Carl Edwards Budweiser Shootout Preview

Carl Edwards is 12/1 to win the Budweiser Shootout (Getty)

Carl Edwards
Team: No. 99 Fastenal Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Bob Osborne
Chassis: RK-799, New chassis

QUOTES


Carl Edwards on racing in the Shootout at Daytona International Speedway:
“I’m excited to get the 2012 season started. For the last year-and-a-half we’ve been strong at almost every track we’ve gone to. The Shootout is a fun race and I’m going to go win it if I can, and I’m excited to kick off the season with a fun race like that. It will be good practice to see what our cars can do before we race in the Duels the following week.”


Crew chief Bob Osborne on racing at Daytona International Speedway:
“The Shootout is a good test to help us prepare for the Duels and the 500. Generally the set-up is very close to what we run in both races. It’s also a good warm-up for the pit crew. We’ve got one new guy (rear tire carrier) going over the wall this year and one still out recovering from off-season surgery, so it gives everyone a chance to work together for the first time under race conditions. I’m hoping to pick up where we left off last season.”

FAST FACTS

* CARL EDWARDS will make his sixth start in the Budweiser Shootout Saturday night. His best finish to date is seventh in 2009. He has led 54 laps in his previous five starts.

* 2011 STATS…Last season Edwards accumulated one win, 19 top-five, 26 top-10 finishes and three poles. He led 903 laps of competition to finish second in the Sprint Cup point standings based on a tiebreaker.

* FOR THE RECORD…Edwards’ average start at Daytona International Speedway is 17.6, his average finish is 17.9. Edwards’ best finish at Daytona is second place, captured in last year’s Daytona 500 (and in July 2008).

* ON THE TRACK… The No. 99 Fastenal crew will unload RK-799 for the Shootout. This is a brand new car for 2012.

* REWIND, SHOOTOUT, 2011… It was a short night for Edwards in the season-opening Budweiser Shootout. He started third but ended up 21st after an accident on lap 28 took him out of contention.

- Roush Fenway Racing Press Release