http://www.thatsracin.com/mld/thatsracin/7893247.htm

 

 

Shootout offers drivers a chance

to race someone, maybe more

 

Track time in race conditions couldn't hurt

By DAVID POOLE

 

The Charlotte Observer

 

DATYONA BEACH, Fla. - NASCAR drivers will tell you they don't get paid to win practice. Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway, one will.

 

The winner of the 70-lap Bud Shootout (8 p.m., TNT), a non-points event that has opened the season in NASCAR's Cup series since 1979, will collect $210,000 from a total purse of $1.066 million.

 

That's not bad for what many of the 19 drivers who'll participate view as a good chance to get in some practice under race conditions to prepare for the challenges that remain during Speedweeks leading up to the Feb. 15 Daytona 500.

 

"What's cool about the Shootout is that you get to start drafting immediately," said Dale Earnhardt Jr., who won this event last year in the No. 8 Chevrolet. "Most of what we do all through the month of January is running by ourselves (testing). You're ready to race somebody. You get some racing in your system before we start qualifying runs and practicing for the Daytona 500. I think everybody looks forward to it."

 

Not everybody gets to play, however. The 19 drivers who will participate either won poles during the 2003 season or are former winners of this event, which was called the "Busch Clash" in its early years.

 

That's why Boris Said, a road-course specialist who won a pole last year at Infineon Raceway, is in the field while defending Cup series champion Matt Kenseth is not. Mike Skinner, now racing full time in the Truck series, competes in the Shootout while Kurt Busch, who won four races but no poles in 2003, will not.

 

"I kind of feel like the drivers who are in the Shootout have a little bit of an advantage because we have one race under our belts before the 125s," said Tony Stewart, the Shootout winner in 2001 and 2002, referring to Thursday's 125-mile qualifying races that will help set the Daytona 500 starting lineup. "Some of the guys who are struggling to make the field only have one chance with the 125s to race their way in."

 

That may not be much of an issue this year, since only 45 Nextel Cup teams are entered in the Daytona 500, meaning only two will go home after the Gatorade 125s. The front-row starting positions will be filled in qualifying at noon Sunday.

 

Saturday's Shootout is set for 70 laps to be run in two parts. After a 20-lap opening segment, there will be a 10-minute break for crews to change tires, add fuel and make adjustments to their cars.

 

The race ends with a 50-lap segment that, with fuel cells holding only about 13 gallons that are used at Daytona, will require at least one fuel stop. Caution flag laps count during each segment, but the race will not end under yellow. That means a late caution could extend the race beyond 70 laps until the field can get a green-white-checkered finish.

 

"It's just a long sprint, really," Stewart said. "You've got a short amount of time to get your work done. So, you kind of throw caution to the wind. If you think you can go, well then, you'd better go."

 

"Racing in the Shootout gives you a little more freedom to go out and try things by using it as a practice session for the (Daytona) 500, because there's really nothing to lose. You try things that maybe you wouldn't feel very comfortable with trying in the 500. If you find things that do work, you use 'em for the 500. If what you try doesn't work, you know what not to do for the 500."

 

The winner of the Shootout has come back to win the Daytona 500 only five times in 25 previous years, but Dale Jarrett is two-for-two. He won this event in 1996 and 2000 and won the 500 in both years, adding them to a 1993 Daytona 500 victory on his resume.

 

"We probably will try to lay back a little at the beginning and try to pit as soon as we can make it to our fuel window so we can spend the final 20 laps getting ourselves in position for the win," Jarrett said.

 

Bill Elliott, who will be running a limited Nextel Cup schedule this year and who is not entered in the Daytona 500, will run in the Shootout to extend his record with a 19th appearance in the event he won in 1987. Mark Martin, the 1999 Shootout winner, will extend the longest current streak of starts in the race to 16.

 

Dale Earnhardt won this event six times in his career. Stewart, Ken Schrader, Jarrett, Jeff Gordon and Neil Bonnett have two wins each and nine other drivers have won it once.

Its that time again folks, its time to go racin. Personally I am hoping to see a guy like Boris Said have a great showing tonight. He has worked hard and this truly is a dream come true for him. Good luck Boris.

I love me some NASCAR (whether its Nextel, Winston, whatever).

 

Faves: Elliot (only part time driver now ) and Sterling Marlin....let's go Southern-bred Dodge drivers!