Daytona 500 2012: Biggest Storylines Heading into NASCAR's Super Bowl

It's not too often in sports you see the biggest event of the year take place at the beginning of the season, but that's what you get with the Daytona 500 and NASCAR.

There are plenty of storylines heading into Sunday's big race, but a few simply top them all. Here's a closer look at what everyone will be paying attention to once the green flag is waved. 

All Danica, All the Time

It's hard for Danica Patrick not to be a storyline these days. But now that she has left the IndyCar series to compete in NASCAR full-time, the buzz surrounding her is bigger than ever.

What's more, after last week's major wreck, Patrick will have even more eyes on her, if that's even possible. The Danica-debate is at an all-time high and this is the year it will be settled. Either she establishes herself as a great driver, or she turns into the Anna Kournikova of racing.

Patrick is going up against the best of the best and many of the tracks in the Sprint Cup she will be seeing for the first time. A top-20 finish at Daytona would be nice, but realistically she just needs to stay alive and show some improvement.

No matter how she performs, she'll likely see the most criticism of anyone.

How Will the New Rules Affect the Daytona 500?

NASCAR introduced several rule changes for 2012 that were supposed to stop two-car drafting at big tracks like Daytona. 

We saw last week at the Budweiser Shootout that the new rules mean a lot more excitement, but also a lot more wreckage. Will the drivers learn from those mistakes at the Daytona 500 or will we see more of the same?

As Terry Blount of ESPN puts it, no matter what happens, fans will like it.

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Fans will love it for the most part. It isn't just a return to pack racing, but it's also a new form of packing (a hybrid, as Paul Menard calls it) with more danger and more chances of making a mistake. Drivers still will try to pair up with someone at the end, and utter chaos will ensue. And I'll be shocked if we don't see some engines go up in smoke.

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Can AJ Replace Kurt?

AJ Allmendinger may have the coolest name in NASCAR, but he has the biggest shoes to fill as he will be replacing Kurt Busch at Penske Racing.

Allmendinger found himself at the front of plenty of races last season, but he failed to finish them off. But now, with a lot more focus on him, 'Dinger must prove that he can come out on top.

At Daytona, he at least needs a Top 10 to start things off.