NASCAR creates ‘Tony Stewart Rule’

In what could come to be known as the "Tony Stewart Rule," NASCAR announced Friday that the field for the 2009 Budweiser Shootout has been expanded from 24 to 28 cars. The change makes Stewart, the 2007 Shootout champion who is switching from Toyotas to Chevrolets as he moves from Joe Gibbs Racing to the Stewart-Haas Racing team he now co-owns, now eligible for the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway. A new format for the event was announced last year. Instead of having winners of poles for Sprint Cup races in the race, the Shootout was changed to highlight manufacturer involvement by taking the top six teams in owner points from Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet and Toyota. The expansion gives each of those manufacturers a "wild card" entry for the Feb. 7 race. The change announced Friday gives each manufacturer a seventh car. A past Cup champion who attempted to qualify for all of the points races in 2008 has first shot at the "wild card" slot. If there's no former champion in place, it goes to the next car in the owner standings that has the same manufacturer as 2008. In Chevrolet's case, Stewart will be the "wild card" even though he has changed manufacturer. That's because the team he'll drive the No. 14 Chevrolets for this year operated as the No. 70 Chevrolets in 2008, making it eligible. Charlotte Observer