Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR

On Wednesday, NASCAR announced the lineup of  eligible competitors for the 34th Budweiser Shootout, which kicks off SpeedWeeks at Daytona International Speedway in February.

The event launches Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 18 with a start time set for 8:10 p.m. FOX and MRN will broadcast live nationally.

The criteria to make the shootout is based upon the following qualifications, with eligibility based on a driver having been active in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series during the 2011 season.

·               The highest ranked 25 competitors in 2011 NSCS driver points
·               Previous winners at Daytona, including the Daytona 500, Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola, and Shootout events

“By taking the top 25 competitors in last year’s driver points and combining that with former race winners at Daytona, you have all the ingredients for an extremely deep and talented field of drivers for the 2012 Shootout,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “When you take a look at the roster of drivers that this entails, I have to believe this is one of the most competitive fields that have ever been assembled for this event.”

The Budweiser Shootout distance is 75 laps and consists of two segments(25 and 50 laps). Of note, caution laps will count. Between the segments there will be a 10 minute pit stop allowing the eligible teams to pit for tires, add fuel, and make normal chassis adjustments.

Changing of springs, shock absorbers or rear-ends will not be permitted.

Starting positions will again be determined by a blind-draw at the annual Shootout Draw Party on Friday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. on the SPEED stage.

Kurt Busch is the defending winner of the Budweiser Shooutout.

Drivers eligible for the 2012 Shootout include:

2011 Top 25 Driver Points

In the closing feet of the 2011 NASCAR season’s first race, Denny Hamlin made a pass on the inside of leader Ryan Newman that was deemed to be below the yellow line, and thus, illegal. Kurt Busch, who passed Newman on the outside, finished second and with Hamlin’s disqualification, was declared the winner.

Here is the finish:

It’s obvious that Hamlin’s car does indeed go below the yellow line. But NASCAR rules state that drivers are not to go below the yellow line to “advance their position”. In this case, it appears that the bumper of Hamlin’s car might be in front of the bumper of Newman’s car before the #11 goes into out-of-bounds territory.

If that’s the case, Hamlin’s pass was legal, since Hamlin did not advance his position while his car was below the yellow line, and thus should have been declared the winner of the 2011 Budweiser Shootout.

It’s controversial territory. It was a bang-bang call, and since NASCAR has enforced rules in the past about passing below the yellow line to take the win, perhaps they had no choice but to award the win to Kurt Busch, whether it was the correct call or not.

Hamlin seemed at peace with the call in his post-race interview. But remember, last year’s runner-up is still in hot water with NASCAR after comments he made last year at Michigan about NASCAR’s “phantom debris” cautions. His hands are pretty much tied.

Regardless of whether it was the right call, Kurt Busch is the 2011 Budweiser Shootout winner. But should he be?

What do you think? Was Hamlin’s pass legal or illegal?