The Profit on CNBC 500 Odds: Can Junior Win Two Straight?

Great value with Carl Edwards at 20/1 this week

LAS VEGAS- Last week, the LVH SuperBook didn’t have any drivers posted to win the Daytona 500 at single-digit odds. This week for the Phoenix race, they have six drivers at 8-to-1 or less. There is a big difference between the two tracks in size dimensions, but the real reason rests entirely with the teams and cars. At Daytona, at least 35 drivers had a chance of winning because restrictor-plates equalize the cars. But at Phoenix, the cream rises to the top and there may be only 14 drivers that have a legitimate chance of winning.

The driver at the top of the oddsboard to win Sunday’s “The Profit on CNBC 500”, Jimmie Johnson, is the perfect example of the major differences between setting odds for Daytona and Phoenix. He was going into Daytona having swept the season there in 2013, yet he was as high as 12-to-1. This week, he’s 5-to-1 on the basis of his past performances with four wins and an insane average finish of 6.9 in 21 career starts. He didn’t win there last season, but he did finish second and third in the two races.

With no serious changes to the Gen-6 car this year, it is expected most of the drivers who ran well in 2013 should follow through will similar performances this season. To get the most relevant data to help come up with a number for Phoenix, results from the flat tracks of New Hampshire and Richmond can be lumped into the mix. The three tracks aren’t similar in configuration, but the set-up requirements for six races on those three tracks are.

Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch come in with the second shortest odds to win, each at 7-to-1. Busch won at Phoenix during his 2005 rookie season while driving for Hendrick Motorsports. Despite not winning there since, Busch has posted a very respectable 13.5 average finish. If we lump in the other similar tracks, he was runner-up twice at New Hampshire last season.

Outside of Johnson, no driver has been more consistent at Phoenix than Denny Hamlin, and no driver comes into the race on more of a high. After closing out a miserable 2013 season with a win at Homestead, he rolled to wins in the Sprint Unlimited and Budweiser Duel during Daytona speed weeks, and then finished a career best second-place in Sunday’s Daytona 500. Needless to say, the guy is on a roll, and while success at Homestead and Daytona don’t necessarily translate to success at Phoenix, it’s his mindset that makes him such a strong candidate to win this week. It also doesn't hurt that in 17 career starts at Phoenix, Hamlin has a 10.9 average finish and took home the checkers in the spring of 2012.

Coming in at 8-to-1 odds is the trio of Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick. Keselowski has finished 11th or better in his past four starts there. Kenseth won at Phoenix way back in 2002, and hasn’t had a top-5 finish there since 2007, but his association with JGR at least gives the notion that he should have a car capable of winning.

The interesting driver to keep tabs on this week is Kevin Harvick in his new Stewart-Haas No.4 Chevrolet. He won at Phoenix last year for the fourth time in his career and he also won at Richmond, but all that equipment he had success with is now property of Austin Dillon (60-to-1) sitting in the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing garage. The good news for Harvick is that SHR has been very good on these types of tracks over the past three seasons. But until seeing him practice Saturday, and knowing for sure that he’s fast, he’s a tough sell at 8-to-1.

Now that Dale Earnhardt Jr. (12-to-1) has finally won a race after only winning two in the past six years with HMS, will the victories come more frequently? Why not? He’s got 35 more cracks at it and should have one of the cars capable of winning on every track where they only turn left. At Phoenix, he‘s a two-time winner and had top-5 finishes in both 2013 races. Winning can be contagious.

The best value on the board might be Carl Edwards at 20-to-1. He’s a two-time winner at Phoenix, including last spring. His only two wins last season came on similar type of tracks, also winning at Richmond in the fall. He was ninth or better in five of the six races at Phoenix, Richmond and New Hampshire last season. He should be battling for a win, but we’ll know a lot more on Saturday when the drivers make their final practice in race trim, and we’ll have a report on who the looked the best in those sessions shortly after completion.

Read More Here....complete list of LVH odds

2014 Daytona 500 Images: Dale Jr. smiles big, Kenseth gets turned around in pits

Finally! Earnhardt Jr. Wins 2014 Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—In a race that started in broad daylight and ended 42 minutes before midnight, and with a swatch of tape covering part of his grille, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the rain-interrupted 56th running of the Daytona 500 Sunday night at Daytona International Speedway.

Earnhardt was a car-length ahead of Denny Hamlin when NASCAR threw the seventh caution of the race a split second before Earnhardt crossed the finish line to win the Great American Race for the second time in his career.

Under NASCAR's new Chase for the Sprint Cup format, Earnhardt's 20th career Sprint Cup Series victory almost assuredly locks him into the 10-race postseason playoff, set to start at Chicagoland Speedway in September.

Hamlin came home second as the race ended under caution, with Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon and reigning series champion Jimmie Johnson running third through fifth, respectively.

In Victory Lane, Earnhardt didn't even try to contain his elation. After all, he had just broken a 55-race winless streak. After finishing second in three last four Daytona 500s, he had just won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season opener in his last year with crew chief Steve Letarte, who is headed for the TV booth in 2015.

And he had just won his second Daytona 500 a decade after winning his first, holding off Hamlin in a dramatic two-lap dash to the finish.

"Man, winning this race is the greatest feeling that you can feel in the sport, aside from obviously accepting the trophy for the championship," Earnhardt all but shouted over the din of the celebration. "I didn't know if I'd ever get a chance to feel that again, and it feels just as good, if not better than the first because of how hard we tried year after year after year, running second all those years and wondering why and what we needed to do.

"I've got to get my head together ... This race car was awesome. We showed them all night long how good a car we had, and it's because of these guys right here (his team) putting it together in the shop. We could fight off battles after battles. We got a little help from Jeff (Gordon) to get away on that (last) restart and tried to take care of it from there.

