Michael Waltrip Racing Post Budweiser Shootout Draw Party Report

Michael Waltrip Racing driver Michael Waltrip drew the 15th-starting spot during tonight’s Budweiser Shootout Draw Party at Daytona International Speedway. The number means a lot to the NAPA driver as it was his car number when he drove the NAPA car to two Daytona 500 victories for Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI). Opening the pole-winning bottle was Carl Edwards. Waltrip will be behind the wheel of the No. 51 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota for Saturday night’s main event and will have crew chief Pat Tryson calling the shots from on top of the NAPA pit box.

Broadcast coverage of the Budweiser Shootout gets underway at 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and Sirius XM Satellite Radio channel 128.

WALTRIP ON RUNNING DAYTONA TODAY: “I had so much fun during the Bud Shootout practices. The NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota felt good. It was really fast. I am looking forward to Saturday night.”

WALTRIP ON DRAWING 15TH: “I switched numbers because when I left DEI, I wanted to take the number 15 with me. But now I am glad it didn’t work out that way. In honor of Dale Earnhardt, I switched my old number around to 51 for
Daytona Speedweeks. It’s my tribute to my buddy Dale Earnhardt.”

BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT QUALIFYING NOTES:

The Budweiser Shootout will feature a star-studded lineup with new criteria for the 2010 edition of the non-points race. Drivers eligible include:
• The 12 drivers who qualified for the 2009 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup• Past NASCAR Sprint Cup champions• Past Budweiser Shootout champions• Past Daytona 500 and Coke Zero Powered by Coca-Cola champions• The reigning Raybestos Rookie of the Year

Drivers eligible for the 2010 Budweiser Shootout 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup driversJimmie JohnsonMark MartinJeff GordonKurt BuschDenny HamlinTony StewartGreg BiffleJuan Pablo Montoya Ryan NewmanKasey KahneCarl EdwardsBrian Vickers
Others – criteria filled in parentheses John Andretti (Coke Zero 400 Powered By Coca-Cola)Geoff Bodine (Daytona 500, Budweiser Shootout)Jeff Burton (Coke Zero 400)Kyle Busch (Coke Zero 400)Derrike Cope (Daytona 500)Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400, Budweiser Shootout)Bill Elliott (Series champion, Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400, Budweiser Shootout)Kevin Harvick (Daytona 500, Budweiser Shootout)Matt Kenseth (Series champion, Daytona 500)Bobby Labonte (Series champion)Terry Labonte (Series champion, Budweiser Shootout)Joey Logano (Reigning Raybestos Rookie of the Year)Sterling Marlin (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400)Jamie McMurray (Coke Zero 400)Ken Schrader (Budweiser Shootout)Michael Waltrip (Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400)
• Eligibility based on a driver having competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series within the last two seasons.

BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT LINEUP— Daytona International Speedway

1. Carl Edwards
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Brian Vickers
4. Ryan Newman
5. Greg Biffle
6. Mark Martin
7. Jeff Burton
8. Matt Kenseth
9. Jamie McMurray
10. John Andretti
11. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
12. Bobby Labonte
13. Tony Stewart
14. Ken Schrader
15. Michael Waltrip
16. Jimmie Johnson
17. Kyle Busch
18. Derrike Cope
19. Kasey Kahne
20. Juan Pablo Montoya
21. Joey Logano
22. Kurt Busch
23. Jeff Gordon24. Denny Hamlin