Schrader Out in Front for Shootout
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Daytona Beach, FL (Sports Network) - Veteran Ken Schrader will start on the pole for Saturday night's 28th running of the pre-season Budweiser Shootout at the Daytona International Speedway. The No.21 Wood Brothers Ford driver will lead 21 cars to the green flag.

Schrader, in his 22nd season of Nextel Cup racing but his first in the No.21 Ford, drew the top spot in a lottery. He has won the race twice, from the pole in 1989 and again the following season.

Jimmie Johnson won last year's event, beating Ryan Newman to the checkered flag by 0.199 seconds. It was the Hendrick Motorsports driver's first "Shootout" win and earned him a cool $212,945.

The defending champion will start alongside Schrader in the second position.

Two-time Nextel Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Joe Nemechek will start in row two.

Other former Budweiser Shootout champions in the field include Dale Jarrett (1996, 2000, 2004), Mark Martin (1999), Jeff Gordon (1994, 1997) and Bill Elliott (1987).

The race does not count in the standings, however seven times the Budweiser Shootout winner has gone on to win the Nextel Cup title. The last time that happened was in 2002 when Stewart won his second consecutive "Shootout" and went on to win the first "Cup" crown.

Dale Earnhardt, who holds the record with six Shootout wins, parlayed the victory into a championship title four times (1980, 1981, 1986, 1993).

The race is scheduled to begin on Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. (et).