Daytona 500 Qualifying: Why Tony Stewart Must Win 2012 NASCAR Event

Tony Stewart has a lot to race for at Sunday’s Daytona 500 qualifier, and not just because he squandered his chance to win Saturday’s Budweiser Shootout.

The 2011 Sprint Cup Series champion has never won a Daytona 500, so finishing first in Sunday’s qualifier and snagging that elusive pole position could be the difference between a spot in the winner’s circle and a spot on the outskirts next weekend.

Stewart is one of 35 drivers racing solely for positioning because he is guaranteed a spot for the Daytona 500. Some will argue that his struggles snagging the pole position are meaningless – after all, the late Dale Earnhardt earned the top starting spot at the Daytona 500 just once in his career – but it is still crucial for a driver get his season off to the right start.

Especially a driver like Stewart, who must live up to plenty of expectations coming off a championship campaign.

This qualifier clearly isn’t the be-all, end-all of a long season, but after Stewart lost Saturday’s Budweiser Shootout by mere inches to Kyle Busch, a first-place finish on Sunday would erase that sour taste and render next weekend’s race far less daunting. Asserting his dominance so early in his 2012 campaign – not to mention giving himself a good shot at winning a race that’s always eluded him – would be a good way to fend off this year’s naysayers, not to mention the Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s and Jimmie Johnson's nipping at his heels. 

This early in the season, it’s all about head games, and a strong finish in the Daytona 500 qualifier would mean Stewart wouldn’t have to play any. All eyes will be on him, and there’s no better time for him to prove he is deserving of the attention.