More Drivers Eligible for NASCAR's Budweiser Shootout

Fans who make it to NASCAR's first event of 2011 -- the Budweiser Shootout exhibition race held a week before the season-opening Daytona 500 -- might want to keep a program nearby.

Feb. 12's Shootout, firmly removed from its days of featuring only the previous season's pole winners, got its sixth change in the past 13 years Friday when NASCAR announced the eligible drivers for the 75-lap race.

It'll include those you would imagine -- all 12 of last year's Chase for the Sprint Cup qualifiers -- and a few others, too, including past NASCAR Sprint Cup champions, past Shootout winners, past winners at Daytona and the Rookie of the Year winners from 2001-2010.

Yep, say hello to last year's de facto rookie of the year Kevin Conway in the Budweiser Shootout.

"When you take a look at the field for this year's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, it's loaded with all-star caliber drivers," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition, in the press release revealing the expanded field.

Conway was the lone driver to run the entire 2010 season as an eligible rookie.

Seven of those drivers, namely Conway (35th), Bill Elliott (41st), Michael Waltrip (55th), Ken Schrader (65th), Terry Labonte (68th), John Andretti (71st) and Geoffrey Bodine (73rd), were 35th or worse in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points last year, while two (Sterling Marlin and Derrike Cope) didn't participate. Of course, there's no guarantee any of them will participate -- they've only been granted the opportunity.

NASCAR's does reign in the field slightly by declaring drivers must have participated in the Sprint Cup Series within the past two seasons.

"From former series champions and Chase drivers, to the past 10 rookie of the year performers, to drivers who have had success at Daytona, we believe the fans are in store for a terrific and highly competitive event on a brand-new racing surface," Pemberton said.

Daytona, of course, was completely repaved for the first time since 1978 following last July's Sprint Cup race at the track. A Goodyear tire test in December left several drivers saying the fresh, black surface was markedly different and loaded with grip -- likely producing restrictor-plate style racing more akin to that of the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway.

NASCAR left the format of the non-points event unchanged again for 2011, meaning the race will be run in two segments: 25 and then 50 laps.

All laps -- green and caution -- will count toward the race total, but NASCAR will utilize its normal green-white-checkered finish rules if necessary at the end of the event. Last season, several caution laps just before the end plus a finish under yellow forced NASCAR to change to the current finish rules after fan discontent.

Should a caution happen before the white flag, NASCAR will attempt three times to finish the race under green. Kevin Harvick has won the past two events.

2011 Budweiser Shootout Eligible Drivers

1. Jimmie Johnson [2010 Chase]
2. Denny Hamlin [2010 Chase]
3. Kevin Harvick [2010 Chase]
4. Carl Edwards [2010 Chase]
5. Matt Kenseth [2010 Chase]
6. Greg Biffle [2010 Chase]
7. Tony Stewart [2010 Chase]
8. Kyle Busch [2010 Chase]
9. Jeff Gordon [2010 Chase]
10. Clint Bowyer [2010 Chase]
11. Kurt Busch [2010 Chase]
12. Jeff Burton [2010 Chase]
13. John Andretti [Past Daytona Winner]
14. Geoffrey Bodine [Past Budweiser Shootout Winner]
15. Kevin Conway [2010 Rookie of the Year]
16. Derrike Cope [Past Daytona 500 Winner]
17. Dale Earnhardt Jr. [Past Budweiser Shootout Winner]
18. Bill Elliott [Past Budweiser Shootout Winner]
19. Kasey Kahne [2004 Rookie of the Year]
20. Bobby Labonte [Past Series Champion]
21. Terry Labonte [Past Series Champion]
22. Joey Logano [2009 Rookie of the Year]
23. Sterling Marlin [Past Daytona Winner]
24. Mark Martin [Past Shootout Winner]
25. Jamie McMurray [Past Daytona Winner]
26. Juan Pablo Montoya [2007 Rookie of the Year]
27. Ryan Newman [Past Daytona Winner]
28. Ken Schrader [Past Budweiser Shootout Winner]
29. Regan Smith [2008 Rookie of the Year]
30. Michael Waltrip [Past Daytona Winner]