The 2012 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway is just 36 days away.  This preseason non-points race is constantly being tweaked by NASCAR. It seems like no two Budweiser Shootout races are exactly the same.  This year is no different as the qualifying criteria have changed once again. The 2012 changes have created one of the largest Budweiser Shootout fields I can remember.

Check out the new eligibility criteria and the full list of thirty-three drivers who are eligible for the  2012 Budweiser Shootout here.

Robby Gordon won Tuesday's stage, was running second overall in the 2012 Dakar and he was closing the gap when a string of issues have put his Dakar dreams on the rocks for this year.

First, after winning Tuesday's stage race officials declared his engine to be illegal and disqualified him from the race.  Gordon appealed the decision and was allowed to start Wednesday's stage. Then he hit some rocks on Wednesday which damaged his Hummer H3 and cost him over fourteen minutes.  Gordon fell to third overall nearly twenty minutes behind the leader while his appeal is still pending.

Robby Gordon's hopes of carrying the NASCAR banner to Dakar success look like they may be in trouble as the race has just a few more days to go.   Although Robby is not my favorite NASCAR driver I do find myself rooting for him in the Dakar as he is one of very few Americans in the race.  I'd love to see him make a charge and win it all.

2012 Preseason Thunder at Daytona rolls off this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Daytona International Speedway.  This three day test session gives everyone involved in NASCAR a little something to get excited about.

1. This is the first opportunity of the year for NASCAR fans to hear the roar of the engines and break up the long off season.
2. This is also an important opportunity for drivers and teams to shake the cobwebs off and spend a few days tweaking their Daytona 500 cars.
3. This is NASCAR's first opportunity to see how their recent rule changes will affect the two-car draft.

So let's get to it!  SPEEDTV.com will be streaming the morning sessions on all three days and broadcasting the afternoon sessions live on SPEED.  Fans in the area can attend in person and also enjoy autograph sessions, photo opportunities and plenty more.

Carl Edwards will be co-hosting LIVE! with Kelly on Tuesday morning January 10th as part of a week-long sports theme.  Carl is a great ambassador for NASCAR and has a pretty good sense of humor so this should be a great show.

LIVE! with Kelly isn't exactly must-see TV for me but I will be recording this one for sure.  I'm curious to see how it goes and what kind of fun they have with NASCAR during the show.