Finally, NASCAR -- Bud Shootout '06

After football, there's NASCAR. Who cares about the Pro Bowl? Now it's time to see stock cars go 'round in circles. Some people may not understand the concept, but I've been diggin' it since '01.

Daytona 500 qualifying just got over with, with Jeff Burton, driver of the #31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS for Richard Childress Racing, grabbing the Pole Position.

But now, it's the Bud Shootout, a 70-lap event at the Daytona International Speedway which showcases all of the Bud Pole winners from last year, plus all of the previous Bud Shootout champions.

The driver who I follow, Ryan Newman, is starting 7th (they chose their spots by picking Bud bottle caps with a number stamped underneath them) -- Inside 4th row.

The Shootout was supposed to be run last night, but due to heavy rains in Florida, it was pushed back to this afternoon.

I've got my TrackPass, listening into Newman's communication in the car -- good to go.

All times listing is Central Standard Time (CST).

Pre-Race: My TrackPass is messing up. Although I click on Newman's communication link, I'm getting Jeff Gordon's instead. What a crock.

• TrackPass finally got it fixed (3:41 p.m.)

3:42 p.m.: Green flag drops.

3:45 p.m.: Looks like Ryan's just plowing. He's runing the low-line, not really making any progress towards the front (16 laps to go -- 1st segment). Kenny Schrader still leads.

3:47 p.m.: Matt Kenseth, right in front of Newman, seems to be shooting water from underneath his hood. Overheating? Nothing to worry about -- for now (14 laps to go).

3:48 p.m.: Kenseth slows to the back of the pack to cool down.

3:49 p.m.: Newman in 8th (12 laps to go).

3:50 p.m.: The pack is speading out, Newman in 7th. Schrader still leads (10 laps to go).

3:52 p.m.: The cars are starting to dice it up, with Tony Stewart looking to the inside. Schrader cuts Stewart off going into Turn 3 (8 laps to go).

3:52 p.m.: Penalty? Carl Edwards on apron going into Turn 3, messing things up. Newman loses many spots to avoid trouble. Jimmie Johnson in lead with teammate Jeff Gordon pushing (6 laps to go).

3:54 p.m.: Somebody smokes Newman from the outside, sending him towards the inside wall -- BULLSHIT. Replays shows that Jamie McMurray got into Newman, maybe Brian Vickers got into McMurray a little bit.

3:55 p.m.: Newman over the communication: "Flat tire, a little rear quarterpanel damage." It sounds like nothing major, but Newman will pit. The alltel crew and Newman says that they can continue.

3:56 p.m.: Brian Vickers with considerable damage. Newman pits, changes tires. Rear bumper damage. Scott Riggs stalled.

3:57 p.m.: Newman to pit again to fix damage to the rear of the car.

3:58 p.m.: Commuications tell that they need to get out before pace car to avoid going a lap down. Damage more serious? Spotters are looking at damage, including crew members.

4:00 p.m.: Rear deck-lid (trunk) pushed up a little bit, crew members pushing it back down. Newman still on lead lap.

4:02 p.m.: Newman in 17th place due to multiple pit stops, the last person on the lead lap. Caution flag (yellow) is still out.

4:04 p.m.: 1st segment will finish under the yellow flag. 20 laps complete. Kenny Schrader in the lead.

4:15 p.m.: NASCAR is sending Carl Edwards to the back of the lead lap due to going below yellow line as he was going into Turn 3 (he passed Kasey Kahne while under the yellow line, thus the penalty).

4:18 p.m.: Newman tells his crew that he'll pit in 30 laps (considering that all of the laps are run under green flag conditions). Crew Chief Matt Borland is giving Newman a run-down of the damage on the car.

4:20 p.m.: Pace car is leading the cars around the track prior to the 50-lap segment. TrackPass is listing Newman in 16th place.

4:25 p.m.: Green flag -- 2nd segment begins.

