You might have seen we announced changes to the season opening Shootout. Instead of basing the field on pole winners the field will now be determined by the six best teams from each manufacturer. This highlights the best of the best of the car makers. The shootout is already a fan favorite and now made more exciting with manufacturer bragging rights on the line. We made the change because the pole award is now sponsored by Coors Light and the shootout is sponsored by Budweiser so there was an inherent conflict between the two companies. Ultimately the change is a good one and sets up a good battle throughout the year to set the field. Yes, some drivers who would have been in the race won’t likely be in the field including Joe Nemechek, Paul Menard and Patrick Carpentier. The decision wasn’t easy. I agree it stinks that those guys won’t be in the shootout- but there are always some favorites that don’t make it plus we needed to resolve the issue and make the best possible decision. Tony Stewart nor Ryan Newman will make the race but that’s only because they chose to leave their teams. We also added 5 laps to the race for a total of 75. This will be a fun event to get the season started.
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2.1.4p2/970 Thu Jun 4 02:10:38 UTC 2009
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(you must be a member of this group to comment)kpajak
Aug 30 2008 11:43
Get Fans Opinion
Here’s a crazy idea. Why doesn’t Nascar ask for fans input before making this kind of change? Since the Shootout, like the All-Star race, is just an extra race for the fans to enjoy and doesn’t have any impact on the championship, why not ask for our input before changing it?
I’ve seen a couple of really good suggestions on this board that I think would have been a much better solution than what they came up with.
Here’s another suggestion. Since this change is happening near the end of the season, when some drivers were thinking they were in the Shootout next year, let them be in during this “transition.” Would it be a big deal to have 3-4 more cars?
Nascar is always bragging about how fan friendly they are, so why not include the fans in the decision making process for these “exhibition” races.
That’s my 2 cents worth. I’ll probably still watch because I love 75 lap shootouts with mostly just bragging rights on the line. Same reason I watch the Prelude To The Dream.
Smoke14Wins
Aug 28 2008 21:12
The Change
It is different. Don’t like the fact my driver isn’t in the playing field, but the new rules are set & nothing can be done about it.
Taking top drivers from the 4 makes of cars is trying to keep it fair for all MFG’s. The Shootout isn’t all about one or two MFG cars, it’s suppose to be the the best of the last yr drivers. But because of the sponsor change & there’s still 4 MGF cars involved, the playing field is trying to be fair to all MFG’s.
It’s no different in the local drag racing tracks. They have their own play offs at the end of the season. The track takes the top X amount of drivers from each bracket (class) of cars, motorcycles….. & they go on to the divisional finals in Sept. They don’t just take the top 30 to represent their track at the divisional finals, they divide the brackets (classes) up & take X amount of the top drivers from each one.
I do have to agree with others in here, it really isn’t fair to the NASCAR drivers this new way, it’s only being fair to the MFG’s.
You want to be different & be fair to the drivers, take the best of the drivers in how they finish without the chase format involved to reset points & let them drive. Just use the old points system to set the Shootout field.
After all, it’s suppose to be the best of the season competing isn’t it?
Cwbybri
Aug 28 2008 15:41
Bad move by NASCAR
NASCAR announced yesterday the changes to the Shootout. They cited a conflict of interest between shootout sponsor Coors and the Bud Pole sponsor, Budweiser. Fair enough. They need to change the requirements on getting in.
But I don’t like the fact that the driver doesn’t necessarily earn their way in anymore. Unless they stay with their own team. Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman are being punished for making decisions that they have made, to move onto a new venture and new team. Clint Bowyer is also being punished, and he didn’t change teams. He changed cars to make room for Casey Mears. So now Mears will get the spot in the line up for points that Bowyer earned. Joey Logano, who has yet to make a NASCAR spot, is in the race in lieu of points that Stewart earned. I’m sorry, but that is not right.
If you’re going to base it on points, it should be the driver’s points. Granted, Stewart and Newman are changing manufacturers. Ok, so let them compete to be one of the top six Chevys. As it is, they have to qualify on time in order to race the first few races of the season. Let them have this race.
As far as the top six manufacturers, I don’t think it’s a fair way either. I am a Michael Waltrip fan, so don’t get me wrong. But his team is barely in the top 35. As of now, he gets in for being a top 6 Toyota. I just don’t think that Waltrip has earned his place in this race.
Not to mention that the manufacturer pool is not very balanced. Looking at Chevy along, there are 4 Hendricks cars, 4 RCR cars starting next year, 3 or 4 DEI cars and 2 Steward/HAAS cars. Fourteen Chevys, at minimum. For Ford, there is Rousch and Yates. Other than that, no major players. This new rule all but guarantees that all 5 Rousch cars will get into the race.
Let’s say hypothetically, that we have seven Chevy’s finish in the top 12 at the end of a year. The car that is the seventh best in the Chevy stable doesn’t make the race, but a Toyota that is 35th does. Am I the only one that thinks this doesn’t make sense?
If they want to ensure that all the car makers are represented, then drop it to the top four from each manufacturer. Then reserve the last 8 spots based on standings (based on driver points, not owner), no matter what car they drive for. That should ensure that the top 12 drivers get in.
If they want to base it off of owner points, then have the race at the end of the season, not the beginning of the next. That way, drivers may still be with the teams they earned the points with.
Defiant359
Aug 28 2008 13:15
RE: change is inevitable
The only reason anyone is making a stink about a car 32nd in owner’s points being in this race is he doesn’t really deserve it.
