Daytona 500 Driver Rankings

8. Ryan Newman, #12 ALLTEL Dodge, Penske Racing South

Newman finished 3rd and 11th in 2006 at Daytona, but had an engine failure in the 2007 Daytona 500. He was 14th in July and was 9th at Talladega in the spring before running a strong 4th in the COT in the fall after leading 10 laps. Newman is a good class B choice for Daytona.

9. Carl Edwards, #99 Office Depot Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing

Edwards scored his best Daytona finish last July when he was 4th. He was solid at Talladega, finishing 14th, but probably isn't one of the better class A options for this particular race, despite the fact that he may be the best option for Roush-Fenway race fans this weekend. He has showed in both the Bud Shootout and the first Twin 150 that he is capable of leading

10. Casey Mears, #5 Kellogg's/Carquest Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

Mears looked awesome at Talladega last spring until miscommunication between he and Johnson ended his day early. He followed that up with a 6th place run in the fall race. He wasn't as fortunate at Daytona, finishing 20th in the 500 and 19th in the 400; but in 2006 he did have finishes of 2nd and 7th. That is probably more indicative of not only his capabilities, but what his equipment should be worth. He is a solid class B pick this weekend, as evidenced by his 4th place finish in the first Twin 150.

11. Reed Sorenson, #41 Target Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing

Sorenson was competitive in the Bud Shootout and was 2nd to Dale Jr. in the first Twin 150, showing some serious muscle. He was 13th in the Daytona 500 last year and scored a top 10 in the first plate race in the COT at Talladega. The move to class B will severely hurt his value, as he is not on the same level as the top tier in this class. However, he has been one of the strongest Dodge cars at Speedweeks.

12. Michael Waltrip, #55 Napa Auto Parts Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing

Waltrip leaps into the rankings, while Paul Menard falls out. The two-time Daytona 500 winner turned a qualifying lap good enough to start 2nd in the Great American Race and the Toyota group showed during the Bud Shootout it has good enough equipment to contend for wins at Daytona. With a starting spot assured, he looked like his car would go wherever he wanted it to during the Twin 150 and he should be on your class C roster this weekend.

13. Kevin Harvick, #29 Shell/Reeses/GM Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

Harvick did win last season's Daytona 500 and he made an impressive move to win it. He was 6th at Talladega in the fall, 34th in the summer race at Daytona, and 20th in the COT at Talladega. Harvick was strong enough to have a shot to win the second Twin 150, but in all honesty there are many other class A picks that are better for this weekend.

14. Kasey Kahne, #9 Budweiser Dodge, Gillett-Evernham Motorsports

Despite his 2007 struggles on other tracks, Kahne was very solid in restrictor plate races, averaging an 11th place finish. Only Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin had better averages. Kahne was 16th at Talladega in the new car, but had runs of 7th and 9th at Daytona, leading 5 laps in the summer event. He should be on your radar for this race in the class B group, especially after a few of the strong moves he made during the Twin 150.

15. Clint Bowyer, #07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

Bowyer was much better at Daytona than his barrel rolling fiery crash across the finish line in last season's 500 indicated. In his rookie season, Bowyer notched a 6th and a 10th at Daytona and followed that up with a 7th in the July race last year. He was a solid 11th at Talladega last fall and should be a solid fantasy bet.

16. Matt Kenseth, #17 DeWalt Tools Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing

Kenseth has never actually won a plate race, but tends to find himself in the mix of things quite often. He led and ran up front almost the entire Twin 150; however, given that his best plate finish last year was 8th, it may be best to look for other class A options for Daytona.

17. Mark Martin, #8 Army Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Martin was within a couple feet of winning the 500 in 2007 and he should have another good chance this season. He battled with the lead cars throughout the Bud Shootout and again ran with the leaders during the second Twin 150. He is one of the best class B options for this weekend.

18. Dave Blaney, #22 Caterpillar Toyota, Bill Davis Racing

Blaney showed during the Bud Shootout that the Bill Davis Toyota restrictor plate program is no joke and that his impressive 3rd place finish at Talladega in the fall was no fluke. He led on a couple of occasions and battled hard with Stewart, Earnhardt, Gordon, and the other front runners throughout the race. He warrants serious consideration for your class B roster, especially after he looked strong once again in the Twin 150. He had a battery issue during the race, but that should be fixed for the 500.

19. Jamie McMurray, #26 Crown Royal Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing

McMurray was the winner last time the Cup cars raced at Daytona. He only led 3 laps, but led the one that counted the most. One thing going against him is that he will be in a backup car unless the Roush group can fix his car after his hard crash in the Twin 150. He crashed in last year's 500, but was 5th at Talladega last spring. He also crashed at Talladega in the fall. Still, picking him is tempting since he won the last race at Daytona and won't be used on many other racetracks.