2012 Budweiser Shootout

The 2012 Budweiser Shootout was a stock car race and the first exhibition event of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It was held on February 18, 2012 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, before a crowd of 82,000. The 82-lap race was won by Kyle Busch of the Joe Gibbs Racing team. It was Busch's first victory in the event; Tony Stewart finished second and Marcos Ambrose came in third.

Pole position driver Martin Truex, Jr. was immediately passed by Jeff Gordon before the first turn, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. led at the end of the first lap. On the ninth lap, a multiple-car accident prompted the first caution flag. Sixteen laps later the second caution was issued, with Jamie McMurray leading. During the caution period, all teams made pit stops. On lap 62 Gordon reclaimed the lead, holding it until he was involved in an accident (the race's final caution). Stewart took the lead, holding it until the final lap when Busch passed him to win. Five cautions were issued during the race, which saw twenty-six lead changes by thirteen different drivers and attracted 7.46 million television viewers.

Sprint Unlimited

The Sprint Unlimited is an annual invitation-only NASCAR Sprint Cup Series exhibition event held at Daytona International Speedway in February, the weekend before the Daytona 500. It is the first competitive event of the season and serves as a kickoff event for the NASCAR portion of Speedweeks.

The event was originally known as the Busch Clash, and consisted of a 20-lap/50-mile, "all-out sprint" for the previous season's pole position winners (considered the de facto "fastest drivers on the circuit"). In its current format, it is made up of three segments, culminating in a 20-lap sprint to the finish. Like the All-Star Race held at Charlotte, the race awards no championship points but instead offers a large cash purse – circumstances which are supposed to encourage an all-out driving style not seen in regular-season races.

As of 2015, the field consists of the 25 drivers who were a part of the Chase the previous season, as well as pole winners from the previous season, former Daytona 500 pole winners, former Sprint Unlimited winners, and the Chase contenders. The starting lineup is determined by random draw, not by time trials as all other races are determined.

Sprint Cup

Sprint Cup may refer to:

See also

Michael Waltrip

Michael Curtis Waltrip (born April 30, 1963) is an American professional stock car racing driver, co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing, racing commentator, and published author. He is the younger brother of three-time NASCAR champion and racing commentator Darrell Waltrip. Waltrip is a two-time winner of the Daytona 500; having won the race in 2001 and 2003. He is also a pre-race analyst for Fox NASCAR. He currently drives on a limited basis in the No. 83 Toyota Camry for BK Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. At 6 foot, 5 inches, he is the tallest active NASCAR driver.

Racing career

Beginnings

According to his autobiography In the Blink of An Eye, Waltrip's career started at age 15. When he was 15 he phoned his older brother Darrell Waltrip, who was out racing in the 1978 Daytona 500 and asked Darrell to help him build a career in NASCAR. Darrell, however, claimed he had no time to help him and advised that Michael focused on school. When Michael asked his dad for help, his dad ignored his requests. With none of his parental figures helping him, Michael built his racing career all by himself with influence & help from his older brother Bobby Waltrip, who was very close to him in childhood. He began building a career by racing go-karts at carnivals and various racing clubs around his hometown. He won many races and thanks to Bobby's help was noticed by rising hotshot star Dale Earnhardt. When Waltrip moved out of his house, he moved in with Kyle Petty and then he ultimately ended up living with Richard Petty as a roommate. When Michael explained to Petty that he was going to try the Busch Series (now the Xfinity Series) to build his NASCAR career, Petty told Michael he was "wasting his time" and advised that Michael immediately went for the Cup Series ride.

Kyle Busch

Kyle Thomas Busch (born May 2, 1985) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He currently drives the No. 18 Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the No. 18 Camry in the Xfinity Series for Joe Gibbs Racing. He also owns Kyle Busch Motorsports, which runs multiple trucks in the Camping World Truck Series. Busch is the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.

Busch is the younger brother of 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series (currently known as the Sprint Cup Series) champion Kurt Busch. He also currently holds several records in NASCAR competition, including one for the most wins in all three of NASCAR's national touring series, with 154 wins, and another for the most race wins in a season across the top three NASCAR series, with 24 wins, which he accomplished in 2010. In 2009, Busch became the first driver to win two NASCAR's top touring series races in the same day, when he won Craftsman Truck Series race at Auto Club Speedway in the afternoon and Nationwide Series race in the evening at the same track. In 2010, he won all three of NASCAR's top three touring series in the same weekend (at Bristol). Furthermore, he holds the record for the most NASCAR Xfinity Series wins in a season with 13 in 2010, and the most overall with 76.