Why I think the 2011 Budweiser Shootout rules were changed

In 2011 there will tons of drivers in the season opening Budweiser Shootout. The field will consist of 30 drivers which is nearly a full NASCAR field.

So why did NASCAR change the rules this year? I’ll tell you why and it has nothing to do with Kevin Conway. Kevin Conway would be in the field under the 2010 rules as rookie of the year. I feel the rules were changed for one driver in particular and he is  (insert dramatic music), Joey Logano.

Joey Logano wouldn’t be eligible this year if NASCAR didn’t change the rules. He’s in under the provision that the field is expanded to include the last ten rookies of the year!!!! Home Depot is a super sponsor and NASCAR is in the business of making money. If Joey Logano wasn’t in the field do you really think they would be happy handing money to NASCAR for their SPEED pre-race show sponsorship and all the Home Deport commercials that will air?

Last year Joey Logano wasn’t eligible either but was swept in by NASCAR’s 2010 Bud Shootout rule changes. Everyone was so focused on Junior getting in that people didn’t pay attention that the new rules got Logano in also.

Other preferential treatment of Logano that leads me to this theory is that last year he wrecked Montoya under caution at Homestead and this incident hasn’t been covered by NASCAR at all. What Logano did to Montoya was twice as bad as what Reutimann did to Kyle Busch at Kansas.

One other thing that I question about preferential treatment to Logano was his 2009 All-Star race appearance. I find it hard to believe that fans would vote in a rookie who up to that point in time was very uncompetitive. To me  that has never added up. I think there might be more to the story if you know what I mean.