NASCAR Nextel Cup 2004 Budweiser Shootout - February 7 , TNT race start 8pmET 5pmPT

NASCAR.com ^ | 2/6/04

[NormsRevenge]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- When you boil it all down, the Budweiser Shootout is nothing but a glorified practice among 19 drivers to see who has the best Daytona 500 backup car.

So why is it always so intense?

Why do 22 drivers -- pole winner from 2003 and previous Shootout winners -- go after it so hard?

Well, it's simple. It's a race. There's money on the line. Did we mention it was a race?

"It's like a bar fight, but the car takes the beating," defending Budweiser Shootout winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. said.

[alancarp]

green/green/green - 7 laps

[GRRRRR]

Lights OUT on the pace car..here we go again...

GREEEEEN
7 laps to go.

[countrydummy]

Enjoy! This is so good!

[steveegg]

3-wide at the front, Texas Terry takes the lead.

[alancarp]

18 cars glued together - 3 wide

[ChefKeith]

Yeah like that

[steveegg]

5 to go; Harvick to the lead on the outside.

[alancarp]

#2 is second or third. Where'd he come from?

[NormsRevenge]

wow.. 5 to go harvick

[glock rocks]

insane!

[sultan88]

I'm in the Fantasy chase again.

Bodines Secret Sponsor.

[alancarp]

There's gonna be a collection taken up before this is over...

[GRRRRR]

Holy Moly...bumper to bumper...Harvick up front, the rest of them are just jamming bumpers under backends to get each other out of the way...lots of contact and rust takes 2nd behind KevinH.

[steveegg]

It's Daytona; we've already had a leader drop to 18th on the next lap.

Loads of contact in the pack, and Rusty to 2nd. 3 1/2 to go.

[NormsRevenge]

bumper cars Nascar style .. 190 mph

[steveegg]

Harvick/DJ/Jr nose-to-tail; Harvick sitll leading, 3 to go.

[alancarp]

Old guys reunion going to the front: #5, #2, #88

[steveegg]

2 to go; 29, then 2-by-2.

[steveegg]

2-by-2 down the backstretch; Harvick hangs on to the lead, white flag.

[GRRRRR]

One to go, 29 and 88 side by side...thisisnuts