The 2011 Budweiser Shootout was a stock car race and the first exhibition event of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Pole position driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. maintained his lead through the first corner, but Clint Bowyer, who started seventh on the grid, led the first lap.

Hamlin passed Newman below the yellow line giving the win to Kurt Busch.

The track, Daytona International Speedway, is one of six superspeedways to hold NASCAR races.

[5] The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long.

The race, designed to promote Busch Beer, invites the fastest NASCAR drivers from the previous season to compete.

Jimmie Johnson with a quickest time of 45.082 seconds was third, ahead of Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, and Jeff Burton.

Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, and Matt Kenseth rounded out to the first ten positions.

[16] For qualifying, the 24 drivers that appeared to race chose their starting positions by a draw.

Waltrip, Biffle, Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Jamie McMurray chose the next five positions.

Burton, who chose fifteenth, was followed by Kevin Conway, Kurt Busch, Harvick, Kenseth, and Martin in the first 20 positions.

Kyle Busch, Logano, Johnson, and Regan Smith chose the last four positions in the race.

[17][18] The 2011 Budweiser Shootout was the first exhibition race of the season, and was televised live in the United States on Fox which began at 8:10 p.m.

[1] The conditions on the grid were dry before the race, the air temperature at 51 °F (11 °C) with clear skies expected.

[19] Country music singer Laura Bell Bundy began pre-race ceremonies, performing the national anthem.

Bob Hadley of Westside Baptist Church in Daytona Beach, Florida then delivered the invocation, and actress Amber Heard gave the command for drivers to start their engines.

On the 27th lap, the second caution was given because of an accident involving Earnhardt, Montoya, Smith, Edwards, Logano, and Conway.

On lap 70, Newman remained the leader ahead of Hamlin, Kurt Busch, and McMurray.

On the final lap, Hamlin moved below the yellow line and became the leader, as Kurt Busch and McMurray were passing them.

[19] McMurray scored second, while Newman finished third, ahead of Johnson and Biffle in fourth and fifth.

Gordon, Harvick, Burton, Bowyer, and Labonte rounded out the top ten finishers in the race.

"[21] Edwards who was involved in the largest accident in the race, "We were three- or four-wide back there, and I was going between the 88 and the 78, and I don't think the 78 knew I was in there.