Look at your Chevrolets. There are enough of them in the field that to make the Top 6 is an honor. You really deserve to get in if you can beat all the other Chevrolets in the field and be one of their Top 6. And as things stand now, all 6 of Chevrolet’s representatives are in the Chase.
Dodge, Ford, and, much more pronounced, Toyota can’t claim that as much. Ford could if Jack Roush didn’t field nearly every Ford in the field. Dodge is okay about their current entries. But Toyota…They are so relatively few in number that even some of their worst will be guaranteed in just because they’re better than the very worst of the bunch.
Michael Waltrip making the Bud Shootout last year was different. Sure, he was 42nd or so in owner’s points. But he actually did something on the track to deserve inclusion: He ran faster than everyone else in at least one race weekend’s qualifying run. He beat 50 other cars in order to be the fastest on qualifying day at Talladega inside of the Chase.
Tell me, what has Michael done this season to really deserve being in the Bud Shootout next year, besides beating 3 other Toyotas who are even further down in owner’s points? He hasn’t won a race, he hasn’t gotten a pole, has only 1 Top 5 (which is also his only Top 10), and has an average finish of 29.1 so far.
Compare to Tony Stewart. Past winner of the race, currently 6th in Driver’s points (with his #20 also 6th in Owner’s Points), no wins but 8 Top 5s and 12 Top 10s with an average 14.7 finish.
Stewart is 8 times better than Waltrip on Top 5s, 12 times better on Top 10s, and finishes 14.4 positions higher on average.
And yet Waltrip gets to race and Tony doesn’t?
That’s why I’m saying that each manufacturer should get a past winner’s provisional. Generally, winners of the Shootout also have a fan following that’s fairly strong, either in numbers or in voice. Allowing them in would show the fans that NASCAR still cares about its past and its fans’ approval. Then, if they’re still short for their 24-car field, they can start looking again to owner’s points to fill those empty slots.
I just think more effort should be made to better ensure that fan-favorite drivers are not left out “just because.”
twister2011
Aug 28 2008 13:09
Budshoot Out..Bull****
Ok…NASCAR…why must you mess things up?? why mess the shootout up, several members said that was basically a practice and they are correct…who knows what driver won’t be racing…. and i for one, will NOT be watching.. and i urge all fans, of your driver is not in the shootout, dont watch it…
krazykat1964
Aug 28 2008 11:43
Nonsense
I don’t agree with the decision, and don’t plan on attending or watching the race with the changes proposed. I definately think it was the wrong approach. You still have time to make other changes that appeal to the fans not drive them away!!!
OhItsMark
Aug 27 2008 23:18
This is about practice!
What this comes down to is practice. As of right now, the following drives will miss the Shootout: Ryan Newman, Patrick Carpentier, Tony Stewart, Joe Nemechek, and Paul Menard. Who knows what other drivers this will include! Most, if not all, use the shootout as another practice for the duels and the 500. It’s a huge help the smaller teams and just helps everyone. Stewart and Newman would love it the most because they’ll both be in new cars/teams and could use some extra practice.
It’s a shame NASCAR did this. This just will not be fun.
mcpainttex
Aug 27 2008 20:14
Yeah
So I just can’t seem to get a good picture of this format. iIt doesn’t seem appealing to me as a fan at all.
By the way I sent my good comment to the wrong place.
jon961
Aug 27 2008 17:53
change is inevitable
A lot of people seem to be making a big deal out of the fact that a car that is 32 (or lower) in points could be in the shootout when higher position cars are out. but you need to look at previous years, such as this year when michael waltrip was in and was 43rd in points, yes he did have a pole last year but this change in format is understandable and will most likely be changed again in the near future, just look at the changes in the chase format made since it started just a few ago
ChiTownDale
Aug 27 2008 16:53
Wrong Approach to Change
While I can understand NASCAR and A-B wanting to change the format of the Shootout, their approach is all wrong.
While they are free to do what they please, letting those who would be in it have to sit it out and watch rookies or lower skilled drivers take their places, just isn’t going to make for a good show.
While it is early enough for some drivers to still get a spot by improving their final standings, the problem I spoke of won’t change.
Whether you are a Stewart fan or not, there is a simple solution to the problem at hand. Just because a driver changes teams at the end of the season, they are still fully capable of driving the cars they would have qualified for the Shootout in had they not switched teams.
Do you think because Stewart will be driving a GM car next year he will have forgotten how to drive a Toyota?
I doubt it. Drivers handle all different makes of cars all year long, some switching between brands from Saturday to Sunday when they drive for different owners in Nationwide than in Sprint Cup.
So the way I see it, since the Shootout is more like the LAST race of the year instead of the first race of the new race year, why not let the driver who earned the spot in the race drive the car in that race?
Then Stewart would be driving the #20 Toyota and Bowyer would be driving the #07 instead of Casey Mears.
As to whether or not the 32nd place car in points makes it into the Shootout beccause there are less Toyotas than Chevys. that is the way it goes. The only problem I see there is if another new manufacturer comes along that doesn’t even have six cars to run, then what would NASCAR do? Even if they had six car, how good would they be? Last year when Toyota started they had six cars but they were cars in 31st, 38th, 39th, 41st, 43rd and 44th places in points. They ran a total of 121 races out of the 180 races they tried to qualify for. Of course the total NASCAR points of those six Toyotas together were less than the actually earned points of the top two drivers totaled, not counting the extra points they received for making the Chase.
So things could have been worse, I guess.