DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The qualifying format for the Daytona 500 is unique, confusing and a source of tremendous pressure for the drivers who have to race their way into NASCAR's biggest event.

The process gets under way today with all 61 entries taking to the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway oval to post a qualifying speed that might or might not help them earn a spot in the 43-car field for the race next Sunday.

	Pole Day What: Qualifying for the front row for the Daytona 500, which opens the 2007 Nextel Cup season. When: 2 p.m. today. TV: WPGH. At stake: The first two spots for next Sunday's 49th Daytona 500. Most remaining starting positions will be filled Thursday in the Gatorade Duels. Last year: Jeff Burton started from the pole but dropped back to finish 32nd. Of note: There are 61 entries for the 43-car field. Among the drivers who will have to race their way in are former race winners Michael Waltrip, Bill Elliott, Sterling Marlin, Derrike Cope and Ward Burton.

"I know that qualifying probably won't mean much for us," Kyle Petty said. "We're lucky because we know we're in the race. There's a lot of other guys who aren't so lucky."

Petty's No. 45 Dodge is among the entries that finished in the top 35 in car-owner points last season. Under NASCAR rules, those cars are guaranteed starting spots in the first five races of 2007. After that, the top 35 in the current standings each week will be locked in to the field.

The 74-point margin by Petty over 36th-place Sterling Marlin last season meant the difference between calmly preparing for the season-opening race or, like Marlin and 23 other drivers entered here, sweating out the possibility they may be watching NASCAR's Super Bowl on TV from home.

The time trials today lock in only the front row for the 500, with the two fastest drivers winning the pole and the outside pole. But everyone who posts a speed earns a starting spot in one of the 150-mile qualifying races Thursday.

Then it gets really complicated.

Since the top 35 in points are guaranteed starting spots, only the top two non-qualified finishers in each race transfer to the big show. That gets us up to 39.

Two-time 500 winner Dale Jarrett, who moved to the new Michael Waltrip Racing team over the winter, has no points but is assured of starting as the most recent series champion entered. If he doesn't qualify any other way, Jarrett automatically would start 43rd.

If Jarrett does race his way in, two-time winner Bill Elliott could get the former champion's provisional spot. That leaves positions 40-42 -- or possibly 43, if Jarrett and Elliott earn a front-row start or race in -- for the remaining fastest drivers from today.

Got it?

Well, don't worry. Even the guys trying to get into the race aren't real sure how it works.

"I'm going to try to run the fastest lap I can [today] and race on Thursday as hard as I can and then somebody will tell me if we made the race or not," said Kenny Wallace, who failed to make the lineup a year ago.

"It's devastating," Wallace said about missing it last year. "We missed it by, I think, two spots and we were giving it high-fives and shaking hands after we missed it because we put on a hell of a race. That's all you can do."

The list of drivers who will vie for those open spots is impressive. It includes two former series champions, six Daytona winners with 10 wins among them -- Jarrett, Elliott, Marlin, Waltrip, Derrike Cope and Ward Burton -- and drivers who have totaled 75 Cup wins.