Budweiser Shootout To Have Different Look, New Format In '09

By Michael Smith, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

A-B, NASCAR Changing Up Format, Look Of Budweiser Shootout

The '09 Budweiser Shootout will have a different race format and a new method for qualifying. NASCAR's top officials, from Chair & CEO Brian France to President Mike Helton, have worked with Anheuser-Busch and Daytona Int'l Speedway (DIS) to recreate the event as part of A-B's sponsorship renewal with DIS. In the past, pole winners from the previous year have automatically qualified for the non-points race, which is considered the unofficial kickoff to the Sprint Cup season. But when Coors replaced Bud as the official beer of NASCAR and took over entitlement of the Coors Light Pole Award, A-B sought to separate its marquee event from the award. The specifics of those changes are still being finalized. Changes are expected to be announced later this month. The '09 race is scheduled for February 7, the weekend prior to the Daytona 500.