DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Dale Earnhardt apologized after the Daytona 500 nearly lulled fans to sleep with a three-hour, mostly single-file parade last year.

“Bill France Sr. is probably spinning in his grave,” the seven-time Winston Cup champion said, referring to NASCAR’s founder.

Nobody expects The Intimidator to apologize again Sunday night, not unless he’s feeling guilty about pounding a rival into the wall in what drivers expect to be the best race in the track’s 42-year history.

This shouldn’t be another Snore at the Shore. Daytona is racing again.

“It’s going to be a madhouse,” said Jerry Nadeau, who’ll start fifth in the 43-car field of the record $11 million race.

NASCAR was embarrassed last February by Dale Jarrett’s nearly unchallenged run to a third victory and the dominating Fords’ sweep of the top five places in stock car’s Super Bowl.

It wanted desperately to avoid a repeat – especially with Fox Sports kicking off the new $2.8 billion, six-year TV package that NASCAR hopes will carry the sport further into America’s mainstream.

After agonizing over possible rule changes most of the season, NASCAR came up with a new aerodynamic package last fall for its two biggest and fastest ovals – Daytona and Talladega Superspeedway.

NASCAR mandated less engine restriction, providing a bit more horsepower, and new aerodynamic strips on the roof and rear spoilers, catching more air and providing extra downforce and drag. As a result, the October race in Talladega was a heart-stopping classic.

There were 49 lead changes, a high-speed chess game with constant three-wide action throughout the field and a breathtaking finish – with Earnhardt somehow driving from 18th to first in the last five laps.

But Daytona isn’t Talladega – the track isn’t as wide or quite as banked.

“There won’t be much three-wide (racing) out there,” two-time Daytona winner Jeff Gordon said. “This place won’t allow much of that. Talladega is more a horsepower track and, at Daytona, you’ve got to handle.

“But, you know what, I think it’s still going to be exciting out there for 200 laps. This is the first time I’ve been to Daytona where I have no idea whatsoever who is going to win. Normally, I would say Earnhardt has a distinct advantage here. But I don’t think even he has an advantage.”

Maine driver Ricky Craven, 34, will start 18th in the race in a Ford Taurus. Craven, the 1995 Rookie of the Year, is seeking his first career victory in 145th start and sixth in the Daytona 500. He has seven top-five finishes in his career, including third in the 1997 Daytona 500. Craven is in his first year driving for Cal Wells.

As much as everyone hoped that the excitement created in Talladega would spill over to Daytona, it was all speculation until last Sunday’s Budweiser Shootout, a 70-lap, made-for-TV event that began Speedweeks.

The 19 lead changes in the brief race were 10 more than in last year’s 500-miler on the same 21/2-mile track.

After the race, Earnhardt recalled his comment about France, the late NASCAR founder, and said, “Well, I’d say he’d be jumping up and down this year about this kind of racing.”

If people weren’t convinced by the Shootout, Thursday’s twin 125-mile qualifying races raised expectations for Sunday even more. There were 21 lead changes and a pair of dramatic finishes.

“It’s going to be the best Daytona 500 we’ve ever seen,” said Mike Skinner, who won the second qualifier and will start fourth. “I couldn’t tell you who is going to win.”

Beyond the questions about the new aerodynamic package, the race should help answer questions about the competitiveness of some new teams and an old make, returning to NASCAR’s top division after an absence of 16 years.

Ray Evernham, one of the sport’s greats as a crew chief, takes on new roles as a team owner and the hand-picked point man for the long-anticipated return of Chrysler.

Dodge will race in a Winston Cup event for the first time since 1985 and two of its new Intrepids will start from the front row. In fact, all 10 Dodge entries made it into the lineup and Evernham’s drivers – two-time Daytona winner Bill Elliott and touted rookie Casey Atwood – will start from the pole and 21st, respectively.

After the Intrepids appeared to be well behind the returning Chevrolets, Fords and Pontiacs in winter testing, the days leading up to the season-opening race have given Evernham a lot of confidence.

“We kept telling one another that we couldn’t worry if we weren’t fast enough or whatever,” Evernham said. “We just had to come down here and do the best we can and that good things would happen for us – and good things did happen.”

More good things could come Sunday, with Stacy Compton and two-time Daytona winner Sterling Marlin – winner of the other qualifying race – also starting at the front. Dodge took the top three spots in the lineup and five of the top 15.

“Nobody should be surprised that Ray has given us good equipment,” Elliott said. “The only question was the engines, and I felt confident that Ray was going to put the right group of people together to accomplish that feat. We’ll just have to see.”

The only complaint about the new aero package has come from the Ford teams, which insist they are at a disadvantage because the extended rear spoiler causes extra drag for the Tauruses.

“I can pass anybody in the turns,” Ford driver Jarrett said. “But on the straightaways it’s all over. All I can do is watch them blow by.”

Jarrett was far from ready to concede, though.

“We’ve all got to run under the rules they give us, but it’s going to take a perfect race for me or any Ford driver to win – no mistakes, perfect position and everything falling just right.”