| 
|
2004 Season
2004 Budweiser Shootout
| Race Information |
| Event: Budweiser Shootout |
| Date: February 7, 2004 |
Track: Daytona Int'l Speedway |
| Started: 19th (determined by random draw) |
Finished: 2nd |
| Status: Running |
Laps Completed:
70 of 70 |
| Points
Pos. Before/After Race:
--/-- |
Points
Earned: Non-points event |
| Money
Earned: $-- |
Summary and Related News |
Budweiser Race Report_2/7/04
Junior finishes 2nd in Shootout
Dale Jarrett used a final-lap pass of Kevin Harvick and a hefty push from Dale Earnhardt,
Jr. to win his third Budweiser Shootout Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway.
Jarrett's last-lap pass capped a thrilling six-lap sprint to the finish after a red-flag
period stopped the action for approximately 15 minutes to repair a gate that had been
damaged in a multi-car crash. Dale Jr. and the No. 8 Budweiser team finished second, while
Harvick was third. Jarrett has now won the Budweiser Shootout three times, more than any
driver except the late Dale Earnhardt, who won the season-opening all-star race six times.
Dale Jr., who earned $113,000 for the second-place finish, has now finished sixth, second,
first and second in four Shootout starts.
KEY MOMENTS: Dale Jr. bolted from his 19th-place starting position into
the top-five by the fifth lap. Junior finished the first 20-lap segment in fifth position,
then climbed as high as second in the final 50-lap dash. A pit stop with 20 laps to go,
and another with eight to go (during the red-flag period) helped free up the Budweiser
Chevrolet enough to charge from fifth to second in the waning laps to secure a runner-up
finish.
DALE JR. QUOTES:
"I did all I could to push him (Jarrett) to the front. I pushed as hard as I could,
and then once he was in the lead, it was his job to hold me off. He's been a good friend
to me on and off the track, so if I can't win, I'm happy he could win it, and that I could
help him win. You don't win these races alone, and at least I played a role, ya
know?"
"The top line was where it's at. If you were on the inside lane, you were really
crowded with no room for error, but the outside was good. You have a lotta room to work up
there. I was in the outside line at the end, but I just wasn't leading. Maybe one more lap
and we coulda had him.
"There was a lot of pushing and shoving and a lot of blocking and weaving around, so
it was pretty exciting out there. Some of the guys ended up in the fence, and some of them
crashed their cars up a little bit. Once you weed them guys out, you could get up there
and have some pretty civilized racing.
On whether other drivers were leaving him hung out to dry in the draft:
"Yeah, I didn't want to use that as an excuse, but I'm good with that. I was pushing
people up front, and as soon as they would get an opportunity it seems like, they would
ditch me. At any time in the race, I never really had a strong car behind me. When Jamie
(McMurray) was behind me, you could tell by the attitude of his driving that he wanted by
me, and he was gonna take any hole I left open. When you're blocking, or seeing what
they're doing behind you, you're not gaining on anybody.
"I'm one of the only guys in the top-15 that hasn't bought my own jet or helicopter,
and I never will as long as I have friends like Dale to keep haulin' me to Martinsville.
When I went to see him in victory lane, he told me I could count on a ride to Martinsville
any time..."
"We ran that first run, and kinda came up on through there, and were just chillin'
out. Jimmie Johnson went into the middle, and I followed him, and it was like flipping a
lightswitch in the car. It couldn't go nowhere. I had to lift quite a bit in the corners
just to keep the car underneath me. We made some changes, made the car a little to tight
for the next run, and then that last run wasn't even long enough to wear the tires out. My
car would push real good, but I couldn't seem to get anybody to close up behind me."
RADIO CHATTER:
During the 10-minute break following the first 20-lap segment:
Dale Jr: "I'm outta control... this car is outta control. It's like
there's no air on the car... I don't know what to tell ya- don't know what to expect with
this car. It has no grip at all - sometimes I lose the front and sometimes the back. If
somebody runs really tight on my right rear it's really bad. I don't like what we got here
- I don't like the aero..."
Dale Jr.: (as the entire field swerved to avoid safety trucks on the
circuit during the slowdown lap) "Whoa. Is this where we do the 40-yard dash
through the archery range?!"
Dale Jr. was unhappy with some of the maneuvers of his fellow drivers during the
opening 20-lap segment:
Dale Jr.: "Damn, that's OK to drive that way goin' for the win, but
I don't know about that during a 20-lap segment. Some (idiot) holds you down low with only
a foot or so to the apron... I'm gonna start knockin' some doors off here if they don't
give me some room. When a car is on me like that, it's like I'm driving a sprint car
through the tri-oval... I'm loose and hangin' on."
