERS' MAILBAG
Brian Vickers will answer fans' questions each week on NASCAR.COM. 
•  To post a question, click here

The Shootout has changed formats five times, with this year's two-segment style (20 laps and 50 laps) being installed in 2003. The first Shootout in 1979, then called the Busch Clash, was a 20-lap heat race, staying that way until 1991, when it was broken into two 10-lap segments. The race's length was bumped to 25 laps in 1998 and to 70 laps in 2001.

But there's more numerology to the Shootout than just fast laps and cash.

1 -- Rookie scheduled to compete in the Budweiser Shootout: Denny Hamlin. He qualified for the Shootout by winning the pole at Phoenix last year.
2.75 -- Average finish by Dale Earnhardt in 12 Shootout appearances, the best among all drivers to ever enter the event.
3.60 -- Average finish by Dale Earnhardt Jr., the best among active drivers with more than one start in the Shootout.
4 -- Drivers scheduled to participate in their first Budweiser Shootout: Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin and Scott Riggs.
4 -- Drivers who won the Shootout in their first appearance: Buddy Baker (1979), Dale Earnhardt (1980), Jeff Gordon (1994) and Dale Jarrett (1996).
5 -- Times in the 27-year history of the Shootout that the winner has gone on to victory lane in the Daytona 500: Bobby Allison (1982), Bill Elliott (1987), Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000) and Jeff Gordon (1997).
6 -- Multiple winners in the Shootout.
6 -- Wins by Dale Earnhardt in his 12 appearances, more than any driver.
7 -- Fewest number of participants in the event (1981).
8 -- Winners in the last 10 years who have started outside the top 10, with their average starting position being 12.7.
14 -- Victories by drivers in Chevrolets, the most by any manufacturer. Ford has seven wins. Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac each have two, while a Dodge has not won the event.
14 -- Years since Michael Waltrip has competed in the Budweiser Shootout. He will make his second start this weekend. His other start came in 1992 in the No. 30 Pontiac, when he finished eighth.
17 -- Consecutive Shootouts in which Mark Martin has appeared, the most of any driver. This weekend will be his 18th start.
20 -- Times in which Bill Elliott has competed in the Shootout, more than any other driver. Rusty Wallace, who qualified for this year's event but will not run, has participated 19 times.
22 -- Record number of drivers to compete in the event (2002).
23 -- Drivers eligible for this year's Budweiser Shootout, 17 of which gained eligibility based on winning a Bud Pole Award in 2005. However, only 21 drivers have committed to run the race, as retired Rusty Wallace and part-timer Terry Labonte have not entered.
83 -- Drivers who have participated in the Budweiser Shootout races, 44 of which have competed in three or more and 29 of which have competed in just one.
$1,119,920 -- Purse offered for the 2006 Budweiser Shootout, with the winner set to receive at least $212,000.

Starting position has nothing to do with success in the Budweiser Shootout. Or at least it hasn't in the past decade. Just three times in its history has the race been won from the pole, and in the past 10 years, only twice has a driver won from a top-10 starting spot -- both coming from Tony Stewart.

Inside the Numbers
Starting positions for the Budweiser Shootout
Year Winner Start Runner-Up Start
1979 Buddy Baker 3 Darrell Waltrip 2
1980 Dale Earnhardt 5 Neil Bonnett 4
1981 Darrell Waltrip 1 Benny Parsons 7
1982 Bobby Allison 12 Terry Labonte 1
1983 Neil Bonnett 15 Darrell Waltrip 10
1984 Neil Bonnett 8 Cale Yarborough 7
1985 Terry Labonte 11 Darrell Waltrip 10
1986 Dale Earnhardt 4 Bill Elliott 6
1987 Bill Elliott 1 Geoffrey Bodine 10
1988 Dale Earnhardt 2 Davey Allison 9
1989 Ken Schrader 1 Davey Allison 7
1990 Ken Schrader 3 Greg Sacks 2
1991 Dale Earnhardt 14 Mark Martin 9
1992 Geoffrey Bodine 2 Ernie Irvan 14
1993 Dale Earnhardt 13 Ken Schrader 12
1994 Jeff Gordon 6 Brett Bodine 13
1995 Dale Earnhardt 9 Sterling Marlin 12
1996 Dale Jarrett 12 Sterling Marlin 4
1997 Jeff Gordon 13 Rusty Wallace 3
1998 Rusty Wallace 13 Kenny Wallace 12
1999 Mark Martin 13 Ken Schrader 4
2000 Dale Jarrett 15 Jeff Gordon 6
2001 Tony Stewart 7 Dale Earnhardt 2
2002 Tony Stewart 3 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 16
2003 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 19 Jeff Gordon 18
2004 Dale Jarrett 15 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 19
2005 Jimmie Johnson 17 Ryan Newman 7
Superstore
AUCTIONS
  Learn More | Sign Up
  Auto Service