2010 Daytona 500 lineup

At 51, and in his 26th attempt, the pole-sitter has perhaps never had a better chance to finally win the 500.

Team owner Rick Hendrick has vowed to get this lagging team turned around. Junior won the 500 in 2004.

The four-time defending series champ and 2006 winner of the 500 is facing more attention than ever.

His team is still sorting through fallout from mergers and a switch to Fords, but he has the ability to contend.

He hasn't won a points race since taking the 500 in 2007, but has won the past two exhibition Bud Shootouts.

The two-time series champion, in his second year as driver/owner, seeks his first 500 victory in his 12th try.

He comes in with a new crew chief (Dave Rogers), a new fiancee (Samantha Sarcinella) and a new trucks team.

Coming off of a breakout season in NASCAR, he's still looking for his first victory on an oval track.

He failed to win a race in 2009 for the second time in four seasons and starts in a backup car after a practice crash.

His new crew chief is Steve Addington, who was fired last year from the team of Kyle Busch, Kurt's brother.

He was a season-best 12th at Daytona last year and nearly won at Talladega in 2008 but his last pass was ruled illegal.

He led the 500 briefly last year before rain ended the race early, but that was just one of five top-10s all season.

He has looked strong at Speedweeks with his new team, Earnhardt Ganassi, which is really his old team.

He moved from Earnhardt Ganassi to Michael Waltrip, hoping to improve after just one win in four full seasons.

The former CART star was third in last year's 500, but he didn't have another top-five finish and was 24th in points.

Now a grizzled veteran at 19. He was 43rd in last year's 500 after a crash but rebounded to win at New Hampshire.

His lone win since 2005 came at the 2008 Daytona 500. Last year, his first at Stewart-Haas, was a big comeback.

The Australian was sixth in last year's July race at Daytona, one of seven top-10 finishes in a strong season.

After finishing a disappointing 27th in points in 2009, Ragan now teams with crew chief Donnie Wingo.

The Zephyrhills native steps into the spotlight even more as Michael Waltrip focuses on being a team owner.

The three-time 500 champion (1997, '99, 2005) will be racing in a backup car after a practice crash last week.

His rally to get into the 2009 Chase was impressive; his record in the 500 (one top-10 run in five tries) isn't.

He won the 2003 July race at Daytona but has never finished higher than 10th in seven attempts in the 500.

He opened 2009 with his first 500 victory, albeit rain-shortened, and won again the next week but not since.

He's racing hurt after tearing his left ACL playing basketball in January, but it isn't expected to affect his driving.

Aggressive up-and-comer makes his debut in the 500 but already owns a restrictor-plate win in April at Talladega.

Looks to rebound from a winless 2009. He has off-track motivation, too — awaiting the birth of his first child.

He joins fledgling Tommy Baldwin Racing, whose owner was the crew chief for Ward Burton's 500 win in 2002.

He's still searching for enough money for a full season after racing his way in Thursday.

The former Formula One driver was outside the top 30 in both Daytona races last year.

Papis, with Germain Racing, wants to be known as more than a road racer.

He joins Richard Petty and teams with 2003 winning crew chief Slugger Labbe.

He owns the distinction of double digits in starts at the Daytona 500 (this is his 15th attempt) and Indy 500s (10).

See Andretti. Today is Gordon's 12th start in the Daytona 500, with a best of sixth in 2003, to go with 10 starts in the Indy 500.

He's reunited with owner Robert Yates, this time for Front Row Motorsports.

The three-time IndyCar champ has had nothing like that success in NASCAR.

He finished a surprising 18th last season at Talladega in his only Sprint Cup race to date.

His new team, Latitude 43, is getting cars and engines from Roush Fenway Racing.

A blown tire Thursday during his qualifying race sent the veteran to a backup car.

The two-time Daytona 500 winner is this year's oldest starter at 55.

The Lakeland native, in his second season driving for his own team, made the race in time trials.

The veteran's TRG Motorsports team has committed to a full season, though it does not have full sponsorship.

This might be the last Daytona run for the two-time 500 champion, who eked into the field despite a crash Thursday.