Not even John Andretti's own mother thought he would earn a spot in Sunday's fiercely competitive Daytona 500.

"His dad [Aldo Andretti] called and said, 'It is gonna go fast -- we put two coats of wax on that car,' and I just laughed," said Andretti's mother Carolyn from her home in Brownsburg, Ind. "I thought we really don't have much of a chance."

The deck was stacked against Andretti earning a spot in the race, so much that he was ready to bet against himself even.

"I wish I would have put money on me in Vegas on me making this race," he joked. "We were definitely not somebody expected."

Kin to racing royalty, Andretti has not made a Daytona 500 start since 2005 and hasn't piloted a full-time Cup Series ride since 2002.

His resume reads like a book of missed opportunities and unfulfilled promises peppered with a handful of financial fallouts. Throughout his career, one with two Cup victories, he has raced for several different Cup operations with his longest tenure coming at Petty Enterprises. But since his release from the team full time in 2003, Andretti has landed only part-time rides and one-off deals.

Traveling to Daytona this month, Andretti knew his Front Row Motorsports No. 34 Chevrolet would be a challenge. The team did little to no testing, the car had never been inside a wind tunnel, and Andretti has limited experience with this season's new car.

But as his fan page declares, "John's not a young gun anymore, but our wily veteran continues to find ways to make it into races." This would be a telling statement for the 44-year-old driver and his performance in the second Gatorade Duel on Thursday in Daytona.

The performance, a rally on the final lap of the 150-mile race to place 10th, earned him the "feel good story" of the month.

"Who would have thought it? I'm just excited to be in it. The 50th running, it's Daytona, my family will be here, my uncle [Mario Andretti] will be here," Andretti said. "It's just a great feeling to be a part of it. I don't know what the odds are, but to race in this great race on Sunday is just great."

Again, the odds were slim.

"I only did two drafting practices [prior to the Duel race] in this car," he said.

But the car was good.

"I could stay wide open at any given point," he said. "I never had to lift except to keep from running over somebody." (Continued)