"This is amazing. I can't believe this is happening. I'll never take this for granted, because this just doesn't happen twice, let alone once. I'm so thankful. Thanks to all my fans out there for supporting. We pretty much might be in the Chase? We get that off our chest and we are two-time Daytona 500 champion!"

After a rain delay of 6 hours 22 minutes, the race ran-caution-free from a restart on Lap 47 to Lap 145, when a wild 13-car wreck in Turn 4 thinned the field.

On the inside of a three-wide trio with Brian Scott and Aric Almirola, Kevin Harvick drifted up the track and clipped Brian Scott's Chevrolet, sending Scott into Almirola's Ford and turning it sideways.

Almirola hit Danica Patrick's No. 10 Chevrolet, which shot nose-first into the outside wall in the tri-oval, destroying the car. The No. 3 Chevy of polesitter Austin Dillon also sustained damage but remained on the lead lap.

Dillon's Richard Childress Racing teammate, Paul Menard, wasn't as fortunate. His No. 27 Chevy, which had led 29 laps, was heavily damaged and lost 14 laps as his team worked feverishly to repair it.
"What the hell happened?" Patrick said, as she slid to a stop in the soggy infield grass.

Sixteen laps after the first major incident of the race, Dillon's Chevrolet got loose and tapped the No. 42 of fellow rookie Kyle Larson, triggering an 11-car wreck that slowed the race. At Lap 184, 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne slammed into the outside wall on the backstretch to cause the fifth caution of the race.
On Lap 194, contact between Dillon and the No. 31 Chevrolet of RCR teammate Ryan Newman ignited a seven-car wreck in Turn 3 that set up the wild finish. Earnhardt, who was in the lead, ran over the swatch of Bear Bond (tape) from Newman's car under the yellow and tried in vain to remove the tape by driving within inches of the pace car.

First out of the race was Martin Truex Jr., whose luck turned from bad to worse on Sunday. With his primary car destroyed in a last-lap wreck in Thursday night's Budwesier Duel at Daytona, Truex had to give up his second-place starting position and take the green flag from the rear of the field in a backup car.
On Lap 32, Truex's engine expired after the oil pump belt dislodged, forcing an early exit from a race the driver of the No. 78 Chevrolet thought he had a chance to win.

"The car was super-fast today, and I went to bed last night thinking that this was my best shot ever to win the Daytona 500 and really felt that way, even today," Truex said. "The car was just so good, and we were just riding around and biding our time, being patient and trying to get to the end of this thing.
"Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be."

It wasn't meant to be for Tony Stewart or Clint Bowyer either.

Stewart, in his first points race after missing the final 15 events of 2013 with a broken right leg, took his No. 14 Chevrolet to the garage with a fuel pressure problem after completing 118 laps, frustrated in his 16th fruitless attempt to win the Daytona 500. Bowyer's engine expired after 127 laps, relegating the driver of the No. 15 Toyota to a 42nd-place finish.

Stewart ended the race in 35th, 26 laps down.

DAYTONA 500 Results

- NASCAR

Final 2014 Daytona 500 Driver Ratings following all practices

Micah Roberts Top-10 Driver Ratings

2014 Daytona 500

Daytona International Speedway

Sunday, February 23, 2014 - 10:16 am 

RATING       DRIVER   ODDS            SPRINT*      DUELS*     PRAC 3**    PRAC 4**

1. Matt Kenseth 10/1         10th        1st        16th         9th

Two-time Daytona 500 winner; eighth or better in seven of nine Daytona point races prior to 2013.

2. Kevin Harvick 10/1         5th         2nd       24th        DNP

2007 Daytona 500 winner, also won in summer 2010; has proved to be the new master of the draft.

3. Denny Hamlin 10/1        1st          1st        17th        1st 

Four Daytona wins, but none during regular season. No driver ever won the triple (Unlimited, Duel, 500).

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10/1  9th         5th        DNP        12th 

2004 Daytona 500 winner; last plate win was 2004 (Talladega); using new chassis (raced in Duel)

5. Kyle Busch 12/1             3rd         21st      22nd       31st  

2008 summer race winner with 18.6 average finish in 18 career starts; too good not to win the 500 yet.

6. Jeff Gordon 18/1           12th        2nd      33rd         14th 

NASCAR record 12 restrictor-plate race wins, six each at Daytona and Talladega; still has the knack.

7. Ryan Newman 30/1       8th         10th      DNP         34th 

2008 Daytona 500 winner; four top-5 finishes in 24 starts. Will be driving brand new RCR No. 31 chassis.

8. Kurt Busch    22/1         14th        3rd       28th         36th 

Two-time Daytona 500 runner-up; using SHR chassis that ran as the No. 39 and twice finished fifth at Daytona

9. Carl Edwards 20/1         13th      15th       27th        19th 

2011 Daytona 500 runner-up; finished ninth or better in seven of nine Daytona races from 2007-12

10. Jamie McMurray 30/1    6th      11th        7th          37th 

2010 Daytona 500 winner; four of his seven career career Cup wins have come in restrictor-plate races.

* THE SPRINT UNLIMITED RAN LAST SATURDAY - 18 SELECT DRIVERS COMPETED FOR 75 LAPS. THE BUDWEISER DUELS QUALIFYING RACES RAN THURSDAY AND FINALIZED THE DAYTONA 500 STARTING LINEUP.

** PRACTICES 3 AND 4 RAN WEDNESDAY AND FEATURED THE MOST RACE SIMULATED RUNS. THE EARLY SESSIONS WERE MOSTLY SINGLE CAR MOCK QUALIFYING RUNS, WHILE FRIDAY'S FINAL PRACTICE WAS CAUTIOUS APPROACH TO NOT WRECK; 14 DRIVERS DIDN'T PARTICIPATE.

