In last year’s Daytona 500, sentimental favorite Mark Martin lost a controversial side-by-side showdown to the finish line with Kevin Harvick.

Although Martin had the lead on the final turn of the final lap, Harvick took the high road to win by a nose — or .02 seconds. In the rearview, a seven-car crash that did not freeze the field prevented Martin from earning his first Daytona 500 win.

Instead, Harvick won his first Harley J. Earl Trophy at the famed track and his only race of the season, while Martin’s winless streak was extended to 23 in the sport’s most celebrated event.

In July, Jamie McMurray edged the Busch brothers — Kyle (second) and Kurt (third) — for his first win at Daytona and second of his career.

The current driver with the most success at the track is Jeff Gordon, who has taken the checkers six times since 1995. Gordon has the fifth-most points-paying wins at Daytona — trailing Fireball Roberts (seven), David Pearson (eight), Cale Yarborough (nine) and, of course, Richard Petty (10).

Gordon’s new Hendrick teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr., could pick up where he left off in 2004 when he won the 500 to go along with a July 2001 triumph.

Tony Stewart has won two of the last five races at Daytona but remains winless in the 500, although he had the car to beat in ’07. The NASCAR season-opener is at the top of the wish list — well, second on the wish list — for the two-time Cup champ.

FANTASY STALL

Looking at Checkers
Stewart has a 500 win in him, and this could be the year.
Pretty Solid Pick
Kurt Busch
Good Sleeper Pick
Casey Mears
Runs on Seven Cylinders
Bobby Labonte
Insider Tip

It’s a crapshoot on the plate tracks. Finding the right dancing partner at the end is the key to victory.

KEEP AN EYE ON...
Kurt Busch The elder Busch brother is tantalizingly close to nabbing his first Daytona win. He was wrecked by Tony Stewart in last year’s 500 when he appeared, along with Tony, to be the class of the field. Busch also has consecutive third-place runs in the mid-summer classic. Our money is on the Blue Deuce for one win at Daytona this season.

Matt Kenseth Also falling into the close-but-no-cigar category is Kenseth, who was on his way to a third-place run in last year’s 500 until Kyle Busch nipped the apron. He also finished fifth in the July ’06 race and had the best car in the 500 that year until — yep, you guessed it — Stewart wrecked him.

The Quality of Racing Will the Daytona 500 be the single-file parade we witnessed at Talladega’s CoT race last year? We’d like to say ‘no,’ but it will most likely be tame until the final 30 laps.