Yes, folks, there is actually a criteria in NASCAR that allows Kevin Conway to race in the 2011 season's first event while leaving out the likes of Brian Vickers, David Reutimann, AJ Allmendinger, Brad Keselowski and Elliott Sadler, among others.
You remember Conway, the winner of the one-man Cup rookie of the year competition who registered one whopping top 20 finish this season?
Because of a change in the eligibility rules for the Budweiser Shootout NASCAR announced on Friday, Conway - the 2010 rookie of the year "winner" - is eligible to race in the kickoff to this year's Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway.
The rule change allows all former rookies for the previous 10 years eligible which coincidentally makes Kasey Kahne, Joey Logano and Juan Pablo Montoya eligible.
I'm sorry, but the eligibility rules of the Shootout have now been tricked up more than the Chase, leaving it about a dozen drivers short of being just another Cup race.
So, why not just make it one?
Surely, holding a non-points, full-field Cup race at Daytona has got to be better than any event which somehow places Conway in a higher regard in NASCAR competition than the likes of Vickers, Keselowski and Sadler - all of whom who have won actual Cup series races.
