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.

[Uncle George]

And that 120 octane push water won't be UNION GASOLINE anymore. They quit the gas givaway business.

[steveegg]

We're only taking a few hundred thousand for a suite :-)

Now who was talking about a get-together at a track last year?

[NormsRevenge]

LOL.. Sounds like fun, I know having a get together at a race has been discussed before, The farthest East us Left Coasters would go is Las Vegas... wellll maybe Texas :-]

[tubebender]

I can borrow a tent we can pitch. My daughter and family still uses the tent we purchased in 1968. They don't make em like they used to...

[NormsRevenge]

ChefKeith, I think it was. Vegas or Ontario or Napa would be fun.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Nuht-uh...are you sure about that? They have some small suites.

Okay...anyone want to treat? :)

[tubebender]

If we meet at Redwood Acres I can supply box seats for the Street Stocks...

[Vigilantcitizen]

"I can borrow a tent we can pitch. My daughter and family still uses the tent we purchased in 1968. They don't make em like they used to..."

I know...my new 3 room dome tent(with moonroof) doesn't leak like the old canvas tents do. Plus, Ms. VC can set it up alone in a matter of minutes.(She's faster at it than me.)

:)

[NormsRevenge]

We're not going to Africa , tents? I'm sleeping in an RV with a microwave and a big fridge for ,, uhnmmmm ,,, beverages .. or I'm staying home... :-D

[tubebender]

I wonder if there is a government program for me to up grade the tent...

[steveegg]

NASCAR...everything else is just a game! (Is it time yet? Is it? Is it? Is it?)

It's almost time (T-minus 22:37 and counting)

[Vigilantcitizen]

"I wonder if there is a government program for me to up grade the tent..."

Call it therapy, and maybe the new medicare bill will cover it? :)

[steveegg]

I thought Rusty was providing the beverages (or was that just last year :-)

[NormsRevenge]

LOL.. It's Junior's turn.

He is in for some competition this year. Hope he can keep focused and not get distracted by his outside stuff. He and RocketMan should be fun to watch.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Dh and I went "camping" in AZ once. Dh borrowed the "tent" from MWR on base.

When we got there, I unpacked the "tent" and asked dh to show me how to put together the 4 sticks and canvas tarp.

Ooopsie - someone at MWR gave us the wrong bag. Luckily someone in a motor home had a tent for us to borrow.

[steveegg]

I was hoping that Sterling Marlin would bring home the beer this time (of course, that means that Rusty will finally get a win now that all the pressure is on the other beermen :-)

As long as Jr keeps the fenders on the car and all 8 cylinders running the first 26 races, he'll be in good shape for the last 10 that matter.

[Pete-R-Bilt]

specially when your walking to the entry gate from the parking lot and you can hear a car winding the motor up to about 8500 and that first wiff of 103 octane hits your nose, and you see a group of mid twenty year olds walking by in short, shorts. mmmmmmmmmm racing

[WestCoastGal]

I didn't know Ty Norris resigned from DEI. Richie Gilmore has taken his place. Jr has a new spotter named Stevie Reeves. I noticed in practice today they had a miscommunication already because Jr expects his spotter to say whether a car is still there or not and not just "clear". Jr had a small bump with another car on his left rear today. I guess it will take them a little time to get used to each other, but Daytona is not a good place to start.

[ChefKeith]

Now I'm starting to slobber!

Btw Lake Loydd was where they got the fill to create the banking for the turns.

Sorry I'm late- been running a trencher today for the new sewer line.

Yes it was Me that mentioned the FR race weekend last season.

[WSGilcrest]

Hi folks. Checkin' in. I'll be watching the race tommorrow with a bunch of non-racing-fans. I don't know how I'm gonna stand it. At least I'll be the smartest guy there!


STILL LOTS OF ROOM IN THE FANTASY LEAGUE!!

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