Carl Edwards is the man that will lead the 24-car field to the green flag in the annual Budweiser Shootout at Daytona this Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway. Edwards secured the top starting spot through the random selection process that took place on Thursday night at the Speed Stage.
The starting lineup was determined at the annual Budweiser Shootout Draw Party on Thursday night during which the participating drivers selected a Budweiser bottle containing a numbered flag. The number serves as the driver’s starting position.
Edwards was the sixth driver to participate in the annual draw party. Edwards, who makes his fourth career start in the Budweiser Shootout on Saturday night, said the top starting spot will be a nice way to kick off the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
“This is pretty cool because it’s the first race of the season and we get to be up front,” Edwards said. “We want to get a win as soon as we can and starting up front is a great way to start to get to that goal.”
In keeping with the celebratory mood of the annual Draw Party, Edwards light-heartedly discussed his selection strategy.
“I was just drawn to this particular bottle,” Edwards joked. “I guess I’m pretty good at selection poles. It’s definitely a lot easier than qualifying on speed but hey, it’s a pole and we’re proud of it.”
The 2009 Budweiser Shootout winner Kevin Harvick did not participate in Shootout practice on Thursday and could not attend the draw after battling flu-like symptoms all day. His crew chief Gil Martin participated in the selection process in Harvick’s place and put forth an excellent effort by drawing the second starting position.
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