Daytona 500 2012: Most Intriguing Drivers at This Year's Race

Ah, the Daytona 500. It's like the Super Bowl, except a helluva lot louder and we don't have to go through several months of buildup. The biggest race of the NASCAR season is also the first race of the NASCAR season.

There's as many storylines surrounding this year's 500 as there have ever been. Every driver has come into Daytona hoping to win the blasted thing, but a few of them are coming in with chips on their shoulders. They'll be looking to make a statement right out of the gate.

There are five drivers in particular who spring to mind as being more worth watching than all the rest. Let's go ahead and count 'em down.

Honorable Mention: Trevor Bayne

I wasn't going to mention Trevor Bayne, but I figure the reigning Daytona 500 champion at least deserves a shoutout. His win at the 500 didn't end up catapulting him to great success throughout the rest of the season, but he's an interesting driver nonetheless. He's young, and we know from his win at Daytona last year that he's lucky. 

5. Carl Edwards

Carl Edwards narrowly missed winning his first Sprint Cup title last season, losing it to Tony Stewart thanks to a tiebreaker. That was a real heartbreaker.

Edwards started strong this season, winning the pole for the 500 thanks to a lap of 194.738 mph during Sunday's qualifying session. He'll start right out in front in this Sunday's race.

However, starting from the pole is a bit of a double-edged sword. We know Edwards has a fast car, but fast cars haven't been much help in recent seasons. The last driver to earn the pole and then win the 500 itself was Dale Jarrett, and that was way back in 2000.

Edwards will be hoping to snap the streak.

4. Kyle Busch

You never know what's going to happen when Kyle Busch is in the vicinity. He has a way of making things interesting, oftentimes much to the chagrin of other drivers.

Things are looking up for Busch as we speed towards the Daytona 500. He won the Budweiser Shootout, narrowly edging Tony Stewart in the waning moments of the race.

Busch needed more than a little luck to even be in the hunt at the very end, but that can happen with his style of racing. He can be aggressive to the point of being stupid, but occasionally, the stars will align and things will fall into place for him.

We'll see if his luck will hold on Sunday.

3. Tony Stewart

Why not, right? You always have to keep your eyes on Tony Stewart.

Stewart snapped Jimmie Johnson's streak of consecutive Sprint Cup titles last year, and he made it clear in the Budweiser Shootout that he hasn't lost any of his racing ability over the last couple months, even despite the narrow loss. He's a threat to win any race he's in.

History is not on Stewart's side, though. The last defending Sprint Cup champ to win the 500 was Dale Jarrett in 2000. The race has been unpredictable ever since then.

Still, Stewart can't be counted out.

2. Jimmie Johnson

The Daytona 500 has not been kind to Jimmie Johnson since he won it in 2006. He hasn't placed any higher than 27th in five races since.

That's disappointing in and of itself, but Johnson is coming into Sunday's race off a disappointing 2011 season. After winning five straight Sprint Cup titles, he stumbled all the way to sixth in the standings last season.

You can rest assured that Johnson is motivated to reestablish himself as the dominant force in NASCAR. Winning the 500 would definitely be a good start.

1. Danica Patrick

All eyes will be on Danica Patrick at the Daytona 500, for a variety of reasons.

For starters, she's probably the most popular figure in all of racing. She hasn't earned her fame through success out on the track, but she definitely has a certain charisma about her. It's worth it to tune into a race just to watch her.

Patrick isn't being given much of a chance to actually win Sunday's race. It's her first Daytona 500, not to mention her Sprint Cup debut. In all likelihood, she's going to be in way over her head.

Then again, underdog stories at the 500 are not unheard of. Patrick has a shot to shock the world.