2012 Budweiser Shootout just another NASCAR race
At one time you made the Budweiser Shootout field if you won a pole the previous season. Now it appears almost everybody is qualified so it is not special anymore, just another NASCAR race. They may as well just add it to the schedule so it counts for points.
Entry List for the 2012 Budweiser Shootout
| # | Car# | Driver | Manu | Sponsor | Owner |
| 1 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chevy | Bass Pro Shops | Teresa Earnhardt |
| 2 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Dodge | Miller Lite | Roger Penske |
| 3 | 5 | Kasey Kahne | Chevy | Farmers Insurance | Linda Hendrick |
| 4 | 9 | Marcos Ambrose | Ford | Stanley | Richard Petty |
| 5 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | FedEx Express | J D Gibbs |
| 6 | 14 | Tony Stewart | Chevy | Mobil 1 | Margaret Haas |
| 7 | 15 | Clint Bowyer | Toyota | 5-Hour Energy | Rob Kauffman |
| 8 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Ford | 3M | Jack Roush |
| 9 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | Best Buy | John Henry |
| 10 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | M&M's | Joe Gibbs |
| 11 | 20 | Joey Logano | Toyota | Home Depot | Joe Gibbs |
| 12 | 22 | A.J. Allmendinger | Dodge | Shell / Pennzoil | Walter Czarnecki |
| 13 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevy | Drive to End Hunger | Rick Hendrick |
| 14 | 27 | Paul Menard | Chevy | Menards / Peak | Richard Childress |
| 15 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevy | Budweiser | Richard Childress |
| 16 | 31 | Jeff Burton | Chevy | Caterpillar | Richard Childress |
| 17 | 34 | David Ragan | Ford | MHP-Power Pak Pudding | Bob Jenkins |
| 18 | 39 | Ryan Newman | Chevy | U.S. Army | Tony Stewart |
| 19 | 42 | Juan PabloMontoya | Chevy | Target | Chip Ganassi |
| 20 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevy | Lowe's | Jeff Gordon |
| 21 | 51 | Kurt Busch | Chevy | Tag Heuer Avante-Garde | James Finch |
| 22 | 55 | Michael Waltrip | Toyota | Aaron's Dream Machine | Bill Jenkins |
| 23 | 56 | Martin Truex Jr. | Toyota | NAPA Auto Parts | Michael Waltrip |
| 24 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevy | National Guard / Diet Mountain Dew | Rick Hendrick |
| 25 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Ford | Fastenal | Jack Roush |
| – | – |
– |
– | Eligible but not entered | – |
| x | 55 | Mark Martin | Toyota | Aaron's Dream Machine | Bill Jenkins |
| x | 21 | Trevor Bayne | Ford | Motorcraft | Wood Brothers |
| x | ? | Brian Vickers | x | xl | x |
| x | ? | Bill Elliott | x | x | x |
| x | ? | Geoff Bodine | x | x | x |
| x | ? | Derrike Cope | x | x | x |
| x | 32 | Terry Labonte | x | Frank Stoddard | x |
| x | 32 | Ken Schrader | Federated Auto Parts | Frank Stoddard | x |