DAYTONA 500 Five things to watch

Can Dale Earnhardt Jr. stay hot?

One of the top restrictor-plate drivers won last weekend's Bud Shootout and one of Thursday's qualifying races. He starts third today, debuting for Hendrick Motorsports after he left his stepmother's team. He had his worst season last year. Will a Cup title run start today?

Busch vs. Stewart battle

Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart have a history of altercations, the latest Feb. 9, when Stewart reportedly punched Busch in the face in a NASCAR hauler. They were both put on probation, but that means very little.

Open-wheeler rookies

Former IRL champs Dario Franchitti (starting 40th) and Sam Hornish Jr. (19th) make their NASCAR debuts. Don't expect much from the Dodge drivers. Daytona requires a lot of drafting, difficult for first-timers.

Joe Gibbs and his new Toyotas

Hendrick's Dream Team of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. steal the headlines, but Gibbs has a fantastic trio of Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Hendrick castoff Kyle Busch. Will they work out the kinks of a switch from Chevys to Toyotas?

Introducing the car of today

Last year it was the Car of Tomorrow; now, call it the Car of Today. This will be the new models' first full season. Will it draft as well in its Daytona debut as the old car, or will drivers complain en masse?