ODDS COURTESY OF LVH SUPERBOOK

Micah Roberts, a former race and sports book director in Las Vegas, has been setting NASCAR odds since 1995. 
For more post-practice analysis, visit the Linemakers on SportingNews.com or follow MicahRoberts7 on Twitter.

Weekend Vegas Book Notes: South Point Opening Showroom for Daytona 500 Party

Budweiser helping South point with NASCAR promotion

LAS VEGAS -- The South Point will open its showroom with a massive HD movie screen for viewing Sunday’s Daytona 500. The set-up will be similar to the popular Monday Night Football parties at property, where the fans will be able hoot and holler in an environment not offered anywhere else in Las Vegas.

Thursday night at the South Point sports book – while we were shooting video segments – the Budweiser Duels were being shown in the sports book at the same time the Budweiser Clydesdales were giving free shows in another area of the casino. Now, that is some kind of mega event tie-in – and a new one here in Las Vegas.

Denny Hamlin’s Toyota proved to have the most horses under the hood, as he’s two-thirds away from the Daytona triple – winning the Sprint Unlimited, Budweiser Duel and Daytona 500 all in the same season, something that has never been done before.

Sports book director Bert Osborne was running through his Daytona 500 odds screen when we talked Friday afternoon.

“The only drivers I lose on so far are Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Austin Dillon,” Osborne said. “Everyone else looks good for us so far, but we expect to see the bulk of the action (Friday) through Sunday.”

Rousey attracting new bettors?
Our resident MMA analyst Hugh Citron, the first bookmaker in Las Vegas to set odds on MMA matches, has been crowing about the intensity of the crowds for Ronda Rousey fights, and books around town have confirmed that she generally attracts the most tickets written on any UFC event – not necessarily money wagered – an indication that she is the “it” personality the masses want to see, and bet on or against.

Read More Here.....

Hamlin and Kenseth win Budweiser Duels

Hamlin races to checkers as mayhem ensues behind him on last lap

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Denny Hamlin was in the right place at the right time Thursday night — out front and ahead of the big crash.

Hamlin led the lead pack across the finish line to win the second Budweiser Duel and avoid the wild multicar crash that erupted behind him and sent Clint Bowyer's car flipping through the air.

The wreck occurred when Jimmie Johnson ran out of fuel on the final lap and Jamie McMurray tagged him from behind coming out of Turn 4, sending both drivers crashing into the outside wall and igniting a huge crash. Bowyer got the worst of it, getting knocked across the track and flipping his car into the frontstretch grass. Also involved were Michael Waltrip, Martin Truex Jr., Carl Edwards and David Ragan.

“I feel terrible," Johnson said. "Terrible to tear up that many racecars and see the 15 (Bowyer) flip. I feel terrible and want to apolgize to everyone. I tried to get up out of the way, I had my hand out the window, but the last lap coming to the checkered, there is so much going on right there, so much energy in the pack, I knew we were going to get run over if we ran out. Thankfully everyone is all right and I certainly feel bad for all the torn-up racecars."

Hamlin, meanwhile, won the race, followed by Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Paul Menard, Brian Scott, Trevor Bayne and rookie Kyle Larson.

Read More Here......Sporting News

Bud Duel 2 Results


DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Matt Kenseth held off a furious charge from Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne on the final lap to win the first Budweiser Duel qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway Thursday night.

Harvick finished second but was disqualified after failing postrace inspection for his car exceeding the maximum split on the track car. Harvick's finish was disallowed and he will have to get into the Daytona 500 based on his qualifying speed or owner points. His team has Ryan Newman's owner points from 2013.

Kenseth led most of the race, but had to deal with Harvick on the final lap. Harvick pulled out of line going into Turn 4 on the final lap to take the lead, but Kenseth fought back on the outside to hold off Harvick and Kahne in a three-wide finish.

Read More here....Sporting News

Bud Duel 1 Results

2014 Daytona 500 Driver Chassis Selections: Johnson Using Winning Car from July

Johnson is using winning chassis from July Daytona race last year

#2-Brad Keselowski: Primary Chassis for Daytona is PRS-657, which is a new chassis. The backup chassis is PRS-649 which is a new chassis.

#3-Austin Dillon: will pilot chassis No. 440 in the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. This is the same Chevrolet SS that Dillon utilized during January testing, where he topped the speed charts. Dillon will lead the 43-car starting field to the green flag on Sunday afternoon after earning his career-first Sprint Cup Series pole award with a lap of 196.019 mph (45.914 seconds). It marks the fourth time the #3 has won the pole for the Daytona 500, and its 67th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole, overall.

#4-Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 834 in Sunday's race. This is a new car from the Stewart-Haas Racing shop. Harvick has 25 starts at DIS and has raced his way to Victory Lane twice at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. In February 2007, Harvick hoisted the coveted Harley J. Earl trophy following his win in the Daytona 500 and three years later he won the July event at the track. He has earned six top fives and 11 top 10s, and has an average start of 15.7 and an average finish of 16.0 at DIS.

#5-Kasey Kahne: Crew chief Kenny Francis will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-768 for the Feb. 23 Daytona 500. Kahne raced this chassis in all four 2013 restrictor-plate races and drove it in the second 2013 Daytona Duel to a runner-up finish.

#10-Danica Patrick will pilot Chassis No. 10-835 is a new car that has only been tested in the wind tunnel since being built. The Backup Racecar is Chassis No. 10-757 which has never been driven but was available as a backup car during the 2013 season in July at Daytona and in October at Talladega.

#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-844: is a brand-new racecar that has never turned a wheel on the racetrack, but it has been wind-tunnel tested numerous times.

#15-Clint Bowyer: Primary chassis No. 752 finished fourth in July 2013 at Daytona and 10th in October 2013 at Talladega. Chassis No. 754 serves as the back up chassis. The chassis raced in October at Talladega, finishing eighth, driven by Martin Truex Jr.

