NASCAR: Bud Shootout Tidbits
• Eighty-eight drivers have participated in the Budweiser Shootout races, totaling 423 entries; 42 of those drivers have participated in two or less; 28 in only one.
• The number of participants has ranged from a low of seven in 1981 to a high of 22 in 2002.
• The drivers who have participated in the event the most times:
o Bill Elliott (22)
o Mark Martin (20)
o Rusty Wallace (19)
o Ken Schrader (17)
o Geoffrey Bodine (16)
o Ricky Rudd (16)
• Mark Martin has appeared in the most consecutive Shootouts (19 straight events since 1989).
• Sixteen different drivers have won the event, led by Dale Earnhardt with six victories. Dale Jarrett and Tony Stewart are tied for second in Budweiser Shootout victories with three each.
• There have been six multiple winners:
o Tony Stewart has won three of the last seven Budweiser Shootouts (2001, 2002 and 2007).
o Dale Earnhardt won six of the 23 races between 1979 and 2001. His six victories came in 12 Bud Shootout appearances.
o Dale Jarrett won in 1996, 2000 and 2004 while Jeff Gordon won in 1994 and 1997.
o The only other multiple winners: Neil Bonnett (1983 and 1984) and Ken Schrader, (1989 and 1990) and along with Stewart are also the only drivers to win back-to-back races.
• Buddy Baker (1979), Dale Earnhardt (1980), Jeff Gordon (1994), Dale Jarrett (1996) and Denny Hamlin (2006) all won the first Budweiser Shootout in which they competed. Hamlin is the only driver to compete in the event in his official rookie season.
• Dale Earnhardt had an average finish of 2.75 in 12 appearances, the best of any driver.
• Tony Stewart has an average finish of 4.50 in his eight appearances, the best of active drivers.
• Jimmie Johnson has finished in the top 10 in all five of his appearances.
• Ten of the 12 drivers that have participated in 10 or more Budweiser Shootouts have all posted an average finish of better than 10th.
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