It seems way too early to be looking at the Daytona 500. But it will run on February 16th, so it is only a few months away. The Nascar offseason is just about finished and it seems like the season just ended!
It’s no surprise that Kyle Busch is the 2019 Cup Series Champion. He was dominant all year long and he is now the proud owner of two Series Cups. And his Series win came with a Championship Race win in Homestead.
With less than 50 laps to go, Kyle Busch had an 8-second lead on Martin Truex Jr. There were some issues along the way as well, like Denny Hamlins getting taken out of contention due to some misplaced tape that caused him to have to pit a second time costing the No. 11 team any hope at winning. This was especially heartbreaking after seeing Hamlin overtake Kevin Harvick and wrestle with Kyle Busch for the lead. Kyle Larson, who was also contending for the lead was put out of the contest due to engine troubles.
So it isn’t a surprise to see many of these names at the top of the list on an early odds post at SBR Forum.
To Daytona
The richest race on the circuit is the Daytona 500. It’s also probably the most popular race in NASCAR, at least with casual fans. It’s also the first leg of NASCAR’s Grand Slam – Daytona 500, the Winston 500 at Talladega, and the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte.
The Daytona International Speedway has been running races since 1959 and is considered the most prestigious course in NASCAR. The stands and grounds hold just under 168,000 people, making it a massive spectator event. The two-and-a-half-mile tri-oval set up is fast and – pardon the phrase– furious. The lap speeds can push 210 miles per hour, like Bill Elliot’s 1987 42.782 second lap time.
Denny Hamlin won here last season starting from 10th, in a lengthy 3:45 race. Austin Dillon won in 2108 and started from 14th. Kurt Busch won in 2017 from the 8th spot. Denny Hamlin also won in 2016 after starting in the 11th. And Joey Logano won in 2015 from 5th.
The Driver Odds
- Joey Logano 10-1
- Brad Keselowski 10-1
- Chase Elliott 10-1
- Denny Hamlin 10-1
- Kyle Busch 14-1
- Kevin Harvick 14-1
- Ryan Blaney 14-1
- Kurt Busch 18-1
- Alex Bowman 18-1
- William Byron 18-1
- Clint Bowyer 20-1
- Aric Almirola 20-1
- Matt DiBenedetto 20-1
- Martin Truex Jr. 25-1
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 25-1
- Erick Jones 30-1
- Jimmie Johnson 30-1
- Ryan Newman 30-1
- Kyle Larson 30-1
- Cole Custer 30-1
- Christopher Bell 30-1
- Austin Dillon 40-1
- Chris Buescher 40-1
- Tyler Reddick 40-1
- Ty Dillon 60-1
- Darrel Wallace Jr. 60-1
- Ryan Preece 60-1
- Michael McDowell 80-1
- John Nemechek 100-1
- Landon Cassill 100-1
- Ross Chastain 100-1
Seeing Austin Dillon down at 40 to 1 is interesting, given he won here two years ago. He had a weak-ish season last year, but still finished in the top 16 at Daytona in 2019. So, he will be a threat in 2020 and shouldn’t be counted out for a top 10 finish this time around for our fantasy NASCAR picks.
Kyle Busch at 14-1 is also valuable and could have a lot of value in our fantasy leagues, depending on what DFS price he comes in at. He’s never won the Daytona 500 but he came in second last year. And considering his dominance all over the Monster Energy Circuit, he very well could pull off his first Daytona 500 checkered flag. Joey Logano is another that should be on our radar. He’s one of the four favorites at 10-1 and he came in 4th last year and in 2018, 6th in 2017 and he won in 2016. The guy is consistently at the front of the pack in Daytona. Denny Hamlin, of course, can’t be ignored. He has won twice in the last five years and came in 3rd in 2018.
It’s still too early to tell what will happen. And of course, each race has a sort of life of its own. You never know what kind of issues will pop up that affect the entire pack. That said, we are already looking forward to an exciting season and an action-packed Daytona 500 this February 16th.