#16-Greg Biffle: and the Matt Puccia led #16 3M team will bring primary chassis RK-798 first hit the track in 2012 at Talladega, earning a sixth-place finish. This is the same chassis Biffle crossed the finish line 17th last July at Daytona. The backup chassis is RK-852 which last ran Talladega and finished 11th. Biffle has 11 career Daytona 500 starts, earning two top-five and four top-10 finishes. The 2014 season will mark the seventh season 3M has been the primary sponsor of Greg Biffle and the #16. Post-it brand made the debut for 3M in 2005 and in 2006 3M could be seen on the hood in the Nationwide Series with Biffle. After sponsoring a few races in 2007, they moved up to full time in 2008.

#17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: and the #17 Nationwide team will be using primary chassis Chassis RK-830 was raced at all superspeedway races in 2013 by the #17 team. It was last raced at Talladega where Stenhouse claimed a third-place finish, his first top-five finish of his rookie season. The backup chassis is RK-872, a new chassis. Stenhouse has three career starts at DIS, completing 563 of 563 laps (100%) with an average starting position of 19.3 and average finishing position of 14.3.

#22-Joey Logano: Primary Chassis is PRS-654 for Daytona, which last raced at Talladega. The Backup Chassis is PRS-658 which is a new chassis.

#24-Jeff Gordon: crew chief Alan Gustafson and the #24 team will unload a new car, Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-855, for the season-opening Daytona 500. This is a new chassis that has not been raced.

#27-Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 447 for both the Budweiser Duel and Daytona 500. This #27 PEAK/Menards Chevrolet SS is a new addition to the Richard Childress Racing stable this season. Menard has 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Daytona International Speedway. His best start of first came in July 2008 and his best finish of sixth came in the 2012 Daytona 500. The Wisconsin native has completed 2,156 of 2,309 laps attempted at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, leading 38 of them.

#31-Ryan Newman will race chassis No. 446 in Sunday's Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. This #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS is brand new and will take to the track for the first time on Wednesday for the two scheduled practice sessions. Newman is the proud owner of a Harley J. Earl trophy by winning the 50th running of the Daytona 500 in 2008. In total, the South Bend, Ind., native has 25 starts at the 2.5-mile superspeedway as well as four top-five and six top-10 finishes. His average start is 20th, average finish is 20th and he's led 101 laps of completion.

#33-Brian Scott will pilot chassis No. 442 for Sunday's 56th running of the Daytona 500. This is a new chassis that was utilized for the first time during January testing at Daytona International Speedway.

#41-Kurt Busch will pilot Chassis No. 606, which has seven previous starts in restrictor-plate races, all as the #39 Chevrolet for SHR - four starts at Talladega and three at Daytona. In its seven previous starts, its best results have come at Daytona - a pair of fifth-place finishes. Chassis No. 606 last saw action in October at the Camping World RV Sales 500 at Talladega, where it finished ninth. Since then, Chassis No. 606 has undergone repairs and visited the wind tunnel in preparation for its maiden voyage as a #41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS for the 56th running of the Daytona 500.

#48-Jimmie Johnson: Crew chief Chad Knaus has selected Chassis No. 48-764. Johnson raced this car twice at Talladega Superspeedway in 2013 and drove it to win the 400-mile event at Daytona last July. The backup car is Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 48-853, which is a brand new Chevy SS.

#55-Brian Vickers: Primary Chassis 753 Michael Waltrip finished 5th at Daytona in July in this chassis.

#66-Michael Waltrip: Primary 748- Martin Truex Jr. finished 9th in the 2013 Sprint Unlimited at Daytona.

#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: crew chief Steve Letarte and the #88 team has selected Chassis No. 88-854. This is a new chassis that has not been raced and will feature the National Guard scheme.

#99-Carl Edwards the #99 Fastenal blue team will unload Chassis RK-797 was last run in Talladega in 2013, finishing 17th. Edwards has 18 Sprint Cup starts at Daytona International Speedway with an average finish of 18.2.

- compiled by Jayski.com

Crash highlights Wednesday's early Daytona 500 practice; Hamlin fast again

Joey Logano took credit for wreck in parctice

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Three-wide racing during practice Wednesday led to a wild multicar crash at Daytona International Speedway.

The crash resulted in Parker Kligerman's Swan Racing car getting lifted off the ground and flipping upside-down.

Several drivers were racing in a big three-wide pack while practicing for Thursday's Budweiser Duel qualifying races. The crash began when Joey Logano appeared to hit Matt Kenseth — the same two drivers who caused a big crash in Saturday's Sprint Unlimited.

The collision between Kenseth and Logano sent Paul Menard's car spinning toward the outside wall, where it hit Kligerman's No. 30 car, lifting it off the ground and damaging the catchfence at Daytona.

Kligerman's car slid on its roof for several hundred feet before coming to a stop.

The practice session was cut short while track and NASCAR officials repair the fence. A second Sprint Cup practice is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. today.

A year ago, the catchfence at Daytona was damaged when Kyle Larson's car got airborne and slammed into the fence during the Nationwide Series race. That crash sent car parts and debris flying into the grandstands, injuring more than 30 fans.

The crash Wednesday also sent debris into the grandstands but there were few fans there and no reported injuries, according to Fox.

Logano took partial blame for the crash.

Read More Here.........Sporting News

Weds Early Practice 3 Speeds - Allmendinger Fastest

Weds Late Practice 4 Speeds - Hamlin Fastest

More Daytona 500 Props: OVER-UNDER Finish Positions for Several Drivers

Tony Stewart OV-UN finish of 13.5 in the 500 

LAS VEGAS -- Sports books are rolling out dozens of Daytona 500 props for the NASCAR wagering enthusiast. Earlier this week, we looked at driver matchups and stats-based props offered at the LVH SuperBook. Today, we dive into options that allow you to bet on one driver to finish first among a group of four, as well as OVER/UNDER finishing positions on a number of drivers.

