Daytona 500 Qualifying: Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Drivers Most in Need of Pole

NASCAR season is nearly upon us and with Daytona 500 qualifying set to take place on Sunday, hope springs eternal for all of the circuit's drivers. While claiming the pole position isn't essential to having a good result, it is something that can help set the tone for a successful season.

For every Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson that wins the pole, there's a David Gilliland or Jeff Green as well. With that said, qualifying can be incredibly unpredictable, so it's tough to tell who might thrive. There are some who certainly need a good qualifying position more than others, however.

Here are three drivers who would benefit most from winning the 2012 Daytona 500 pole position.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

While making the move to Hendrick Motorsports was good for Dale Earnhardt Jr. financially, he has fallen well short of expectations on the track. Earnhardt has won exactly one race over the course of four years with Hendrick and is currently in the midst of a winless drought that has stretched beyond 100 races.

If anyone needs to start the season on a positive note, it is unquestionably Junior.

Earnhardt managed to secure the pole at Daytona last year, but the events proved to be a microcosm of his season as he crashed in practice and was forced to start at the rear of the field.

Earnhardt has had tons of success at Daytona over the course of his career, so it would be very fitting for him to end his cold streak there. The first step toward doing so could very well be earning the pole.

Danica Patrick

Due to a deal between Stewart-Haas Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing, Danica Patrick is guaranteed a starting spot in the Daytona 500, which will be her first career Sprint Cup race. Despite that, Patrick could earn instant credibility by gaining the pole.

It remains to be seen how realistic that is, but Patrick will be using the same equipment as Ryan Newman and defending Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart, so she has the tools to get the job done.

Despite the fact that Patrick won a race in the IRL and performed well last season in limited duty in the Nationwide series, I get the feeling that she isn't being taken seriously. Most probably view her as a publicity stunt more than anything, but you can tell that Danica is dead serious about succeeding in NASCAR.

If Patrick can find a way to win the pole, that alone will likely be one of the biggest sports stories in recent memory.

Trevor Bayne

Last year, Trevor Bayne shocked the world as he won the Daytona 500 in his first career Sprint Cup race. While the rest of his season didn't go as planned as he dealt with Lyme disease and was forced to miss much of the year, he immediately put himself on the map.

Unfortunately for Bayne, he will have to race his way into the Daytona 500 this year as Wood Brothers Racing didn't accrue enough owner points to get him in automatically.

Bayne could make a major statement by winning the pole, as it would prove that he can be a big player in 2012. Many consider Bayne's win from last year to be bit fluky due to the volatile nature of drafting at tracks like Daytona and Talladega.

Claiming the pole will prove that he can do it on his own, though, and that he is a force to be reckoned with.