4:25 p.m.: Jimmie Johnson takes lead, with Tony Stewart and Mark Martin close behind.

4:26 p.m.: Cars get "squirrely" in Turns 3 and 4, nearly an accident. Mark Martin nearly gets into Jamie McMurray -- soon afterwards, Jeff Gordon seems to blow an engine.

4:27 p.m.: Caution flag. Newman coming in to get tires and fuel.

4:30 p.m.: Gordon exits car -- done for the day. During the scary moments, cars get up and Gordon get left front bumper into the rear of Matt Kenseth's car, sending debris through Gordon's car.

4:32 p.m.: NASCAR announces that the driver of the #5 car, Kyle Busch, to "settle down."

4:36 p.m.: Still, yellow-flag conditions. TrackPass lists Newman in 12th place (43 laps to go).

4:38 p.m.: Green flag drops, 42 laps to go. Jimmie Johnson is the lead, with Tony Stewart in second.

4:40 p.m.: Mark Martin loses positions, with Newman barely missing him (39 laps to go).

4:41 p.m.: Kyle Busch, Elliot Sadler, Dale Earnhardt Jr., 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place respectively (38 laps to go).

4:42 p.m: Newman in 5th (36 laps to go).

4:44 p.m.: Cars blocking, making moves left-and-right. Michael Waltrip in the lead (33 laps to go).

4:46 p.m.: Pit windows are open (meaning that they can pit for gas now and go the rest of the way 'til the end of the race). 31 laps to go.

4:47 p.m.: Kasey Kahne to the garage (fender rub).

4:47 p.m.: Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart make contact. Busch wants to pit. (30 laps to go)

4:51 p.m.: Newman in 4th. He still hasn't pitted yet.

4:52 p.m.: Carl Edwards serves another penalty for passing below the line (in my opinion, it's a crappy penalty -- Edwards was avoiding a crash!).

4:54 p.m.: Newman pits, following a smokin' Tony Stewart in (22 laps to go).

4:55 p.m.: Pit stops cycle -- all green flag.

4:57 p.m.: Scott Riggs in the lead, but he hasn't pitted yet (20 laps to go).

4:58 p.m.: Newman in 3rd (18 laps to go). Rookie Denny Hamlin in the lead.

5:00 p.m.: Straight-line racing. Hamlin, Stewart, Newman and Martin hold the top spots (15 laps to go).

5:04 p.m.: Newman -- helluva move -- gets around Stewart and Earnhardt Jr. follows (11 to go).

5:05 p.m.: Now, I'm getting nervous! Newman in second (9 laps to go).

5:06 p.m.: Earnhardt Jr. gets into the back of Newman, shoves him into Turn 1. Newman hung out to dry, losing spots (7 laps to go).

5:10 p.m.: Newman into wall off Turn 2. Caution flag flies (3 laps to go). Possible right-front tire down.

5:11 p.m.: Crew chief Borland tells Newman that there is going to be a green-white-checkered situation.

5:12 p.m.: Pit stops under caution.

5:15 p.m.: Newman takes car to the garage, ending his day (Shit.). Newman will probably finish 21st (out of 21).

5:16 p.m.: Green flag. Stewart in the lead (2 laps to go).

5:18 p.m: Rookie Denny Hamlin wins the 2006 Budweiser Shootout. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finishes 2nd, and Hamlin's teammate, Tony Stewart gets 3rd.

5:20 p.m.: Hamlin does his first burnout in the NEXTEL Cup series, blowing out his right-rear tire.

Overall:

• I almost have to agree with Tony Stewart's post-race comments about somebody is going to get killed at Daytona (or Talladega for that matter) about all the beating and banging that's going on the track. Now days, it seems like drivers are more aggressive as ever -- not really learning any of the key lessons from the fall Talladega race last year.
• Ryan Newman still looks good on the restrictor plate tracks, continuing off last year's improvments. As long as he stays in the right place at the same time, Newman should wrap up a Top-10 in next Sunday's Daytona 500.