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."

He hung on and made his move when it counted most.

"If we lost the draft, that was it for us," he said. "There were a couple times when it got close, because you get shuffled out, seems like you go backwards a lot faster. Like somebody throws an anchor on you."

50th Daytona 500

• Most memorable
• Winning drivers
• Winning crew chiefs
• History of the 500
• How DIS came to be
• Flashback: Daytona '79

Sunday will be his team's first start in the Daytona 500.

"We might not be running up front for the win, but we can have a respectable race and finish," he said. "That will be the icing on the cake."

Andretti's story can be compared to several other veterans in the garage, including 45-year-old Kenny Wallace, who was released from Furniture Row Racing last season but was asked to pilot a second car for the Daytona 500 alongside full-time driver Joe Nemecheck.

Like Andretti, Wallace believes his status in the sport, without a full-time ride, is not reflective of his talent.

"... [Furniture Row Racing] called me up in the wintertime and says, 'We realize it wasn't you. We want you to run the 500,' Wallace said. "I'm like, 'What the hell?' [They said,] 'We realize how bad our motors were. This is our chance to pay you back.'"

Racing his way into Sunday's Daytona 500, Wallace said, was satisfaction enough and it was his chance to prove his talents with better equipment.

Carolyn Andretti wants the same for her son.

"He has the talent and the passion," she said of John. "He's a good kid and a great family man."

Regardless, she said it's uncertain if her son will ever have a full-time ride in NASCAR again; his shot may have come and gone. Today's team owners want youth and often are less inclined to take a chance on a veteran.

But for now, Andretti can relish in the glory of being the giant killer in Daytona and carry the Andretti family banner in Sunday's race.

"You know, my uncle won this race before he won the Indianapolis 500. That's a big deal, and to have him here on Sunday is going to be great," Andretti said. "We spoke after qualifying earlier in the week, and I'm sure he's excited. My sister will be here, my father is here and it's a great time for the whole family."