By the Numbers: Shootout

Twenty-four drivers will battle for the first victory of the season when the green flag drops under the lights at Daytona International Speedway for the 2010 Budweiser Shootout (8 p.m. ET, FOX).

For the third time in as many years, the qualifications for entry into the exhibition race have changed, but the desire to kick off Speedweeks with a momentum-building victory is still intact. There have been four drivers to win the Shootout and then win the Daytona 500. Dale Jarrett did it twice, in 1996 and 2000. Bobby Allison (1982), Bill Elliott (1987) and Jeff Gordon (1997) were the other three.

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This season, the 24 drivers participating made the field by one of five different criteria:

• The 12 drivers that qualified for the 2009 Chase
• Past Cup Series champions
• Past Budweiser Shootout champions
• Past Daytona points race winners
• The reigning rookie of the year

Mark Martin has the most Shootout experience in this year's field, making his 22nd appearance. That number trails Elliott (23) for the most all time. Gordon is making his 17th Shootout start, putting him behind Elliott, Martin, Rusty Wallace (19) and Ken Schrader (18).

Martin is also looking to become the eighth driver to win two or more Shootouts. Dale Earnhardt leads the way with six Shootout victories, followed by Tony Stewart (3), Jarrett (3), Neil Bonnett (2), Ken Schrader (2), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2) and Gordon (2).

Juan Montoya is the only driver in this year's field making his Shootout debut. Five times in the 31-year history of the event a driver has won in his first Shootout: Buddy Baker (1979), Dale Earnhardt (1980), Jeff Gordon (1994), Dale Jarrett (1996) and Denny Hamlin (2006).