When Nascar rolls into Daytona in July, all the under dog racers are licking their chops. Why? Because this is the last wild card race until the Chase. The last chance to claim a surprise Chase spot. However, there is one driver who is the class of the field in the Coke Zero 400.

Tony Stewart. Since 2005 he has won four times in this race, the most in this race among active drivers. His first came in 2005, then in 06, 09, and 12. If he continues this three-year pattern, he is on track to win again. And trust me, he has every intention to do just that. He is the only driver to have won this race multiple times since 1999, his rookie year. And he is confident in his abilities.

Danica Patrick, Kurt Busch, and Kevin Harvick are his teammates, and all for seem to have learned from him. Patrick has had several great runs at Daytona. Harvick has won multiple races at Daytona, including the 2009 Daytona 500. Kurt has never won a race here, but he is a magnificent restrictor-plate racer.

Only one active driver aside from Stewart has won multiple July races. Jeff Gordon. He has three wins, but none have come since 2004. His last Daytona win was the 2005 Daytona 500. His teammates are about the same. Jimmie Johnson won the 2013 July race, but is not overly amazing at Daytona. Dale Earnhardt Jr won the 2001 July race, and Kasey Kahne has never won at Daytona. None seem like they are likely to win.

No other drivers are really that impressive here. As of late drivers win one race and just fade. However, keep an eye on David Ragan and David Gilliland. These two are both very fast at plate tracks. Paul Menard has also had some speed here, so keep an eye on him as well.

As far as picks for this race go, Tony Stewart is the unrivaled champion of Daytona. He has 19 wins here across all racing platforms. However, this is a wild card race, so anyone can win, so stay optimistic. Let’s go race under the lights. And I get to attend!