The “Great American Race” at Daytona International Speedway is scheduled for February 15th. Fans across the nation are thrilled to follow the high-speed race on the legendary circuit, but they may be disappointed by the absence of NASCAR icon Jimmie Johnson. The driver officially retired in 2020, but he’s the co-owner of the Legacy Motor Club and competes as a non-chartered racer.
Johnson, driving the No. 84 Carvana Toyota, who counts a massive number of supporters, may be excluded if NASCAR doesn’t issue the so-called world-class provisional. Should all of them be allowed to compete, the car count will be around 44. Should they not, we will have approximately 40-41. In the first case, Johnson will be in. In the second, he should probably go through a single-car qualifier round and win his ticket. The Qualifiers for the Daytona 500 race are scheduled for Wednesday, February 11, 2026, followed by the two Duel races on Thursday, February 12. To find the odds for this event, one can simply visit Oddschecker, an online comparison site that keeps bettors and enthusiasts updated daily on Pennsylvania sports betting promos and all the other major sporting events in America, racing, and whatnot.
Who are the favorites to win in Daytona?
Even if we are still a couple of months away from the NASCAR season opener in Daytona, the bookmakers have already produced a list of the top favorites to triumph. Somewhat surprisingly, Denny Hamlin, who was denied his first title at the beginning of November, on the Phoenix Raceway, where Kyle Larson was crowned 2025 champion, and is clearly quite motivated to win this year, is not among them. Let’s see who the best-positioned drivers are to win the “Great American Race“.
Ryan Blaney
Blaney never won in Daytona, so listing his name as the first between the favorites may raise some eyebrows. However, everybody who knows a little about NASCAR knows how fast Blaney goes on superspeedways. This could really be his year on the world’s most iconic speedway.
Joey Logano
The case for Logano is pretty much the same: he won at Daytona 10 years ago and specializes in superspeedway races. Logano held off the field in the final charge to the flag, leading the field into turn three as the caution waved for a big wreck on the backstretch, for his first career Daytona 500 victory in February 2015. He knows the 2.5-mile track and appears more than ready to cut the finish line in first position, come February.
Austin Cindric
Cindric can run with his teammates everywhere and has already won in Daytona in 2022. He’s as fast as they come and doesn’t make many mistakes. This is an essential quality because of the oval racetrack, which can prompt drivers to go outside their usual lines, especially when they attempt to overtake other racers ahead of them. In 2022, Cindric was strong in his qualifying race, starting the 500 in fifth and rarely far from the lead, leading 21 laps on the way to scoring the win. Cindric usually keeps his cool in every situation.
William Byron
The Hendrick Motorsports driver is listed as only the fourth favorite. This is somewhat surprising, since he won last year’s event and the year before in Daytona, but bookies aren’t riding with him this year. After all, nobody has ever won the “Great American Race” three years in a row, and the feat remains extremely difficult. This means that he can attract a good betting volume, of course, because he has a date with history.
Brad Keselowski
RFK Racing ace would love to etch his name among the Daytona winners, a feat he never achieved in his illustrious career, but this may not be his year. According to the bookmakers, it is only fifth among the favorites, in the same area as Kyle Larson (6th favorite), Chase Elliott (7th favorite), Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch (tied at 8th favorite).
Obviously, we will cover everything Daytona in the coming weeks, leading up to the event. Just check our NASCAR Cup Series page to get all the info and stats you need.
