DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 13, 2012) – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing returns to the track Saturday night with the Shootout at Daytona. A total of 25 drivers are entered in the annual preseason, non-points race at Daytona International Speedway.   Following is a shootout-specific rundown of this year’s eligible drivers. Eligible Drivers Performance AJ Allmendinger Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2009     5          18         44         78                                 Running   Marcos Ambrose None Greg Biffle Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2005     5          2          16         70         1          44         Running 2007     13         5          16         70                                 Running 2008     20         17         16         48                                Accident 2009     17         26         16         72                                 Accident 2010     15         5          16         74         2          5          Accident           2011     5          11         16         75                                 Running            Clint Bowyer Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2008     14         21         07         70                                 Running 2011     9          7          33         75         2          4          Running Jeff Burton Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 1997     14         9          99         20                                 Running 2001     5          16         99         70                                 Running 2007     9          12         31         70                                 Running 2009     24         23         31         32                                 Accident 2010     12         7          31         76                                 Running 2011     8          15         31         75         9          32         Running Kurt Busch Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2002     14         1          97         70         1          3          Running 2003     11         3          97         70         1          11         Running 2005     6          6          97         70                                 Running 2007     3          19         2          70         2          6          Running 2008     18         1          2          70                                Running 2009     9          12         2          78                                 Running 2010     23         22         2          32                                 Accident 2011     1          17         22         75         3          3          Running   Kyle Busch Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2006     15         14         5          72         2          4          Running 2007     7          6          5          70         3          39         Running 2009     10         10         18         78         2          6          Running 2010     4          17         18         76                                 Running 2011     16         21         18         41         2          2          Accident Dale Earnhardt Jr. Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2001     6          10         8          70                                 Running 2002     2          16         8          70         1          20         Running 2003     1          19         8          70         4          13         Running 2004     2          19         8          70                                 Running 2005     7          12         8          70                                 Running 2006     2          19         8          72         1          1          Running 2007     14         17         8          70                                 Running 2008     1          7          88         70         7          47         Running 2009     18         9          88         64         4          23         Accident 2010     11         11         88         76                                 Running 2011     19         1          88         27         3          4          Accident   Carl Edwards Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2006     16         11         99         71                                 Running 2008     12         20         99         70         1          1          Running 2009     7          11         99         78         2          11         Running 2010     17         1          99         74         2          42         Accident 2011     21         3          99         33                                 Accident Jeff Gordon Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 1994     1          6          24         20         1          2          Running 1995     4          5          24         20                                 Running 1996     9          7          24         20                                 Running 1997     1          3          24         20                                 Running 1998     14         5          24         25                                 Engine 1999     15         8          24         25                                 Running 2000     2          6          24         25                                 Running 2001     11         6          24         70                                 Running 2002     3          22         24         70                                 Running 2003     2          18         24         70         2          31         Running 2004     5          2          24         70         2          16         Running 2005     3          11         24         70                                 Running 2006     19         10         24         23                                 Accident 2007     21         11         24         31                                 Electrical 2008     4          22         24         70         1          1          Running 2009     4          28         24         78         2          2          Running 2010     6          23         24         76                                 Running 2011     6          12         24         75         1          1          Running Denny Hamlin Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2006     1          15         11         72         3          16         Running 2007     17         21         11         70                                 Running 2008     9          12         11         70                                Running 2009     13         5          11         78         2          4          Running 2010     5          24         11         76                                 Running 2011     12         4          11         75                                 Running   Kevin Harvick Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2003     9          16         29         70                                 Running 2004     3          5          29         70         2          10         Running 2006     20         18         29         15                                 Engine 2007     5          20         29         70         2          11         Running 2009     1          27         29         78         1          1          Running 2010     1          2          29         76         5          21         Running 2011     7          18         29         75                                 Running Jimmie Johnson Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2003     7          2          48         70         1          4          Running 2004     9          17         48         70                                 Running 2005     1          17         48         70         1          16         Running 2006     5          2          48         72         3          12         Running 2007     4          8          48         70                                 Running 2008     3          18         48         70                                Running 2009     14         21         48         77         1          2          Accident 2010     13         16         48         76                                 Running 2011     4          23         48         75         2          7          Running Kasey Kahne Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2005     9          13         9          70                                 Running 2006     18         5          9          35                                 Accident 2007     15         15         9          70                                 Running 2008     10         8          9          70                                Running 2009     6          14         9          78         1          2          Running 2010     2          19         9          76                                 Running 2011     24         5          4          7                                  Engine   Matt Kenseth Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2003     