The race was red-flagged with less than 10 laps remaining to repair damage to a gate
along the backstretch after a multi-car accident. During the red flag, Dale Jr. and his
new spotter, Stevie Reeves, discussed changes for the remainder of the race.
Dale Jr: "Stevie, I need you to pick up the pace when you're saying
'outside... outside... outside' and then someone comes up the middle and makes it
three-wide. I'm not technically listening to you, if you know what I mean, so I need to
hear the change in your voice if the situation changes like that."
Reeves: "I just don't want it to sound like I'm panicked if I pick
it up too much..."
Dale Jr: "Nah, don't do that. Just be a touch quicker when the
situation changes. Don't change the tone - just the pace of your voice so I know there's a
change."
Also during the late-race red flag (a foreshadowing of Junior's push to send Jarrett
to the win.)
Dale Jr: "This car can suck-up really good behind the other cars.
I'm darn good at pushing anyone else. But, nobody will push me- they just sit there like
they can't get up to me. Is that something we should work on, or do ya think nobody's
helpin' me?
NOTES: This is the first time Dale Jr. has not led a lap during the
Shootout ... Dale Jr., still made a trip to Victory Lane, only this time it was to
congratulate Jarrett for his win. Once there, the entire No. 88 Robert Yates Racing crew
simultaneously thanked the driver of the No. 8 Bud Chevy for the push that led to the win.
-Budweiser
1 day until the Budweiser Shooutout_2/6/04
Green flag tomorrow night!
Saturday night, the green flag will wave for the 26th running of the Budweiser Shootout at
Daytona, and 19 drivers will compete for a purse of $1,066,000 and begin the NASCAR NEXTEL
Cup era. But first they must determine where they’ll start.
That’s where Friday night’s Budweiser Shootout Qualifying Draw party comes in.
The draw party is set to start at 8:30 p.m. (EST) in the Daytona Club tent, and will
feature the premier of the Dale Earnhardt Jr. DVD called “Any Given Day”,
followed by the drawing of the Budweiser Shootout starting grid. Three-time NASCAR Winston
Cup champion and FOX Sports analyst Darrell Waltrip will emcee the event, as the drivers
participating in the 70-lap, all-star race draw their starting positions. Live music and
entertainment will follow. Media members are invited (see Jade Gurss and Mike Davis for
media tickets.).
NEW SPOTTER: Stevie Reeves has been named the No. 8 Budweiser team’s
spotter for the 2004 season. Already a member of the Dale Earnhardt Inc. family, Reeves
previously served as spotter for the DEI No. 1 team, and, has been a part-time spotter for
Dale Jr. in the past. Reeves is a two-time USAC National Midget Champion and has raced in
the Busch Series and Indy Racing League (IRL).
HOW IMPORTANT is a front-row starting position in this race? If Dale
Earnhardt Jr.’s win in last year’s Budweiser Shootout is any indication, not too
much. Junior started the race from the last position, 19th place. Runner-up finisher Jeff
Gordon started 18th, and five of the top six finishers came from starting positions of
10th or worst. Junior isn’t the only driver to win from the back. Dale Jarrett did it
in 2000, and Junior’s father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., did it twice (1991 and 1993.)
Year – Driver (last-place starting position)
2003 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (19)
2000 – Dale Jarrett (15)
1993 – Dale Earnhardt (15)
1991 – Dale Earnhardt (14)
HISTORY SHOWS … that starting in the front half of the grid
isn’t necessarily an advantage. In fact 13 of the 25 total Budweiser Shootouts were
won by drivers who started in the latter half of the field. Of course, the total number of
participants was a lot smaller in the earlier years. Not until 2002 did the field reach 20
or more entries. In the last five years, the average starting position for the winner is
11.4. In Bud Shootout history, the average starting position for the victor is 8.2. Only
three drivers have won the Budweiser Shootout from the pole: Darrell Waltrip (1981), Bill
Elliott (1987) and Ken Schrader (1989).
