A good sign for Hendrick, Roush drivers and more Shootout lessons

Related Links Harvick takes wreck-filled Budweiser Shootout

Five things we learned under the lights on Saturday night in Daytona at the Budweiser Shootout, the preseason warm-up act for the Daytona 500.

1. Though neither team won the Shootout, Sunday's 500 will come down to a battle between Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing.

Forget, for a moment, that Kevin Harvick of Richard Childress Racing took the checkered flag on Saturday night. (We'll get to that shortly). What was most telling about the Shootout was the ability of the Hendrick Chevys and the Roush Fords to slingshot to the front. For the Hendrick team, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, and Jeff Gordon all flashed impressive speed. From the Roush stable, Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray, and Carl Edwards all appeared to have cars capable of winning. It looks as if these two teams have an advantage in horsepower over the rest of the field, and on Sunday that should mean your winner will come from this group. This isn't surprising. After all, at the end of last season these were the top two teams in the sport. Given NASCAR's ban on testing at NASCAR-sanctioned tracks this season, teams have made fewer technological gains this offseason than in any in recent memory. Unless another team unexpectedly steps up on Sunday -- Joe Gibbs Racing perhaps? --- the start of the 2009 season should look a lot like the last few months of 2008.

2. Harvick is one of the top-five plate racers in NASCAR.

The winner of the 2007 Daytona 500, Harvick snookered the field on Saturday night. He hung in the back of the pack for most of the race, even twice losing the draft and fading nearly a half-mile behind the leaders, but then made a move late. Thanks to a last-lap push by Denny Hamlin, Harvick catapulted past McMurray just moments before the yellow flag waved due to a crash that erupted behind him. This froze the field and handed Harvick the win.

Harvick hasn't reached Victory Lane in a points-paying event since his '07 500 win, a stretch of 71 races. Like the other RCR drivers, Harvick is known for his ability to consistently rip off top-15 finishes, though he's hardly a weekly threat for the checkers. But his skill at avoiding wrecks and conserving equipment serves him well at Daytona. If a couple of Big Ones thin the field on Sunday and take out some of the top contenders, Harvick could be in a position to steal the race -- just like he did in '07 and like he did on Saturday night.

3. Brian Vickers could surprise on Sunday.

If there's one driver from a second-tier team who could break out with a win in the 500, it's Vickers of Team Red Bull Toyota. On Saturday night he ran as high as second, exhibiting the juice under the hood that it will take to be nose-to-nose with the leaders as the laps wind down on Sunday. Red Bull has generated considerable buzz in the garage over the last few days, as many in the sport are predicting that this team will send a driver (most likely Vickers) into the Chase this year for the first time. Vickers' performance on Saturday night reinforced this good vibe surrounding the team.

The 25-year-old Vickers has already proven his bona fides on restrictor-plate tracks. He finished sixth at Daytona last July and the only win of his Cup career came at Talladega (another plate track) in the fall of 2006. He'll need some luck on Sunday to earn his second career victory, but it would surprise few in the garage if he's in the hunt when the white flag waves.

4. Joey Logano had a rough night.

Logano, the much-hyped 18-year-old rookie who replaced Tony Stewart in the No. 20 Home Depot, lasted all of four laps on Saturday. He got caught up in a wreck and finished dead last. Given his inexperience, Logano needed the track time more than any other driver in the field. It didn't happen. And in the 500, it would be a victory for Logano if he simply finished.

5. Stewart had a nice debut with his new team.

Stewart is as crafty on restrictor-plate tracks as any driver in sport. It showed on Saturday night. Stuck in the back of the field with only four laps remaining, he pitted under yellow, received four fresh tires, then picked off one car at a time over the last three laps to finish third. I don't think Stewart has the equipment to win on Sunday, but a solid top-five run appears attainable, which would be an excellent start for his entire Stewart-Haas Racing organization.