Bud Shootout 2012

Bud Shootout 2012, The Budweiser Shootout starts off the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season (February 18) with nothing at stake but money … and maybe some momentum. This all-star race at Daytona International Speedway doesn’t offer points but pits the top drivers from a year ago against each other along with past Shootout winners. So who might have the best chance to win? Here are the top six contenders.
6. Jimmie Johnson – He won the race in ’05 and the 500 the following year but successes have otherwise been hard to come by at the big Florida track for ‘Five-time’. But expect a renewed vigor in the #48 camp and watch him be near the front for the Shootout … and for the rest of the season.

5. Carl Edwards – I have a feeling he will be a contender in every race this year and the Shootout will be no different. He’s never won at Daytona but I’d be surprised if Cousin’ Carl wasn’t near or in the lead of this race at some point.

4. Tony Stewart – Any race at Daytona will have the current Cup champ as a favorite. He’s won a total of six times at the two-and-a-half mile facility so expect ‘Smoke’ to be leading at some time in the race with the prospects for victory at the end.

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. – A four-time winner at the venerable track, Jr. has always had a good feel for Daytona and can dominate with the right setup. I’d anticipate him being at or near the front of the pack all race and maybe giving JR Nation what they so badly want – an Earnhardt win.

2. Kyle Busch – This could be a special season for the sometimes troubled driver and what better way to put 2011 in the rear-view mirror, than a victory at Daytona. He can win any race he’s in but has garnered only one win at this track: the 400 in ’08 (source – About.com). But watch him be at the front of the Shootout all race.

1. Kevin Harvick – Winner of two of the last three Shootouts and always a favorite at Daytona, it’s hard not to choose the 36 year old from Bakersfield, California. The #29 was one of the best cars all last year and I think Harvick’s out to prove he should be a champion – so what better way than to win the opening race.

No, I don’t have Gordon, Hamlin, Kayne, Kenseth, Keselowski or Kurt listed. For one reason or another, I just don’t see them as Shootout winners. By the way, the drivers say this might be the most important Bud Shootout ever due in part to unknowns (source – USA Today). Two-by-two tandem racing may still be a part of the scheme here, so it’s possible the outcome will come down to who you’re hooked up with that will determine success or failure.

Daytona 500 Qualifying | www.usspost.com

Daytona 500 Qualifying | www.usspost.com:Welcome to Yahoo! Sports live coverage of Daytona 500 qualifying. Stick with us and we’ll fill you in on all the action.

1:28: Dale Earnhardt Jr. has clocked the fastest lap – 190.913 mph. He’s sitting on the pole right now.

1:36: It’s pretty windy here in Daytona. Drivers are getting a push down the backstretch, but it’s making it squirrely for some.

1:38: Last year’s pole winner Martin Truex Jr., driving for Michael Waltrip Racing now, is only ninth fastest out of 11 cars so far.

1:40: We’ve got a new pole sitter and it’s Mark Martin, clocking a lap of 191.88 mph.

1:44: Walked through the Nationwide garage a little bit ago and there was a huge crowd standing outside Danica Patrick‘s hauler. She’ll make her stock car debut this afternoon in the ARCA race.

1:45: Mark Martin just said, “I was flying, and I knew it. … I can’t wait to get started racing.” Remember, he’s never won a Daytona 500. “It’s time,” Martin said. “This is the best shot I’ve had.”

1:47: Greg Biffle is 13th out of 14 cars so far. The Roush Fenway cars have not shown any speed so far in what limited track time we’ve seen.

1:57: Not a great run for Boris Said. He’s dead last of the 17 cars that have gone so far. He’ll get in regardless. He has the owner’s points on the No. 26.

2:00: Just a reminder – they are only setting the top two spots today. The rest of the field is set by finishing order in Thursday’s Duel 150s. So, if you’re not No. 1 or No. 2 today, then your starting spot is not set. As of now, the front row is Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

2:19: Jimmie Johnson just put down the fifth-fastest qualifying lap. He wasn’t terribly quick in practice. Mark Martin is still looking good. Probably the only driver left to qualify who can overtake Martin is his teammate, Jeff Gordon.

2:31: Carl Edwards is 16th-fastest, just behind his teammate, David Ragan, who is the fastest of the three Roush drivers to have gone out so far.

2:35: At 51, Mark Martin would be the oldest Daytona 500 pole winner. Dale Jarrett won the pole when he was 48.

2:39: Jeff Gordon is ninth-fastest. Gordon was probably the last driver who could challenge Martin for the pole.

2:51: Joe Nemechek is not guaranteed a spot in the Daytona 500, but he just clocked the 13th-fastest lap and the fastest of those drivers who need to qualify on time to get in. That should hold up for “Front Row” Joe.

3:10: For those unsure how qualifying for the Daytona 500 goes, you’re not alone. It’s confusing. But I’ll give it a try: the top two qualifiers today are on the front row. The top 35 in owner’s points from last year are in, however their starting position is determined by how they finish in Thursday’s Duels. The top three or four drivers in today’s qualifying who are not in the top 35 will also get in. That leaves four to five spots still up for grabs in the Duels. … I think.

Source: (http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/blog/from_the_marbles/post/Daytona-500-Qualifying?urn=nascar,218035)

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