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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Go ahead, try picking the winner for today's Daytona 500.

It might be just as easy to pick a driver's name out of a hat. Racing at Daytona International Speedway often is wild but forecasting what will happen this year is as tough as it has been in recent years.

Before you make your selection consider all the competitors and the questions that surround the season-opening NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

The list of favorites seems to expand each day.

"It's the most competitive that I've ever seen it,'' says Jeff Gordon, a three-time Daytona 500 champion.

Each Cup event during Speedweeks has been won by a different driver. Kevin Harvick won last week's Budweiser Shootout. Kyle Busch and Gordon each won their qualifying races. Martin Truex Jr. starts on the pole. Tony Stewart even won the Cup Lite race, er, Nationwide race Saturday.

Busch listed his favorites as Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin, Gordon and Stewart -- that pick coming before Stewart's crash Saturday forced him to a backup car. Greg Biffle said he favored Busch, Hamlin and Martin.

Others who have shown they were strong this week include Jimmie Johnson, Jamie McMurray, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brian Vickers.

Saturday's final practice session created more questions than answers. A blown right rear tire sent Ryan Newman spinning and he collected Stewart, his teammate. Both teams will go to backup cars.

Asked about his chances of winning the 500, Stewart directed his answer to the questioner: "I don't know, rocket scientist. I'm sitting here with a back-up car. What do you think?''

Actually, a rocket scientist might be helpful to answer the key questions heading into today's race: What about the tires? How well will the cars handle? What about those in backup cars? How will weather (i.e. rain) play a factor?

Questions persist about the tires. Some teams are blistering right-front tires. Tires wear after about 10 laps -- about a quarter of the way through a fuel run. So, if there's a caution in the last 8-15 laps, expect to see many to pit and take new tires where in the past, some might have stayed out for better track position.

Handling often is a major issue when the series runs at Daytona in July when it's hot, making the track slick. Drivers have said all week handling will be key with how the cars bounce around on the bumpy track. Expect a driver to lose control of his car and trigger a multi-car crash.

"It's just so hard to drive these things,'' Busch says. "They're bouncing all over the place.''

Most of the drivers in backup cars have had at least some time in practice.

In some cases, it might be a benefit. McMurray is using his Budweiser Shootout car and says it's better than the primary car that was damaged in an incident earlier this week.

With a forecast that calls for a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms today, rain could wash rubber off the track and make it more abrasive on tires. Also, rain could turn this race into a sprint and significantly alter strategy.

So, now that you've digested that, who are you going to pick?

Contact Dustin Long at 373-7062 or dustin.long@news-record.com