William Hill also has props for the race, and we’ll be discussing those later this week.

Also, check out odds to win the Daytona 500 from a variety of Vegas bet shops.

The group-based bets are fun, partly because the LVH lets you parlay them, and the theoretic hold on each four-way prop is very fair. Bettors can wager a little to win a lot. But it's hard enough to pick one driver against another in restrictor-plate races, let alone one against three.

Still, we offer our choice for each group.

DAYTONA 500 GROUP MATCHUPS

GROUP 1
JIMMIE JOHNSON +230
MATT KENSETH +230
KYLE BUSCH +230
DALE EARNHARDT JR +230 (LM choice)

Read More Here......More LVH props/OV-UN Finish 

Carl Edwards still searching for elusive restrictor-plate win

Carl Edwards has performed well at Daytona over career

Carl Edwards – Daytona 500 Advance
Team: No. 99 Fastenal Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig
Primary Chassis: RK- 797
Backup Chassis: RK-870

Edwards at Daytona
* 2014 will mark Edwards’ 10th Daytona 500
* Edwards has 18 Sprint Cup starts at Daytona International Speedway with an average finish of 18.2
* Edwards has yet to capture a win, finishing in the top five four times

The Car
Chassis RK-797 was last run in Talladega in 2013, finishing 17th

* 2014 will mark Fastenal’s sixth year with Roush Fenway Racing and third year in the Sprint Cup Series.
* Edwards earned Fastenal its first victory in 2010 at Road America in the NNS.
* Make sure to follow @FastenalRacing for updates on Carl Edwards and the No. 99 team.

Edwards on the Daytona 500:
“We’ve got a really fast race car which is great. The guys worked really hard on our Fastenal Ford and we have increased our speed a lot since testing. I’m really excited about the race. Now we just have to make it through the Duels without tearing it up. I learned a lot in the Sprint Unlimited so hopefully we can get our first Daytona 500 victory together, me and Jimmy Fennig. That would be a lot of fun.”

- Roush Fenway Racing

Richard Childress brings four strong cars to 2014 Daytona 500

Newman is 30/1 and Dillon is 25/1, down from 45/1

Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series News and Notes

Event/Date - Daytona 500, Sunday, February 23, 2014
Venue - Daytona International Speedway

Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history at Daytona International Speedway … Dating back to 1976, Richard Childress Racing has won 12 poles and collected five points-paying victories at the most-storied race track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit. RCR owns two Daytona 500 wins (Dale Earnhardt – 1998, Kevin Harvick – 2007), three Coke Zero 400 trophies (Earnhardt – 1990, 1993 and Harvick – 2010) and 14 qualifying races, including 10-consecutive victories with Earnhardt (1990 – 1999). In addition, RCR has earned the Sprint Unlimited a total of eight times, with drivers Harvick (2009, 2010, 2013) and Earnhardt (1986, ’88, ’91, ’93, and ’95).

RCR in the NSCS … In 2,381 Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, RCR has amassed 43 pole awards,105 wins, 449 top-five finishes and 946 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 17.8 and an average finishing position of 15.8. RCR has earned 15 total championships (six Sprint Cup Series championships with Earnhardt in 1986, ’87, ’90,’91, ’93 and ’94, six NASCAR Nationwide Series titles, two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series titles and one ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR’s three national series.

Ryan Newman
No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet SS

his Week’s Caterpillar Chevrolet SS at Daytona International Speedway … Ryan Newman will drive chassis No. 446 in Sunday’s Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. This No. 31 Chevrolet SS is brand new and will take to the track for the first time on Wednesday for the two scheduled practice sessions.

Newman in the Daytona 500 … Newman is the proud owner of a Harley J. Earl trophy by winning the 50th running of the Daytona 500 in 2008. In total, the South Bend, Ind., native has 25 starts at the 2.5-mile superspeedway as well as four top-five and six top-10 finishes. His average start is 20th, average finish is 20th and he’s led 101 laps of completion.

Down to the Duels … Newman recorded the fifth-fastest lap on Sunday during NASCAR’s Daytona 500 qualifying session earning him the third starting spot in Thursday night’s first 150-mile Duel event. He’ll start directly behind the Daytona 500 pole sitter and teammate Austin Dillon. The top-15 finishers in each Duel race — excluding Dillon and Martin Truex Jr. who are starting first and second in the field — will earn an automatic spot in the Daytona 500 by filling positions three through 32.

Ask Ryan Anything … Newman is schedule to participate with fans in a one hour NASCAR Reddit AMA session presented by Quicken Loans on Friday starting at 4:30 p.m. Eastern.

What are your thoughts heading into this weekend’s Daytona 500 with your new CAT Racing team at RCR?
“I am really looking forward to it, especially seeing how fast we have been running so far here in Daytona. I feel it’s a privilege to have the opportunity to be a part of an organization that has been so successful in so many ways and on so many levels. I have had three heroes as race car drivers growing up. They were Richard Petty, A.J. Foyt and Dale Earnhardt. The point about Dale Earnhardt was a lot of people that are still at RCR had an influence and were a part of so many great championships. Those championships happened because Earnhardt could beat the competition before he ever got to the race track. That’s our chore or our task to replicate that and have every organization out there fearing us when we show up at the track. As a member of this RCR team, I look forward to the next couple of days of racing. It’s all about having fun. If I can see that checkered flag before everybody else, then it’s a good day. It will make the start to 2014 so much better.”

What does winning the 50th Daytona 500 mean to you?
“It was such a special day for so many reasons especially when you look at the history of NASCAR. I joined a prestigious group of drivers like Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty and Buddy Baker. I always thought if I was going to amount to anything in NASCAR, I would need to win the Daytona 500. I did and let me tell you, winning that race meant, and still means, a lot.”