Year – Driver (Starting Position; cars in the field)
2003 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Started 19th out of 19)
2002 – Tony Stewart (Started 3rd out of 21)
2001 – Tony Stewart (Started 7th out of 18)
2000 – Dale Jarrett (Started 15th out of 15)
1999 – Mark Martin (Started 13th out of 15)
1998 – Rusty Wallace (Started 13th out of 17)
1997 – Jeff Gordon (Started 3rd out of 14)
1996 – Dale Jarrett (Started 12th out of 17)
1995 – Dale Earnhardt (Started 9th out of 16)
1994 – Jeff Gordon (Started 10th out of 13)
1993 – Dale Earnhardt (Started 15th out of 15)
1992 – Geoffrey Bodine (Started 3rd out of 15)
1991 – Dale Earnhardt (Started 14th out of 14)
1990 – Ken Schrader (Started 3rd out of 10)
1989 – Ken Schrader (Started 1st out of 13)
1988 – Dale Earnhardt (Started 2nd out of 12)
1987 – Bill Elliott (Started 1st out of 10th)
1986 – Dale Earnhardt (Started 4th out of 8th)
1985 – Terry Labonte (Started 11th out of 12)
1984 – Neil Bonnett (Started 8th out of 11)
1983 – Neil Bonnett (Started 15th out of 16)
1982 – Bobby Allison (Started 12th out of 13)
1981 – Darrell Waltrip (Started 1st out of 7)
1980 – Dale Earnhardt (Started 5th out of 12)
1979 – Buddy Baker (Started 3rd out of 9)
The 26th running of the Budweiser Shootout is scheduled for Sat., Feb. 7. It can be seen
live on TNT at 8 p.m. ET. For race tickets, call 1-800-PITSHOP or log on to
www.1-800-Pitshop.com.
Anheuser-Busch’s 12 U.S.-based breweries and network of more than 700 wholesalers
reduce delivery time and ensure that fresh beer is in retail accounts shortly after
packaging. As it reads on every beer package, Anheuser-Busch beers including Budweiser are
at their peak of freshness and taste within 110 days from their “Born On” date.
-Budweiser
3 days until the Budweiser Shooutout_2/4/04
Listen closely, and you’ll hear the sounds of the Shootout
If you listen closely, you may be able to hear it all over again.
“There was a lot of beatin’ and bangin’ from the start. We were all
bouncing around and slamming into each other, and I guess we were fast enough to hold
‘em off at the end. I’ll be honest, our car surprised the hell outta me.”
Beating, banging, bouncing, and slamming – this didn’t sound like a stock car
race; this sounded like a street brawl.
“That was some hard drivin’ the last few laps. I owe a lot to the team, because
it was wild as hell all night long. I mean, it was three-wide on the very first lap. I
kind of held back because when they’re three-wide in front of you, it’s like a
wall. You just can’t drive through a wall. But, I finally decided it was time to get
in there and mix it up with ‘em.”
The words were echoing through loud speakers and into radios, televisions, tape recorders
and microphones everywhere. The victor was speaking.
“When you come out of the pits with 19 laps to go, you just throw everything out and
try your best to get to the front. There are things that happen out there that only the
drivers understand. It’s something we can’t describe and it’s something
that no one else can understand, no matter how much you study the races. We all just seem
to know when to bump and when to push, but I can’t explain it. There’s just a
time when it’s tasteful and a time when it’s not so tasteful.”
On this day it was indeed tasteful for Dale Earnhardt Jr., having just won the 2003
Budweiser Shootout. And the best part might have been telling the world about it from
Victory Lane.
“It’s so cool to win the Budweiser Shootout, because Budweiser has been a great
sponsor for me and for Dale Earnhardt Inc. They have been with me all the way and to win
their event makes me really happy. It wasn’t easy at all.”
It never is in the Budweiser Shootout.
The 26th running of the Budweiser Shootout is scheduled for Sat., Feb. 7. It can be seen
live on TNT at 8 p.m. ET. For race tickets, call 1-800-PITSHOP or log on to
www.1-800-Pitshop.com.
Anheuser-Busch’s 12 U.S.-based breweries and network of more than 700 wholesalers
reduce delivery time and ensure that fresh beer is in retail accounts shortly after
packaging. As it reads on every beer package, Anheuser-Busch beers including Budweiser are
at their peak of freshness and taste within 110 days from their “Born On” date.
-Budweiser
8 days until the Budweiser Shootout_1/30/04
Dale Earnhardt Jr. prepares for grueling 17 days
If Dale Earnhardt Jr., a night owl at heart, ever buys into the old adage, “Early to
bed, early to rise,” there’s a good chance it will happen in the next two weeks.
Take a peek at his to-do list for the next 17 days:
Five races, 16 practice sessions, two rounds of Bud Pole/Busch Pole qualifying, five
mandatory drivers meetings, a handful of Make-a-Wish appearances, even more media and
sponsor appearances, and – if he has his way – time to enjoy a nice, cold
Budweiser at the end of each day.
