Sprint, primary sponsor of the Sprint Cup Series, is bringing fans into the format-design process for the Sprint Unlimited, the non-points race formerly known as the Bud Shootout.
The race, the official kickoff to the Sprint Cup season, is scheduled Feb. 16 at Daytona International Speedway.
The race field will be made up of pole winners from the 2012 season and past winners of the Shootout race who attempted to qualify for at least one race in 2012.
By voting at NASCAR.com/SprintUnlimited or by using the NASCAR Mobile ’13 mobile app, fans can vote on the length of the race segments, the pit stop after the first segment and how many cars will be eliminated after the second segment.
The race-segment choices are 40 laps, 20 laps, 15 laps; 35 laps, 30 laps, 10 laps and 30 laps, 25 laps, 20 laps.
The pit-stop choices are a four-tire change, a two-tire change or no pit stop.
Fans can choose how many cars will be eliminated after the second segment – six, four, two or none.
Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 31 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.