Brian Scott
No. 33 Whitetail Chevrolet SS

This Week’s Whitetail Chevrolet SS at Daytona International Speedway … Brian Scott will pilot chassis No. 442 for Sunday’s 56th running of the Daytona 500. This is a new chassis that was utilized for the first time during January testing at Daytona International Speedway.

Daytona History … The 26-year-old driver will make his debut at the 2.5-mile speedway in the Sprint Cup Series, in only his second Sprint Cup series start. Scott has eight previous starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Daytona International Speedway. His best start of fourth came at the Series’ last visit to the 2.5-mile track in July. He scored his best finish of sixth in the 2013 season opener. Additionally, Scott has two Truck Series starts with a ninth-place finish made in his 2008 Daytona debut.

Newly Wed … Congratulations to Scott and new bride, Whitney Scott on their marriage. The pair wed on January 25th at the Shore Lodge in McCall, Idaho. To see exclusive behind the scenes footage from the wedding visit http://bit.ly/1gXorVM.

Double Duty … In addition to competing at Daytona International Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this weekend, Scott is scheduled to drive the No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday, Feb. 22. The Daytona Nationwide Series race kicks off a season-long campaign in which Scott plans to battle for the 2014 Driver’s Title after earning his best career points finish of seventh in 2013. The DRIVE4COPD300 is live on ESPN at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Talk about what it means to you to be a part of the Great American Race?
“The Daytona 500, obviously, is the biggest Great American race. It is what stock car racers dream about. I am thrilled to death to be making my debut with a company like Shore Lodge and Whitetail with ECR Engines under the hood. I’m excited to keep learning how to race at the Sprint Cup level and try to put forward a good effort with my team that will be capable of doing it. Having good consistent finishes is what I’m hoping for during this new step in my life.

What does it mean to come into Speedweeks and be at the top of the charts?
“This 33 group is such a great group of guys and I’d love to race with them a lot more than five times if I could. You know, Daytona is always neat because it’s a chance for all the guys to see the results of all their hard work and labor. Everyone has put in a lot of time this off season. They have done a great job at ECR Engines getting power and the body shop has done a great job, too. Our Chevrolet SS cars are really fast right now and that’s a testament to all their work. I’m the lucky fool who gets to hold it to the floor and give them my input.”

Paul Menard
No. 27 PEAK/Menards Chevrolet SS

This Week’s PEAK/Menards Chevrolet … Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 447 for both the Budweiser Duel and Daytona 500. This No. 27 Chevrolet SS is a new addition to the Richard Childress Racing stable this season.

Stats for “The Great American Race”… Menard has 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Daytona International Speedway. His best start of first came in July 2008 and his best finish of sixth came in the 2012 Daytona 500. The Wisconsin native has completed 2,156 of 2,309 laps attempted at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, leading 38 of them.

Meet Menard at the Chevy Q&A … Fans can participate in a question-and-answer session with Menard on Friday, Feb. 21 at 1:40 p.m. Eastern Time on the Team Chevy Stage, located in the merchandise area outside of Turn 4.

Paul Menards Thoughts about Teammate Changes This Season:
“The atmosphere is good around Richard Childress Racing with the new NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams. The No. 27 team is pretty intact with the exception of two new engineers, but for the most part we have the same core group of guys. There are a lot of changes around us with Ryan (Newman) and Austin (Dillon), which is exciting. Ryan brings a new outlook to RCR and a level of experience to our group as a consistent Chase (for the NASCAR Sprint Cup) driver with multiple wins and has worked with several premier racing organizations. Austin has more NASCAR championships than Ryan and I combined. He’s a young kid full of energy and he’s a lot of fun to be around. I think it’s going to be a great and I’m ready to get it all started.”

Menard’s Thoughts on the Daytona 500: “The Daytona 500 is the biggest race of the year for our sport. You can hear and feel the excitement building through the day as we get ready for the green flag. RCR and our No. 27 Menards team has put a lot of work into this race and we feel good about our Chevrolet. The best part for me is getting in the car, strapping in and thinking about the 500 miles of intense racing that lies ahead at Daytona. Winning this race is a dream for any driver and I hope we’re right there when the checkered flag flies on Sunday.”

Austin Dillon
No. 3 Dow Chevrolet SS

This Week’s Dow Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway … Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 440 in the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. This is the same Chevrolet SS that Dillon utilized during January testing, where he topped the speed charts.

Dillon at Daytona … Dillon made his first start in the Great American Race in last year’s Daytona 500 driving the No. 33 Honey Nut Cheerios Chevrolet to a 31st-place finish, after he was involved in a multi-car incident on lap 137 of 200. In four Nationwide Series starts at the 2.5-mile restrictor-plate track, the Welcome, N.C., driver has three top-five finishes, with a best finish of fourth in July 2012. He also has two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Daytona.

Pole Sitter … Dillon will lead the 43-car starting field to the green flag on Sunday afternoon after earning his career-first Sprint Cup Series pole award with a lap of 196.019 mph (45.914 seconds). It marks the fourth time the No. 3 has won the pole for the Daytona 500, and its 67th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole, overall.

#CheerThe3 … Beginning this week, limited edition Cheerios boxes to commemorate the return of the No. 3 to NASCAR’s premier series with NASCAR champion Austin Dillon will be available to shoppers exclusively at The Kroger Co. Family of Stores nationwide. The collectible Cheerios box, which required rare brand approval to replace the traditional red heart with the iconic No. 3, also features historic photos and facts about the legendary number. Fans can interact and receive unique content about Austin Dillon and the No. 3 race team throughout the 2014 season by visiting the “Cheer the 3″ social media communities on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/Cheerthe3 ) and Twitter @Cheerthe3.

