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It's way too early to be talking points and championship but Friday's finish in which four of the first five finishers are series champions suggests experience likely will be a significant factor as the 2007 seasons unfolds.

In fact, six of the seven former titleholders - all fulltime runners this season - occupied the final top 10 positions and led a combined 82 of the race's 100 laps.

Defending champion Todd Bodine got off to a solid start toward his goal of becoming the first back-to-back titlist. Bodine's Lumber Liquidators Toyota came home fifth.

Matt Crafton logged his first top-10 finish in seven trips to Daytona - narrowly missing a couple of accidents en route to a placing of eighth. "I've never gotten to the finish before with all four tires pointed in the same direction," said Crafton.

Not so lucky was Las Vegas veteran Brendan Gaughan, who appeared to avoid the lap 89 crash that saw Chase Miller's Open Joist Dodge tag the frontstretch wall to set off a chain reaction that ultimately collected Gaughan's South Point Resort Chevrolet.

"(The spotter) said, 'Nice job Batman' and pow! Somebody got me from behind," he said.

Less than one second covered the first 16 finishers as 22 in a starting field of 36 trucks were running at the race's conclusion.

Bill Lester, who labored through the 2006 season without a top-10 finish, matched last season's best performance with a run of 11th. "I'm just excited to have finished the race," said Lester of his debut in Billy Ballew's No. 15 Chevrolet. "It was the first time in three years that I haven't been caught up in one of the accidents."

Lester, who qualified 33rd, dropped to the rear at the start due to a post-practice engine change.

Joey Clanton was the race's top finishing Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate with a sixth-place run bouncing back from an early-race accident he triggered as the Georgia driver - posted by NASCAR for a loose hood - attempted to reach pit road.

The next best finishing freshman, Aaron Fike, was 16th.

Mark Martin did not defend his Daytona victory but will go for two in a row in Friday's San Bernardino County 200 at California Speedway. Fellow NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards also have filed entries.