With action getting ready to heat up on the high-banks of Daytona, the Roush Fenway Racing team looks to shootout of the gate and show their stuff during this weekend's Budweiser Shootout. After receiving a major facelift, this year's Bud Shootout will be a battle of the manufacturers, and who better to represent the blue oval Fords then the Roush Fenway brigade.

For the first time, all five of Jack Roush's cars will take the green flag and compete in the true season opening race. Only one Roush Fenway Racing driver has ever scored a victory in the Shootout, that coming with - you guessed it - Mark Martin in the No. 6 Ford in 1999. This year, however, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray and David Ragan each hope they can pull their Ford into Gatorade Victory Lane and celebrate as the first winner of the 2009 season and show a little love for the manufacturer that supports them.

Excited about debuting his new UPS colors on his No. 6 Ford Fusion, David Ragan is looking forward to making his first start in the annual pre-season favorite.

"I really think the new format for the Shootout is pretty cool," the third-year driver pointed out. "It's really different and definitely mixes things up. Having a change every few years keeps everything fresh, lets drivers who may not have been in it have a shot and keeps it interesting for the fans."

Teammate Matt Kenseth also sees the new format of the Shootout as an advantage. Not particularly known for his qualifying - the old Budweiser Shootout was made up of the previous year's pole winners - Kenseth has not scored a pole position since 2005.

"I guess the new rules are good for us, because it puts us in the race," Kenseth explained. "We really haven't been in a lot of Shootouts, I guess because qualifying really hasn't been our strong point. I think without testing its good to be in it, because it will give us that extra time on the track."

Greg Biffle, however sees the change in format as a departure from the history of the event. For years honoring only those that had laid down fast laps in qualifying, Biffle believes something has been lost under the new rules.

"I honestly think it takes a little away from the prestige of the event," Biffle explained, "but it does offer the opportunity to participate in the shootout to some drivers and teams that might not have had it in the previous format. So, I guess in that way, it's a great opportunity for some teams to get additional track time and exposure that they would not have had."

"I think the format is odd," Jamie McMurray agreed. "I think it's also hard for people to accept change. When they changed the point system and instituted the Chase people weren't sure about it, but in my opinion, it's turned into one of the best things for our sport in years. So I hope the Shootout format works out the same. For me I used to consider it an honor to be in the Shootout because it meant that you had won a pole the season before and it put you in a different class of drivers. When you weren't in the Shootout, you wanted to be in it. The way it is now it just seems as if almost every full-time team is going to be in the Shootout so I'm not sure it's going to have as much importance to me now.

While their teammates might disagree with the change in format, all of the Roush Fenway brigade agree that track time in actual competition is the most valuable thing.

"Racing in the shootout will definitely help for the 500," Biffle went on to say, "especially this year with no testing at Daytona. Any extra track time that we can get before the 500 will be a huge asset."

No testing has truly sent many of these teams and drivers for a loop this year. With that being said, each driver competing in this year's edition of the Shootout understands what is at stake.

"I think racing in the Shootout will help for the Daytona 500," said Carl Edwards. "Just to get back in the swing of things. You know, get on the track and maybe knock the rust off. That's just a fun race. You can go out there and race real hard and not worry too much about the outcome because it?s not a point's race. So that's going to be a blast and I hope it helps me for the 500."

"I'm not sure if the Shootout necessarily gives guys an advantage for the Daytona 500," McMurray added, "but it definitely used to be that when you didn't get to race in the Shootout, you were always disappointed because it's a fun race that you always wanted to be in the race."

This year the annual Budweiser Shootout is bound to be an exciting, action-packed event and expect the Roush Fenway brigade to show up in full force. Looking to knock Hendrick Motorsports off their pedestal, these five drivers and the teams behind them are looking to make a statement in 2009 and this weekend's Budweiser Shootout might just be the place they get the ball rolling.

The Budweiser Shootout from Daytona International Speedway is scheduled to take the green flag this Saturday, January 7th at 8:10pm E.T. The 70 lap/175 mile event is one of the best races in all of Daytona Speedweeks and is surely one any Hardcore Race Fan would not want to miss.

Be sure to check back to HardcoreRaceFans.com for all of the latest news and notes LIVE! From the Daytona International Speedway starting this Friday, January 6th.