Even with a hectic schedule awaiting him, Dale Jr. is primed and ready for his fifth
Daytona Speedweeks. He is the defending race winner in three of the five races he’ll
compete in, starting with the Budweiser Shootout on Sat., Feb. 7.
"I love Speedweeks,” said the driver of the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet. “I'm
ready to get going. I spent the off-season feeling like an unemployed bum, so it's great
to get to the track and get used to the spectacle of the races again. By the end of every
season, you're begging for it to end. But, once the off-season is a few weeks old,
you’re begging to get going again. It's like all of the off-season energy gets
bottled up and it's ready to explode by the time the Shootout gets here."
If that’s truly the case, then Dale Jr. is a ticking time bomb, because the 26th
running of the Budweiser Shootout is only eight days away. He won this race last year
despite drawing the very last starting position, which comes as no surprise given the
superspeedway might of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. But even with past success, Junior
doesn’t underestimate the intricacies of a 70-lap dash for cash.
“The Budweiser Shootout is a true sprint race,” he said. “It’s like
NASCAR’s version of the 40-yard dash. We run wheel to wheel knowing that every inch
we give will be taken. It’s high adrenaline all the time, and that’s the way I
like it. Plus it’s under the lights, and night racing is always fun. It’s pretty
awesome from where I sit, so I'm sure it's cool watching it from the grandstands,
too.”
IT’S NO SECRET … Junior digs white paint schemes, which is just
what he’ll get for Daytona Speedweeks. Inspired by the groundbreaking “Born On
Date” initiative, the Budweiser car will feature a special edition No. 8 Dale
Earnhardt Jr. “Day Fresh” paint scheme in the Budweiser Shootout, the Twin-125
and the Daytona 500. A new “Born On Date” will be applied to the hood for each
race, keeping the car “Day Fresh” throughout Speedweeks. Interestingly enough,
the last time Dale Jr., raced a car with a white paint scheme was in the 2001 Pepsi 400 at
Daytona, which he won.
IF DALE JR. WINS … this year’s Budweiser Shootout, he will be
only the fourth driver in the event’s 26-year history to earn back-to-back wins.
Ironically, it was his victory in the 2003 race that ended the streak of the third driver
to do so – Tony Stewart. Stewart drove the No. 20 Home Depot Pontiac to Shootout wins
in 2001 and 2002. The first repeat winner was Neil Bonnett (1983, 1984) and the second was
Ken Schrader (1989, 1990).
JUNIOR’S SPEEDWEEKS SCHEDULE … was equally as hectic last year,
as he competed in four events and won three of them. With his trio of victories, he joined
his father, Dale Earnhardt, and racing legend Glenn “Fireball” Roberts as the
only drivers to win three races in a single Daytona Speedweeks.
THE No. 8 BUDWEISER TEAM … already has a compelling resume at
Daytona International Speedway with wins in the Pepsi 400 (2001), the Budweiser Shootout
(2003) and the Twin-125s (2003), but one win still eludes Earnhardt and the team –
the Daytona 500.
“The Daytona 500 is a real important race and one of the top two goals of my career,
and that’s probably the same for a lot of other guys in the garage,” Earnhardt
said. “We put a lot of emphasis on winning this race. We test here. We spend probably
25 percent of our company revenue or income on (restrictor)-plate stuff. So a lot goes
into this, and it’s pretty important to all of us.”
ODDS AND ENDS ... Dale Jr.’s 2003 Budweiser Shootout win from 19th
starting position is the deepest starting position of any Shootout winner; however two
other drivers (Dale Earnhardt in 1991 and 1993, and Dale Jarrett in 2000) have gone from
worst-to-first in Shootouts with smaller fields … Junior’s 2003 win marked the
13th Chevrolet victory in 25 Budweiser Shootouts.
The 26th running of the Budweiser Shootout is scheduled for Sat., Feb. 7. It can be seen
live on TNT at 8 p.m. ET. For race tickets, call 1-800-PITSHOP or log on to
www.1-800-Pitshop.com
Anheuser-Busch’s 12 U.S.-based breweries and network of more than 700 wholesalers
reduce delivery time and ensure that fresh beer is in retail accounts shortly after
packaging. As it reads on every beer package, Anheuser-Busch beers including Budweiser are
at their peak of freshness and taste within 110 days from their “Born On” date.
-Budweiser
14 days until the Budweiser Shootout_1/24/04
History and format
No driver knew how to win at Daytona International Speedway quite like Dale Earnhardt, so
it should come to no surprise that “The Intimidator” won more Budweiser
Shootouts than any other driver. In fact, it’s not even close.
