Race 2 Win: Budweiser Shootout Notes

Nextel Cup Series

Budweiser Shootout - Jeff Burton Notes

Jeff Burton
No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet

Event/Date: Budweiser Shootout – February 10, 2007
Venue: Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Fla.

NOTES:

This Week’s Race Car at Daytona International Speedway … Jeff Burton will pilot chassis No. 145 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable, a car that was taken from the No. 29 fleet.

Stat Facts …
o Burton gained entry into this year’s Budweiser Shootout by capturing the top starting spot in four events during the 2006 NASCAR season – Daytona 1, Chicago, Indianapolis and Michigan 2. In 13 full seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series, Burton recorded the most poles in one season last year.
o This will be Burton’s third appearance in the annual running of the Budweiser Shootout. He competed in the 1997 and 2001 events by capturing the pole positions at Michigan in 1996 and Richmond in 2000.

Five Shootout Wins for RCR … Dating back to 1986, RCR has captured five Budweiser Shootout victories – 1986, 1988, 1991, 1993 and 1995 – with driver Dale Earnhardt.

All in the Family … RCR has had an entry in 20 of 28 Budweiser Shootout events. Additionally, 2007 will mark only the fourth time RCR has had two drivers in the race – Burton’s teammate Kevin Harvick will be behind the wheel of the No. 29 Shell Chevrolet. The last time this occurred was in 2001 when Mike Skinner and Dale Earnhardt competed in the event.

Young Gun … Timothy Peters, the latest addition to RCR’s stable of drivers, will make his second ARCA start behind the wheel of the No. 31 Okuma/Cometic Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in the ARCA 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Live coverage of the event begins Saturday, February 10 at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on SPEED.

Qualifying Draw … Budweiser’s annual Draw Party will take place Thursday, February 8 at the SPEED stage located outside the turn four tunnel. Burton, along with other eligible drivers, will draw his starting position for Saturday night’s running of the Budweiser Shootout. This year’s Draw Party will be televised on SPEED beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST.

On Stage … Fans can see Burton live Saturday, February 10 at 5 p.m. on the Chevy Stage, located in the merchandise area outside turn four at DIS. Burton will be part of a question and answer session hosted by Chevrolet.

Catch the Action … Live coverage of the Budweiser Shootout begins Saturday, February 10 at 8 p.m. EST on FOX. The race will be covered live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio beginning at 7:15 p.m. EST.

JEFF BURTON QUOTES:

Winning four poles last year was not only a personal record, but a guaranteed spot in this year’s Bud Shootout. What are your thoughts on competing in your third Shootout? “I am really looking forward to it. I hate going to Daytona when there is a race running and I’m not in it. This year we’re able to go down there and get a race in before the year starts and I think that’s a really good thing. I’m excited about it. It was really cool last year to have the No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet sit on four poles. I never thought that I would be able to accomplish that. One of the team’s goals was to get in the Bud Shootout, so we got that done. The Shootout is a fun race to watch and hopefully it’s more fun to be a part of.”

Do you look at running in the Bud Shootout as a good tune-up for the start of the season? “I think the more you can race, the better. Early in the year, I like to race and get into it. You can’t simulate a race no matter how much testing you do. For me, I like to get going, get my juices flowing. It’s definitely an advantage, not only for the driver but for the crew chief and team, as well. They get to call the race, pit the car and do all the things they can do in order to prepare themselves for the Gatorade Duel 150’s and the Daytona 500.”

Talk about capturing your first pole last year for the Daytona 500. “It was pretty cool. We talked a lot about being a better race team, how to prepare for the year and then we captured the pole. It was fun to be a part of. It was exciting to sit on the pole for the biggest race of the year. It was cool to get the race started and pacing the field to the green flag was neat. But what I remember most about Daytona was not running very well and sitting on the pole didn’t get us a whole lot.”

RICHARD CHILDRESS QUOTE:

RCR was classified as the comeback story of the year last year. How do you feel about your teams this year? “I feel real good about it. We are excited about this year. Our test sessions went well this winter although we would have liked to have been a little better in a couple of situations. I think if we have the same car, same engines and everything going into this coming year, we will definitely be a contender. We’re no different than any other team out there. There are a lot of unknowns – the new Impala SS Car of Tomorrow, the R07 Chevrolet engine – but I feel that we are as prepared as any team out there.”