A-B, Daytona Int'l Speedway Announce Changes For Bud Shootout

TAPPED OUT: Ponturo said, "We have talked about how to keep the Shootout fresh anyway. I won't kid you that Coors having the pole winner created a faster dialogue on how to address it" (USA TODAY, 8/27). In Florida, Mark DeCotis notes with pole winners from the previous year not automatically qualifying for the race, '08 pole winners such as Joe Nemechek, Patrick Carpentier and Paul Menard likely will be excluded from the event. Hunter said, "Obviously, if I was Joe Nemechek or someone else who might be affected adversely, I wouldn't be too happy about it. But change occurs and this is a non-points event, this is a special event" (FLORIDA TODAY, 8/27). But Nemechek said, "Now winning a pole doesn't mean anything. Being in that race has always been a big bonus for the teams. ... Shame on NASCAR. It should have sold the whole [beer sponsorship] to Coors and not Mickey Moused around with a half-and-half deal. It's disappointing it has turned out the way it did" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 8/27). 

UNDERAGE SERVICE: Joey Logano, who at 18 years old will drive Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 20 car next year, will be part of the Budweiser Shootout, and in Daytona Beach, Godwin Kelly reports if Logano "should win the race, Victory Lane would have to be stripped of Budweiser paraphernalia" due to his age (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 8/27). Ponturo said of Logano, "From time to time you'll have underage winners. You address it accordingly, but it certainly doesn't make you run the other way" (FLORIDA TODAY, 8/27).

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