Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Budweiser Shootout is confusion central

I had planned to try and write an insightful, possibly even intelligent blog post about the recent change to allow a “wild card” team from each manufacturer to be added to the Budweiser Shootout. But that’s not going to happen.

Why? Because after trying to make sense of who is in the Shootout and who isn’t, I became as confused as Paris Hilton at a rocket scientists’ convention.

Now that each manufacturer can add a seventh team, that means that Tony Stewart, who was not eligible as a Toyota driver, is now in the Shootout as a Chevrolet driver.

It’s the same case for Bobby Labonte, who’s now in a Ford, but wouldn’t have been in the race if he still piloted a Dodge for Richard Petty. By the way, the No. 96 Ford that he’ll be driving was a Toyota last year.

And then there’s Robby Gordon. He would have been eligible as the sixth Dodge team, but he’s switching to Toyotas. Nevertheless, officials say Robby can participate if he drives a Dodge in the Shootout. I guess he has a few leftover Dodges from last season sitting around the garage.

Right about now we should be all screaming for the Shootout to revert back to its original format.

But wait, there’s more! Juan Pablo Montoya will have nothing to do with Robby Gordon’s philosophy. He would have been eligible in a Dodge, but he’s switching to Chevrolet for 2009. As of today, he isn’t interested in driving a Dodge for one race.

And just when you thought it couldn’t get more confusing, consider Toyota. Its next car in line would have been the No. 22, but that car probably won’t race this year. So the seventh Toyota would be Scott Speed’s No. 82 car, which was the No. 84 car last year. But Speed can only compete if Gordon does drive a Dodge in the Shootout.

Wow. Does it make sense to you? And I thought landing a plane in the Hudson was difficult.

Make sure to check out the StockcarToon on Thursday which will examine the transformation of Gillett Evernham Motorsports into Richard Petty Motorsports.

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