The Budweiser Shootout (formerly named the Busch Clash from 1979-97 and the Bud Shootout
from 1998-2000) pits Bud Pole winners from the previous year and former Shootout champions
against each other in a 70-lap all-star race. Earnhardt won the race six times (1980,
1986, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1995). The only other drivers that can boast multiple wins are
Dale Jarrett, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Ken Schrader, and Neil Bonnett, each with two
victories apiece.
Fourteen days from now, Jarrett, Stewart, Gordon and Schrader will have another shot at
chipping into Earnhardt’s record, but it won’t be easy. Of the 22 eligible
drivers, 10 of them have Shootout wins to their resume. That number doesn’t include
legitimate contenders such as Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman.
None of Earnhardt’s victories were back-to-back, meaning the 2004 Budweiser Shootout
will give Dale Earnhardt Jr. a chance to do something his father couldn’t do –
win the race in consecutive years. Junior and the No. 8 Budweiser team rallied from the
back of the pack to hold off Gordon, Matt Kenseth and Newman in the 2003 event. Should he
win in ’04, Dale Jr. will join Bonnett, Schrader and Stewart as the only drivers with
consecutive Shootout victories.
PAST WINNERS:
2003 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Avg. speed: 180.827 mph; runner-up Jeff Gordon)
2002 – Tony Stewart (Avg. speed: 181.295 mph; runner-up Dale Earnhardt Jr.)
2001 – Tony Stewart (Avg. speed: 181.036 mph; runner-up Dale Earnhardt)
2000 – Dale Jarrett (Avg. speed: 182.334 mph; runner-up Jeff Gordon)
1999 – Mark Martin (Avg. speed: 181.745 mph; runner-up Ken Schrader)
1998 – Rusty Wallace (Avg. speed: 178.998 mph; runner-up Kenny Wallace)
1997 – Jeff Gordon (Avg. speed: 185.376 mph; runner-up Rusty Wallace)
1996 – Dale Jarrett (Avg. speed: 184.995 mph; runner-up Sterling Marlin)
1995 – Dale Earnhardt (Avg. speed: 188.877 mph; runner-up Sterling Marlin)
1994 – Jeff Gordon (Avg. speed: 188.877 mph; runner-up Brett Bodine)
1993 – Dale Earnhardt (Avg. speed 186.916 mph; runner-up Ken Schrader)
1992 – Geoffrey Bodine (Avg. speed 189.070 mph; runner-up Ernie Irvan)
1991 – Dale Earnhardt (Avg. speed 189.474 mph; runner-up Mark Martin)
1990 – Ken Schrader (Avg. speed 192.308 mph; runner-up Greg Sacks)
1989 – Ken Schrader (Avg. speed 192.926 mph; runner-up Davey Allison)
1988 – Dale Earnhardt (Avg. speed 191.489 mph; runner-up Davey Allison)
1987 – Bill Elliott (Avg. speed 197.802 mph; runner-up Geoffrey Bodine)
1986 – Dale Earnhardt (Avg. speed 195.865 mph; runner-up Bill Elliott)
1985 – Terry Labonte (Avg. speed 195.865 mph; runner-up Darrell Waltrip)
1984 – Neil Bonnett (Avg. speed 192.926 mph; runner-up Cale Yarborough)
1983 – Neil Bonnett (Avg. speed 192.513 mph; runner-up Darrell Waltrip)
1982 – Bobby Allison (Avg. speed 191.093 mph; runner-up Terry Labonte)
1981 – Darrell Waltrip (Avg. speed 189.076 mph; runner-up Benny Parsons)
1980 – Dale Earnhardt (Avg. speed 191.693 mph; runner-up Neil Bonnett)
1979 – Buddy Baker (Avg. speed 194.384 mph; runner-up Darrell Waltrip)
SHOOTOUT FORMAT: The Budweiser Shootout is 70 laps divided into two
segments. The first segment will consist of 20 laps, followed by a 10-minute intermission.
Teams may make pit stops and do other work that transpires during a normal pit stop during
this time. The second segment will be 50 laps and must end in a green-white-checkered
finish. Caution laps will count toward the total in both segments, so the second segment
may extend beyond the scheduled 70-lap total. In the event of a red flag, crews will be
permitted to work on the cars; however, all work must be performed on pit road or in the
garage. When the race is resumed, all cars must immediately be ready to return to
competition. All re-starts will be double-file re-starts. All lapped cars will re-start at
the rear of the field.
The 26th running of the Budweiser Shootout is scheduled for Sat., Feb. 7. It can be seen
live on TNT at 8 p.m. ET. For race tickets, call 1-800-PITSHOP.
-Budweiser |
|
|
|
 |
|