3          5          17         70         3          6          Running 2006     6          16         17         72                                 Running 2009     8          25         17         78         1          1          Running 2010     16         8          17         74                                 Accident 2011     13         19         17         74                                 Running Brad Keselowski None Joey Logano Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2009     28         19         20         3                                  Accident 2010     7          21         20         76                                 Running 2011     18         22         20         27                                 Accident Jamie McMurray Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2004     17         3          42         69         2          8          Accident 2006     8          17         26         72         1          1          Running 2008     22         4          26         24                                Accident 2009     2          15         26         78         4          16         Running 2010     3          9          1          76         2          2          Running 2011     2          14         1          75                                 Running Paul Menard Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2009     12         1          27         62         1          2          Running Juan Pablo Montoya Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2010     10         20         42         76                                 Running 2011     20         13         42         27                                 Accident   Ryan Newman Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2002     15         8          12         70                                 Running 2003     4          15         12         70                                 Running 2004     16         16         12         69         1          4          Accident 2005     2          7          12         70         1          4          Running 2006     17         7          12         68                                 Accident 2007     20         9          12         46                                 Engine 2008     17         23         12         70                                Running 2010     19         4          39         74                                 Accident 2011     3          8          39         75         3          18         Running David Ragan Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2009     26         16         6          3                                  Accident Tony Stewart Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2000     4          3          20         25                                 Running 2001     1          7          20         70                                 Running 2002     1          3          20         70         2          31         Running 2003     15         12         20         70                                 Running 2004     7          18         20         70                                 Running 2005     4          8          20         70                                 Running 2006     3          3          20         72         3          7          Running 2007     1          14         20         70         2          11         Running 2008     2          10         20         70         2          9          Running 2009     3          6          14         78         1          4          Running 2010     9          13         14         76         2          6          Running 2011     11         2          14         75         3          4          Running Martin Truex Jr. Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 2008     21         9          1          47                                 Accident Michael Waltrip Times   Laps Year     Fin       St         Car       Laps     Led      Led      Status 1992     8          14         30         20                                 Running 2006     11         21         55         72         1          11         Running 2008     11         3          55         70         2          2          Running 2009     22         17         55         43                                 Accident 2010     21         15         51         69                                 Accident 2011     15         10         15         47                                 Accident Shootout at Daytona Tidbits ·         The number of participants has ranged from a low of seven in 1981 to a high of 28 in 2009 (25 are entered for this year’s event). ·         The drivers with the most Shootout appearances: o    Bill Elliott (23) o    Mark Martin (23) o    Rusty Wallace (19) o    Ken Schrader (19) o    Jeff Gordon (18) ·         Mark Martin had appeared in the most consecutive Shootout races, competing in 20 consecutive events from 1989-2008. The active leader in consecutive appearances is Jeff Gordon, with 18. This year marks his 19th. ·         There have been eight multiple winners in the Shootout: o    Tony Stewart has won three of the last 10 (2001, 2002 and 2007). o    Dale Earnhardt won six events, most all-time (1980, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995). o    Dale Jarrett won in 1996, 2000 and 2004. o    Other multiple winners: Neil Bonnett (1983-1984), Ken Schrader, (1989-1990), Jeff Gordon (1994 and 1997), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003 and 2008) and Kevin Harvick (2009-2010). o    Bonnett, Schrader, Stewart and Harvick are the only drivers to win back-to-back races. No driver has ever won three consecutive Shootouts. ·         Buddy Baker (1979), Dale Earnhardt (1980), Jeff Gordon (1994), Dale Jarrett (1996) and Denny Hamlin (2006) all won the first Shootout in which they competed. ·         Only five times in the 32-year history of the race has the winner gone on to win the Daytona 500:       Bobby Allison (1982)       Bill Elliott (1987)       Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000) Jeff Gordon (1997) ·         There have been three winners from the pole: Darrell Waltrip (1981), Bill Elliott (1987) and Ken Schrader (1989). ·         Two drivers have swept the Shootout, Daytona 500 pole and Daytona 500 from 1979-2010: Dale Jarrett (2000) and Bill Elliott (1987). ·         One driver has swept the Shootout, Daytona 500 and the Coke Zero 400 from 1979-2011: Bobby Allison (1982). ·         Seven drivers have won the Shootout (1979-2011) and the same season’s championship. Dale Earnhardt is the only one to have accomplished it multiple times – four times. Tony Stewart (2002) Jeff Gordon (1997) Dale Earnhardt (1993) Dale Earnhardt (1991) Dale Earnhardt (1986) Darrell Waltrip (1981) Dale Earnhardt (1980) ·         Four drivers have won consecutive Shootouts (1979-2010). None went on to win that year’s Daytona 500. Kevin Harvick (2009-10) Tony Stewart (2000-01) Ken Schrader (1990-91) Neil Bonnett (1983-84)   Shootout Manufacturer Recap Manufacturer          Victories          Last Victory – Driver Chevrolet                19                     2010 – Kevin Harvick Ford                       7                      2004 – Dale Jarrett Buick                      2                      1982 – Bobby Allison Oldsmobile             2                      1980 – Dale Earnhardt Pontiac                   2                      2002 – Tony Stewart Dodge                    1                      2011 – Kurt Busch By the Numbers: Shootout at Daytona .058 –Margin of victory in seconds by Kurt Busch over Jamie McMurray in 2011, the closest margin in Shootout history   1 – Laps led by Rusty Wallace (1998), Neil Bonnett (1983-84), Dale Earnhardt (1980), Dale Jarrett (2000 and 2004) and Kevin Harvick (2009) in the Shootouts they won   2.75 – Average finish by Dale Earnhardt, best by any driver with multiple starts   5 – Drivers who have won the event in their first appearance (Buddy Baker, 1979; Dale Earnhardt, 1980; Jeff Gordon, 1994; Dale Jarrett, 1996; Denny Hamlin, 2006) 6 – Number of Shootout wins by Dale Earnhardt, the series leader 7 – Number of fewest starters in the field for the Shootout (1981) 11 – Number of starts before winning, most since race began in 1979 (Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin) 14 – Number of different leaders in the 2009 event, most since race began in 1979   19 – Number of wins by Chevrolet in the Shootout, leads all manufacturers 27 – Kevin Harvick’s starting position in 2009, the lowest by a race winner in the event’s history 28 – Number of lead changes in the 2011 event, highest number since race began in 1979 44 – Laps led by Greg Biffle in 2005, the most by a driver who did not win the event   47 – Laps led by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2008, the most in a single Shootout 98 – Number of all-time laps led in the Shootout (1979-2011) held by Dale Earnhardt