What does it mean to you to sit on the pole for the Daytona 500 driving the No. 3 car?
“It’s amazing. Dow has had a good start. They actually just got the first Olympic medal for us in the luge, in the women’s luge for a bronze, and now they got the pole at the Daytona 500. It shows that the technology that that group is able to bring, not only as a partner with us, but as a performance partner. So, it’s pretty cool to see what they’ve been able to do. As far as starting the year off with a pole right here, it brings some momentum into our season already to show that RCR cars have speed, and I’m so happy to be working with Gil Martin and all of our guys. I sat down at the test at Nashville Superspeedway we had, and it was fun just to sit back and watch them work. They’re so experienced and good at what they do. I know I’m the young guy out of the group, the rookie of the group, and I really think I’m going to learn a lot this year from these guys.”

How much responsibility is it to drive the No. 3 car?
“I think it is a huge responsibility. Everybody knows who made this number famous, and with my grandfather and his friendship they were able to build something great that will never be touched. But, we feel like with bringing it back as my grandfather’s grandson and working with RCR it’s going to be special. And I feel like we’ve put in a lot of hard work and effort at the shop and we’re prepared for everything that’s to come. I’m just so thankful that we were able to work with great sponsors like Dow and Cheerios to make this happen. It takes a lot of things to come into place to get this opportunity and it’s a dream come true to be in the situation that I’m in. I’m going to take it every day and I feel fortunate to be in this situation. I want to go out there and run well, and go out each time try and set goals to be able to crush. We want to go out there and set high goals and maintain those. I feel like if we do that, it makes everything that much sweeter.”

- Richard Childress Racing

Matt Kenseth looking for his third Daytona 500 win

Matt Kenseth is 10-to-1 co-favorite to win Sunday 

Matt Kenseth / No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Preview
DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway

No. 20 Dollar General Toyota News and Notes:

TWO-TIME LOOKING FOR THREE: Two-time Daytona 500 Champion, Matt Kenseth returns to the 2.5-mile superspeedway as one of only 10 drivers in NASCAR history who have won this prestigious race more than once. Kenseth will look to return to Victory Lane at the historic track in the sport’s most esteemed race for the third time in his career. In last year’s Daytona 500, Kenseth led for a total of 86 laps when engine woes took him out of the race.

KENSETH’S DOUBLE-DUTY: In addition to competing in Sunday’s Daytona 500, Kenseth will also pilot the No. 20 Reser’s Main St. Bistro Toyota in Saturday’s DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway. Kenseth’s last Nationwide Series start at Daytona in July of 2013 found the driver earning his second win in the series at the track.

JOE GIBBS RACING AT DAYTONA: Joe Gibbs Racing has 93 Sprint Cup Series starts at Daytona earning a total of four wins, 20 top-five, and 30 top-ten finishes. The organization also has led for a total of 1,248 laps, has an average start of 15.4 and an average finish of 20.2 at the 2.5-mile historic high-banked track.

THIS WEEK ON THE NO. 20 DOLLAR GENERAL TOYOTA: Dollar General vendor partners Gatorade, Old Spice, Hefty Reynolds Wrap, Stacker2, Hamburger Helper, Sparkle, Clorox and Hanes will be featured on Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota Camry this weekend at Daytona International Speedway.
RACE INFO: The Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway (2.5-mile) begins at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 23. The race will be broadcast live on FOX, Sirius XM Channel 90 and MRN Radio.

From the Cockpit:
Matt Kenseth: “The Daytona 500 is such a unique race and honestly we won’t really know a game plan until Thursday’s Duel races. Just like every year, you prepare hard for the (Daytona) 500 because it’s the biggest race of the year. We’re down there for a week-and-a-half so you prepare as hard as you can so that you have a chance to try and win that race. I’m looking forward to getting the season started with our Dollar General team and being able to build on the great season we had last year together.”

From the Pit Box:
Jason Ratcliff: “After such a successful run last year until our troubles late in the race, it would be nice to get a great finish this year in the (Daytona) 500. I feel like our cars are just as strong as they were last year. If we can go into this week and pick up where we left off last season, hopefully we can finish up a few more laps to get to the end and have a real shot at it. The good news is that the rule changes for this season don’t apply at Daytona, so keeping the same rules for the most part from last year’s race, makes it much easier on the teams heading into this week.”

- Joe Gibbs Racing

Hamlin looks to continue roll in Daytona 500

Could Hamlin join the legends of past by winning Shootout & 500?

Event: Daytona 500
Date/Time: Feb. 23/1 p.m. ET
2013 winner: Jimmie Johnson
2013 polesitter: Danica Patrick
Distance: 200 laps/500 miles
Track Length: 2.5 miles
Banking: 31 degrees
Track Shape: Tri-Oval

EXPRESS NOTES:

Dominant in Daytona: Denny Hamlin dominated Saturday night’s Sprint Unlimited at Daytona, leading 27 of 75 laps en route to Victory Lane in the pre-season, non-points exhibition race. Hamlin made a daring, three-wide pass for the lead on Daytona’s backstretch with two laps remaining and held off the field to the checkered flag, winning the event for the second time in his career and first time since his 2006 rookie campaign. Hamlin started on the pole by way of a fan vote, logging the fastest lap time in final practice. A stout #11 FedEx Express Toyota allowed Hamlin to move from the back of the draft pack to the front with ease, winning all three segments in the race. Hamlin has now won consecutive Sprint Cup Series race1s, dating back to the 2013 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Daytona 500 Preview: Hamlin will make his ninth-career Daytona 500 start on Sunday in the #11 FedEx Express Toyota. In 16 career Daytona points races, Hamlin has lead at least one lap in 11 events, including 33 in last year’s Daytona 500. Driving up from a 35th-place starting position, Hamlin restarted second after the final caution, but wasn’t in the preferred outside groove, fading to 14th for the checkered flag. The FedEx Racing Team posted the 22nd-fastest qualifying time in last Sunday’s time trials at Daytona, and Hamlin will start 11th in Thursday night’s second Budweiser Duel race to determine his starting position for Sunday’s ‘Great American Race.’

