2002 Budweiser Shootout
The 2002 Budweiser Shootout was the first exhibition stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 24th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, February 10, 2002, in Daytona Beach, Florida, at Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5-mile (4.0-km) permanent triangular-shaped superspeedway. The race took the scheduled 70 laps to complete. At race's end, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Tony Stewart would manage to dominate the second half of the race to take his second career Budweiser Shootout victory.[1][2] To fill out the top three, Dale Earnhardt, Inc. driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon would finish second and third, respectively.
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 of 2 exhibition races of the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
| Date | February 10, 2002 | ||
| Official name | 24th Annual Budweiser Shootout | ||
| Location | Daytona Beach, Florida, Daytona International Speedway | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4.0 km) | ||
| Distance | 70 laps, 175 mi (281.635 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 70 laps, 175 mi (281.635 km) | ||
| Average speed | 181.295 miles per hour (291.766 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Roush Racing | ||
| Grid positions set by ballot | |||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Laps | 31 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | TNT | ||
| Announcers | Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons, Wally Dallenbach Jr. | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Motor Racing Network | ||
Background
Daytona International Speedway is one of three superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the other two being Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.[3] The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees.[4]
Format and eligibility
Caution laps would be counted, but the finish had to be under green, with the Truck Series green-white-checker rule used if necessary. A minimum of one two-tire green flag pit stop was required. The Bud Shootout Qualifier was discontinued because second round qualifying for Cup races had been eliminated.
Pole winners of the previous season were automatically eligible for the race. Then, previous winners who had not already qualified would receive automatic berths.
Entry list
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
Lineup
The starting lineup for the race was set by a random draw. Roush Racing driver Kurt Busch would manage to draw pole.[5]
Race results
References
- Fofaria, Rupen (February 11, 2002). "Shootout win for Stewart". The News and Observer. pp. D6. Retrieved October 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- Kirth, Joanne (February 11, 2002). "Stewart holds off charger". Tampa Bay Times. p. 28. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- "NASCAR.COM : Tracks". 2010-08-11. Archived from the original on 11 August 2010. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
- "Daytona International Speedway: The World Center of Racing". 2010-08-30. Archived from the original on 30 August 2010. Retrieved 2021-09-28.
- Poole, David (February 7, 2002). "Busch gets pole for Sunday's Shootout". That's Racin'. The Charlotte Observer. Archived from the original on October 6, 2003. Retrieved October 9, 2022.