Picks: Coke Zero 400

STAT OF THE WEEK

Don't bet on Kenseth: You have to go all the way back to Bobby Allison in 1982 to find a driver who swept both races at Daytona.

FEBRUARY RACE

RECENT JULY WINNERS

ALSO THIS WEEKEND:

Nationwide Series
Subway Jalapeno 250, Daytona International Speedway, Fri. 7:49 p.m.

EXPERT STANDINGS

YAHOO! SPORTS FANTASY AUTO RACING

Check your team | Expert picks
Daytona preview (PDF)

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to Daytona International Speedway for Sunday's Coke Zero 400.

David Ragan is the defending race winner.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Junior's last victor at Daytona came in 2004. So why am I picking him? Because in the last five races there, he has two seconds and a fourth. If he stays out of trouble, he'll be there at the end, and an armed-with-confidence Earnhardt is a dangerous thing at Daytona. – Jay Hart

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Oh, why not? Let's go with Dale Earnhardt Jr. And for the first time in, oh, four years, this doesn't feel like a desperation pick. He's come very close to winning at Daytona in a Hendrick car, and while his restrictor plate advantage has narrowed, he's still got the ability to run at the front of the pack. Combine that with his newfound confidence and the fact that the entire 88 team is in sync, and you've got a setup for a perfect Daytona story. – Jay Busbee

Jeff Gordon: It looks like Gordon has snapped out of the funk that plagued him at the beginning of the season, and he'll undoubtedly have a fast car Saturday night. He was fast in February until a blown engine ended his day. Since restrictor plate racing is essentially a lottery, it makes as much sense as anything to go with the driver who is currently having luck go his way. – Nick Bromberg

• Carl Edwards is getting more play, but the troubles of Kyle Busch are no small matter. Brad Keselowski noted after his win that the 18 team is far better than their standings position indicates, but that doesn't matter if they keep losing their cars midway through races. Busch could win at any time, at any track, but if he doesn't … he's going to be in a dogfight for that wild-card spot, and there are plenty of drivers on equal footing, win-wise. Time for one of NASCAR's best drivers to get everything pointed in the right direction. – Jay Busbee

• How many jet dryers will blow up? Kidding, let's hope we don't have a repeat of the lengthy delay that almost stopped the Daytona 500 short of completion. Will the twilight bring back tandem racing, or will we see the pack again? The pack was prominent in the damp and cool Daytona air in February, but teams have had time to work on their restrictor plate packages since then. Could a tandem draft decide the finish? – Nick Bromberg

• How many engine issues will there be Saturday night? It's going to be hot, and that coupled with whatever air-intake measures NASCAR takes to minimize the two-car draft could lead to some overheating. – Jay Hart

"This is one of those races where no one team or individual has an advantage because anything can happen. Everything else kind of goes out the window. We've said the same thing before every one of these restrictor-plate races – we know going in our chance of getting the win is as good as anybody's. The biggest thing is just getting to the end of the race, which, if you look back to February, can be tough." – Kurt Busch