1. Kevin Harvick: Fifth-best average finish (12.2) in the five races with the new car; Winner of the 2007 Daytona 500 and last two Budweiser Shootouts; Finished seventh in this year's Daytona 500 for seventh top 10 in 18 starts; Best finish in the July race is a pair of ninth-place runs; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 295) that led 41 laps in February at Daytona.
2. Jimmie Johnson: 23.6 average finish in the five races with the new car; Second-place finish last July was ninth top 10 in 17 starts; Winner of the 2006 Daytona 500; Leads all drivers with an average running position of 10.9 in the last 11 races; Only has led seven laps in the July race; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 547) that finished 35th in this year's Daytona 500 after the axle broke.
3. Kyle Busch: Winner of the 2008 July race; 14.8 average finish in five starts with Joe Gibbs Racing; Has combined to lead 233 laps in his last six starts; Second-best driver rating in the past 11 races; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 260) that ran in both restrictor-plate races this season, finishing 14th (Daytona) and ninth (Talladega).
4. Denny Hamlin: Only top 10 in nine starts came in this event last year; Led 63 laps in that race en route to a third-place finish; Winner of the 2006 Budweiser Shootout; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 200) that finished 26th in the 2008 July race at Daytona.
5. Jeff Gordon: Six-time winner with three wins coming in the Coke Zero 400; Has posted an average finish of 27.2 in his last five starts; Last top 10 in the 400 came in 2007 when he finished fifth; Sixth-best driver rating in the past 11 races.
6. Kurt Busch: Leads all drivers with a 8.8 average finish in the five races with the new car; Has finished in the top five in the last four Coke Zero 400s; Led 33 laps in this year's Daytona 500; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 636) in the Coke Zero 400.
7. Matt Kenseth: Fourth-best average finish (11.2) in the five races with the new car; Only driver to finish in the top 10 in last four races; Third-best driver rating in the past 11 races; 2009 Daytona 500 winner; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 678) that finished eighth in the 2010 Daytona 500.
8. Jeff Burton: Only top 10 in 10 starts with Richard Childress Racing came in the 2007 Daytona 500 in third; Won the 2000 July race with Roush Racing; Win was one of seven top 10s with Roush; 12th-best driver rating in the past 11 races; Will debut a new chassis (No. 312) in the Coke Zero 400.
9. Tony Stewart: Defending event winner; Win was one of three in the Coke Zero 400; 104.5 driver rating ranks No. 1 among all drivers in the past 11 races; Leads all drivers with 516 laps led in the past 11 races.
10. Greg Biffle: Coming off fourth top 10 in 15 starts; Third-place finish in the 2010 Daytona 500 is best since winning 2003 July race; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 673) that led 27 laps at Daytona in February.
11. Mark Martin: 21.4 average finish in the five races with the new car; Won the pole and finished 12th in this year's Daytona 500; Worst finish (38th) in three starts with Hendrick Motorsports came in this event last year; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 560) that raced in both restrictor-plate tracks this year; This car most recently finished fifth at Talladega in April.
12. Carl Edwards: Second-best average finish (10.4) in the five races with the new car; Led a race high 42 laps in this year's Budweiser Shootout; Has finished in the top five in the last three Coke Zero 400s; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 692) in the Coke Zero 400.
13. Dale Earnhardt Jr: Coming off seventh top five in 21 starts; Winner of the 2004 Daytona 500 and 2001 Coke Zero 400; 17.0 average finish in five starts with Hendrick Motorsports; Six top 10s in the July race; Led 51 laps and finished eighth in the 2008 Coke Zero 400; Will pilot the same car (chassis No. 575) that finished 12th at Talladega in April.
14. Ryan Newman: 30.0 average finish in three starts with Stewart-Haas Racing; Won the 2008 Daytona 500 and recorded three top 10s in previous 14 starts with Penske Racing; Will race the same car (chassis No. 596) that was rebuilt after a practice crash at Talladega in April.
15. Clint Bowyer: Leads all drivers with a 12.3 average finish; Equaled best finish (fourth) in this year's Daytona 500; Three top 10s in the July race; Seventh-best driver rating in the past 11 races; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 296) in the Coke Zero 400.
16. Joey Logano: Best finish in three starts came in this event last year in 19th; Will return in the same car (chassis No. 235) that finished seventh in February's Budweiser Shootout.
17. Jamie McMurray: Won this year's Daytona 500 for third career restrictor-plate win; Three of his four top 10s came in the July race, including a win in 2007; Will debut a new car (chassis No. 1002) in the Coke Zero 400.
18. Martin Truex Jr: Finished sixth in first track start with Michael Waltrip Racing in February; Finish was first top 10 in 10 starts; Best previous finish came in the 2009 Daytona 500 when he came home 11th after starting from the pole.
19. David Reutimann: Coming off best track finish - fifth in February; Only top five in seven starts; 22.6 average finish.
20. Kasey Kahne: Four top 10s in 13 starts; 18.8 average finish, but only has a 24.7 average finish with RPM; Started fourth this February and led four laps, but crashed out to finish 30th.
21. AJ Allmendinger: Finished a track-best third in the 2009 Daytona 500; 23.5 average finish in four starts; Bringing same car (chassis No. 682) that he led 11 laps with this February before finishing 32nd.
22. Juan Pablo Montoya: Coming off two consecutive top-10 results; Finished a track best ninth in this event last year and 10th in this year's Daytona 500; 22.0 average finish after seven starts; Led his first laps (2) this February; Piloting brand-new chassis No. 1010 this weekend.
23. Paul Menard: Coming off best track finish of 13th; Led 19 laps from the pole en route to a 15th-place finish in this event in 2008; 22.0 average finish in six starts; Piloting same chassis (No. 675) that he drove this February.
24. David Ragan: Has finished 16th or better in every race he's finished (six out of seven starts); Three top-10 finishes, which includes two fifth-place results, most recently in this event in 2008; 14.1 average finish; Bringing brand-new chassis (RK-691) to track this weekend.
25. Brad Keselowski: Set for third Cup start at track; Previous results were 24th last year and 36th in this year's Daytona 500; Bringing brand-new chassis (PRS-637) this weekend.
26. Scott Speed: Making fourth start; Finished a track best 19th in February after leading 12 laps from the 30th starting position; 28.3 average finish.
27. Marcos Ambrose: Scored only top 10 (sixth) in this event last year; 21.3 average finish after three starts.
28. Elliott Sadler: Four top fives and nine top 10s in 23 starts; 17.3 average finish; In three starts with RPM, has an average finish of 13.0 with 33 laps led; Piloting chassis No. 283, which he finished 24th with this February after leading nine laps.
29. Sam Hornish Jr: Yet to finish in the top-10 in five starts; Track best 15th-place finish came in track debut in the 2008 Daytona 500; 29.0 average finish.
30. Regan Smith: Finished a track best 12th in this event last year after starting 43rd; 26.6 average finish in five starts. |
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