The 2011 Budweiser Shootout lineup was set at the Budweiser Draw Party last night, outside the Daytona International Speedway Turn 4. While the fans were good sports about all of the drivers, there is no doubt that the NASCAR fan favorite drew the pole.
Fans went crazy when Dale Earnhardt Jr. peeled back the Bud label of his choice and revealed “POLE.” Host Kenny Wallace seemed as excited as the fans as he congratulated the 2004 Daytona 500 winner.
"Pretty easy," Earnhardt Jr. said to the press after his selection. "It's not much of a big deal. If you had your choice, that's where you'd want to start. But the race can be won from anywhere in the field, and it doesn't really change our strategy or make our situation any easier."
Driver selections are made by random for the Budweiser Shootout, as drivers choose bottles lined up in no particular order, down to the final #24 spot which was, coincidentally, the last bottle to be chosen on the night. The only driver not actually picking his own spot was driver Joey Logano who, at 20, is apparently too young for the alcohol-associated event. Rather, for the third-consecutive year, Logano was accompanied by Joe Gibbs #20 Home Depot Toyota crew chief Greg Zipadelli, who physically picked the bottle as Logano looked on and offered selection advice.
Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin and Kasey Kahne round out the top five for the night.
The 2011 Budweiser Shootout is set for tonight, Saturday, Feb. 12. The flag is scheduled to drop at 8 p.m. (ET). Fans can watch the race on FOX.
The full lineup of drivers is as follows:
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Tony Stewart
- Carl Edwards
- Denny Hamlin
- Kasey Kahne
- Bobby Labonte
- Clint Bowyer
- Ryan Newman
- Derrike Cope
- Michael Waltrip
- Greg Biffle
- Jeff Gordon
- Juan Pablo Montoya
- Jamie McMurray
- Jeff Burton
- Kevin Conway
- Kurt Busch
- Kevin Harvick
- Matt Kenseth
- Mark Martin
- Kyle Busch
- Joey Logano
- Jimmie Johnson
- Regan Smith
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