Young Dark-Horse Drivers with Best Chance to Surprise at 2015 Daytona 500

There are more than enough veterans to be considered dark horses to win Sunday’s 57th Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

But there are also plenty of young drivers, some just in the very early stages of their Sprint Cup careers, who could pull off a potential upset.

You don’t think that’s possible? You need only look back to 2011 when Trevor Bayne, who wasn’t even a Sprint Cup driver (he was a full-time driver in the Nationwide Series), wound up winning the 500 one day after his 20th birthday.

Let’s look at some of the younger or less experienced Sprint Cup drivers who could potentially be the next Bayne and win on Sunday.

Kyle Larson

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At 22, Kyle Larson has a new house, new baby, is the reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year, and is starting just his second full-time season in the Cup series.

But Larson has barely just scratched the surface of the potential and talent he has within. He's arguably one of the most natural race car drivers I've seen in probably a decade. The last time I said those words about a driver was to describe another Kyle, the then relatively unknown Kyle Busch.

But Larson seems to have a better control on his temper than the other Kyle, absorbs lessons learned on the track like a sponge and drives with the old school style of his idol, Jeff Gordon.

Larson came so close to winning a race last season. With one year now under his belt, he could really lay the foundation for an outstanding season and racing future with a win in Sunday's Daytona 500.

Frankly, it's my opinion that of all the drivers we mention in this article, Larson has the best overall chance to win the 500. And mark my word, even if he doesn't win this year's edition of The Great American Race, Larson is likely to win several Daytona 500s to come in his career.

Austin Dillon

Terry Renna/Associated Press

Austin Dillon brought back the legendary No. 3 car in a big way in last year’s Daytona 500, earning the pole in the first time that car had been on a racetrack since the death of Dale Earnhardt in the 2001 500.

Dillon, 24, is developing quite nicely as he enters his second season in the Sprint Cup Series. Although he fell short of Rookie of the Year in 2014, he is poised to show even more improvement in 2015.

Also, think of the storyline if Dillon were to win, putting the No. 3 in Victory Lane, the first time that has happened since the late Earnhardt did so for the first and only time of his career in 1998.

Ryan Blaney

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Trevor Bayne came out of virtually nowhere to win the 2011 Daytona 500. And he did so for the legendary Wood Brothers Racing.

Ryan Blaney, who has succeeded Bayne in the famous No. 21 Ford, has shown great improvement as a driver over the last two seasons, particularly having learned a great deal during his tenure with Penske Racing.

The son of former Sprint Cup driver and veteran sprint car champ Dave Blaney, Ryan Blaney could be the driver few give a chance to win Sunday due to his age (21) and limited Cup experience.

But with his roots, his training and his intelligence behind the wheel, he definitely could be a dark horse who ultimately emerges into the light and wins Sunday’s race.

Justin Allgaier

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Even though there were struggles, Justin Allgaier fought the good fight last season in the No. 51 Chevrolet for HScott Motorsports, finishing 29th.

After some early-season struggles last year, Allgaier became more consistent and finished the season with two 15th-place finishes and one 17th-place finish in his last five races.

That’s a definite sign of progress.

Now that he’s entering his second season in the Sprint Cup, Allgaier, 28, will likely be more comfortable and perhaps more willing to take greater chances on the racetrack, knowing that sometimes you have to risk to get reward.

Michael Annett

Terry Renna/Associated Press

Although he’s a bit older (28) than most of his other younger counterparts, Michael Annett is still a relative newcomer on the Sprint Cup side.

Last season was his first full season—not to mention his first experience of any type—in a Sprint Cup car.

Admittedly, it was a struggle, as he finished 33rd for Tommy Baldwin Racing.

This season, Annett has moved to HScott Motorsports, which should give him somewhat of a performance boost.

Honestly, Annett probably has the least chance of all the dark-horse picks to win the 500. But as Trevor Bayne proved in 2011, anything’s possible when it comes to Daytona.

Follow me on Twitter @JerryBonkowski.