Daytona 500 2012: Drivers Who Must Get Season Started off on Right Foot

There are a handful of drivers that must get their NASCAR season off to a roaring start. The Daytona 500 is just one race of 36 in the Sprint Cup schedule, but it is the first and the biggest. 

This race can set the tone for the season, and the momentum gained or lost can carry over the entire opening stretch of the season. 

Here are three drivers that can't afford to start off on the wrong foot. 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. 

Earnhardt had a nice bounce-back season last year as he qualified for the Chase, but it is still not the kind of season he is looking for. 

He was never a serious threat in the Chase, and his drought without a victory continues. 

Junior typically runs strong at Daytona. To have a bad run here would be a deflating result to start the new season. The thoughts would creep in that if he can't succeed at a track where he normally does, what hope does he have to reverse the negative trends he accumulated at other venues?

Earnhardt needs to prove that he is focused and ready to roll for the new season. 

Danica Patrick

Patrick doesn't need to win this race. She doesn't even need to finish in the top 10. She simply needs to run strong and prove she is ready to race a full schedule with the big boys. 

A strong run here and she will instantly quiet critics that say she isn't ready for this step, and is only there for her marketing power. 

If she comes out and flops, she is going to be flooded with questions like those, and it will instantly become a giant distraction. 

Carl Edwards

Edwards is off to a great start by winning the pole. He now needs to follow that up with a strong race. 

This is vital for Edwards to tell himself, his team and the rest of NASCAR that he is ready to build off of his tremendous season last year. 

This is a team that came excruciatingly close to winning the championship last season. That is either going to leave these guys hungry for more success, or bummed out and listless over their narrow miss. 

Edwards cannot show any signs of weakness, and let everyone know he is ready to finish the job and win the championship this year.