Geoffrey Bodine on the Pole for Budweiser Shootout

Geoffrey Bodine

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (Feb. 6, 2003) -- Geoffrey Bodine showed the magic touch on Thursday as he was awarded the pole for the 25th annual Budweiser Shootout through a random drawing.

Bodine, who'll be driving the No. 11 Hooters Ford that's owned by his brother Brett, earned a spot in the inaugural nighttime running of the Budweiser Shootout through his victory in the All-Star race in 1992.

Starting on the outside pole will be Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Home Improvement Chevrolet. Rounding out the top five are Kurt Busch, Ricky Rudd and Matt Kenseth. "We start on the pole, maybe we can end up there," Bodine said.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 8 Budweiser Shootout, was awarded the 19th position, last on the starting grid.

"It can't get any worse," Earnhardt Jr. said.

For the first time in the history of the event, the Budweiser Shootout will be held under the lights on Saturday at 8 p.m. and will be televised by FOX Sports in prime time.

The Budweiser Shootout has been traditionally scheduled during Speedweeks on a Sunday afternoon, a week before the Daytona 500. But the 70-lap non-points race that will kick off the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season will now run under the Speedway's lighting system.

The race will also have a new format that will feature a break after the first 20 laps of the race. Drivers and crews will have a 10-minute period where they can service their cars with tires, fuel or any minor adjustments for the final 50 laps.

After the 10-minute break, cars will return to the track for a double-file restart in the same order as they were at the end of the first 20 laps. Since cars will be running a smaller fuel cell, fans may see another pit stop in the final 50 laps, which must end in a green-white-checkered finish.

Advance Discount Auto Parts 200 qualifying: In qualifying for the Advance Discount Auto Parts 200 ARCA RE/MAX Series, two-time race winner and defending champion Bobby Gerhart earned the pole with a speed of 184.245 mph.

Rounding out the top five were Billy Venturni (184.158), Chase Montgomery (183.726), Jeremy Clements (183.486) and Jason Jarrett (183.385). Other notable starters in the field include Christian Fittipaldi (seventh), Deborah Renshaw (10th), Shawna Robinson (13th), Frank Kimmel (15th), Rick Carelli (27th) and Greg Sacks (30th).

Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert: During NASCAR Media Day, Teresa Earnhardt announced the first four musical acts to have committed to the inaugural Dale Earnhardt Tribute Concert at the Speedway on June 28. Alabama, Kenny Chesney, Sheryl Crow and Brooks & Dunn have committed to the all-star fundraising concert that will honor the seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup Series. The concert will start at 3 p.m. and the music will continue through the night. Tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster outlets beginning on March 22.

Tickets for any of the Speedweeks events are available online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling the Speedway ticket office at (386) 253-7223.