After an offseason filled with points swaps and mergers, NASCAR finally has determined the 35 cars that are guaranteed spots in the first five races of 2009.

The biggest beneficiaries were Clint Bowyer and Sam Hornish Jr., who moved into the top 35 through deals in which their teams aligned with owners whose cars were ranked in the top 35 in 2008. The top 35 in owners points from the previous season are used to set fields for the five races each year.

Bowyer’s No. 33 Chevrolet, a new fourth car for Richard Childress Racing, will inherit the 32nd-place points of the No. 01 Chevy that belonged to Dale Earnhardt Inc. last year.

DEI merged with Chip Ganassi Racing in the offseason, but the points belonged to Bobby Ginn, who had merged his Ginn Racing with DEI the previous season. Ginn was given a minority stake in RCR and will be listed as the owner of Bowyer’s car.

“That’s Christmas come late for me,” Bowyer said Thursday at Daytona International Speedway. “I’ve been nervous about it.”

Hornish’s No. 77 Dodge received the 31st-place points of the No. 22 Toyota campaigned last year by Bill Davis, now a minority owner in the Penske Championship Racing team.

“It puts your mind to rest,” said Hornish, who failed to qualify for the 2008 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. “Anything can happen to keep you from being in the Daytona 500.”

NASCAR chairman Brian France said the top-35 rule might need tweaking.

“It would be nicer if it were a more simple-to-understand policy,” France said. “We’re not going to change anything tomorrow or for the Daytona 500, but we’ll be looking at the top 35.”

There are 56 cars entered for the 43 spots in the Daytona 500 on Feb. 15.

Tony Stewart’s No. 14 Impala is outside the top 35 but guaranteed a spot because he’s a past champion. Marcos Ambrose’s No. 47 Camry also will be guaranteed a spot despite having 36th-ranked points last year because Earnhardt Ganassi Racing’s No. 41 went defunct without its points being transferred.

Among the notables who will have to qualify on speed or through the Feb. 12 qualifying races are A.J. Allmendinger, Scott Riggs, Joe Nemechek and Jeremy Mayfield, who was interested in points for his startup team.

“If I could have figured out a way to get them without buying them, that’d be great to be locked in,” Mayfield said.

“Is it the fairest thing? I don’t know. A lot of stuff happened that I don’t think NASCAR was aware was going to with the points situation.”

Pit notes: The No. 00 Toyota of David Reutimann has picked up full-season sponsorship from Aaron’s, which initially had agreed to fund half the season. … Three-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson plans to test several braces to support the left middle finger he damaged with a kitchen knife Feb. 1 when he tried to cut a hole in his fire suit during the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Johnson doesn’t anticipate problems piloting his No. 48 Chevy. “It’s a little ugly and swollen,” he said, displaying the 16-stitch wound. “I’ve got motion and grip.”