Bud Shootout field set

Twenty-eight drivers, including the majority of the big names in the Sprint Cup, will compete in next weekend's shootout which will give the first indication of performance due to the testing ban put in place by NASCAR for this year.

In the past, drivers were selected based on the pole position winners from the previous year and past champions of the shootout, but this season the top six cars from each manufacturer, based on the 2008 owner standings will enter the event. All manufacturers are also allowed a wild-card entry.

Roush Fenway Racing will have all of their five drivers competing, led by last year's championship runner-up Carl Edwards. The Yates cars of former Cup champion Bobby Labonte and Paul Menard complete Ford's line up.

Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing will each field three cars, although Hendrick will not have their full line up competing, as due to the selection criteria, the No.5 of Martin is not eligible.

Getting in the field for the race through the wild-card entry for Chevrolet is former shootout winner and two-time champion Tony Stewart, who will race for his own team for the first time in Saturday night's event.

Toyota will be led by all three Joe Gibbs Racing machines, the two Red Bull Racing Team cars, plus two Michael Waltrip Racing entries. Stewart's replacement at JGR, teenager Joey Logano will be in the race, as well as his main opponent for Rookie of the Year honours, Red Bull's Scott Speed.

Dodge will be represented by both Penske drivers, including David Stremme who will drive for the first time in a Cup event after replacing last year's Daytona 500 winner Newman, who is not eligible to race under the new rules. All Richard Petty Motorsports cars will also be in the field and Robby Gordon completes the Dodge line up.

Last year's winner Dale Earnhardt Jr says the shootout will not necessarily show how strong everyone is ahead of the season-opening Daytona 500, which takes place a week later.

"It doesn't necessarily determine how the rest of your Speedweek will go, because we run different cars for the Daytona 500," Earnhardt said. "But it's the opening act of a new season and everyone wants to start off with a bang. I guess it's more important for bragging rights."

The race will consist of two segments, the first of 25 laps and the second of 50 laps, split by a 10-minute pit stop.

Entry
00 David Reutimann     Toyota
2  Kurt Busch          Dodge
6  David Ragan         Ford
7  Robby Gordon        Dodge
07 Casey Mears         Chevy
9  Kasey Kahne         Dodge
11 Denny Hamlin        Toyota
12 David Stremme       Dodge
14 Tony Stewart        Chevy
16 Greg Biffle         Ford
17 Matt Kenseth        Ford
18 Kyle Busch          Toyota
19 Elliott Sadler      Dodge
20 Joey Logano         Toyota
24 Jeff Gordon         Chevy
26 Jamie McMurray      Ford
29 Kevin Harvick       Chevy
31 Jeff Burton         Chevy
43 Reed Sorenson       Dodge
44 A J Allmendinger    Dodge
48 Jimmie Johnson      Chevy
55 Michael Waltrip     Toyota
82 Scott Speed         Toyota
83 Brian Vickers       Toyota
88 Dale Earnhardt Jr   Chevy
96 Bobby Labonte       Ford
98 Paul Menard         Ford
99 Carl Edwards        Ford