FedEx Office – Closest to Daytona International Speedway: 2274 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL 32114, (386) 323-7840

HAMLIN CONVERSATION – Daytona 500:

How will you carry over Saturday’s performance into the Daytona 500?
“Obviously, everyone saw that we had a really strong FedEx Camry. It was the best car in the Sprint Unlimited, and our (Daytona) 500 car has even better wind tunnel numbers, so I’m optimistic that we can run well again. Winning these plate races is all about putting yourself in position to make a run at the end, avoid the wrecks that are bound to happen, and get a little luck with the draft, whether it’s a push from behind or maintaining your lead. We have been in position many times in the Daytona 500 to try to win, but different circumstances have prevented us from getting it done. Hopefully, this year is the year to get the #11 car to Victory Lane.”

- Weber Shandwick Worldwide for FedEx Racing

LVH rolls outs dozens of Daytona 500 props

Could Austin Dillon be in for a top-10 finish in Daytona 500?

LAS VEGAS -- The LVH SuperBook posted over 350 Super Bowl propositions last month, and while the bookmakers didn't quite top that mark for NASCAR's Super Bowl, Sunday's Daytona 500, they are offering three dozen unique props that will more than satisfy Las Vegas bettors.

Just like it did for the Super Bowl, the LVH has taken key stats from a NASCAR “box score” for bettors to wager on, such as the number of cautions, manufacturer or car number to win the race, and where individual drivers will finish.

There are only two times a year that Vegas books take things up a notch with NASCAR props, the Daytona 500 and the NASCAR weekend here in town that will run in three weeks.

Here's a look at the driver matchups and other race propositions, with Linemakers picks noted. We’ll post and predict more props later this week. You can also check out basic Daytona 500 odds across multiple Vegas books here.

Read More Here....LVH Matchups/Props

LVH post 2014 Budwesier Duel odds: Race 1 looks like the tougher group

Could Hamlin be the third Sprint Unlimited winner in 4 years to win a Duel

LAS VEGAS -- One of the great traditions of Daytona Speedweeks since 1959 has been the twin set of 60-lap qualifying races now known as the Budweiser Duels. Austin Dillon and Martin Truex Jr., based on their top qualifying times, are the only drivers locked into position for Sunday's Daytona 500. Everyone else will have to see how things shake out in these two races Thursday night. Of the 49 drivers competing between the two events, six will go home after the 43-car field is set.

Of course, here in Las Vegas, we can't let the green flag drop for a NASCAR event without offering odds on it, and on Tuesday the LVH SuperBook released its odds to win each race, as well as a set of individual driver matchups.

The first race looks to offer the more competitive field, with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick the co-favorites at 5-to-1. This race also features Tony Stewart (8-to-1), and these five drivers have 10 Budweiser Duel wins among them.

Rookie Austin Dillon (15-to-1) will get to show the world his moves for the first time in a competitive race driving the famed No. 3, the number with which Dale Earnhardt won a record 11 Duels (Earnhardt won a total of 12 Duels). Dillon will likely go in with the plan of being cautious and keeping the pole-sitting car out of trouble, but once the race is on, it'll be hard for him to follow through with that conservative approach.

Duel 2 features Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin as 5-to-1 co-favorites, but the driver with the most historical significance in terms of this event is Jeff Gordon (8-to-1), who leads all active drivers with five Duel wins, the last coming in 2009. The five wins have him tied for third all-time with Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip, just behind Cale Yarborough (6) and Earnhardt.

None of the other drivers in the second race have more than one Duel victory.

Along with Gordon, Hamlin should be looked at closely. Although the chassis for the Sprint Unlimited and Duels are different – drivers use their Daytona 500 cars in the Duels – we have seen four of the past seven Sprint Unlimited winners win one of the Duels. Harvick did the double last year, and Kurt Busch did it two years earlier in 2011.

In the first race, it looks as though the Stewart-Haas team might have an edge since three of their cars can help each other out in the draft. That teammate theory also applies to Hendrick, Gibbs and Childress pairings, but the Stewart-Harvick trio (Harvick, Stewart and Danica Patrick) could be a formidable force.

Read More Here......LVH Budweiser Duel Odds to Win/Matchups

2014 Daytona 500 Preview: It's a crap shoot, but still must be bet

Everyone from Danica to Junior has a shot at winning Daytona 500

As always with restrictor-plate races, Sunday’s Daytona 500 will be a crap shoot with up to 35 drivers having a legitimate shot at winning. After watching Denny Hamlin win Saturday’s Sprint Unlimited, it was apparent that the slight height increase on the spoiler give these cars a lot more stability.

Last season, the cars were slipping all over the place as though they were on ice. Drivers got in line and stayed there which created dull racing. They were afraid to jump out of the line and pass, because they couldn’t pass, nor were they confident the car would stick. That appears to be fixed now which should provide a lot more passes and a lot more daring moves. It also means we could see more cautions with drivers having more confidence, but at the same time with the car handling so much better, they’ll have more control, so maybe not. The LVH has posted dozens of Daytona 500 propositions and they have a thought provoking number of 7.5 on the cautions.

With so many candidates having the ability to win and so many variables that can wipe out your driver wagered on in an instant, I stress moderation when betting the race. At a race like Phoenix or Las Vegas, where the possible winners are dropped down to about 14 drivers and where the drivers hold their form better, a bettor has a much likelier chance of cashing tickets from all the hard work labored into finding the best betting candidates. The final practices in those races give a huge amount of detail that can narrow your selections even more. But at Daytona, practices mean little and betting driver matchups are almost impossible.

But still, it is the Daytona 500, an American institution and it just wouldn’t be right if not throwing a few dollars on a couple drivers and rolling the dice. Crap shoot? Yes, but what a thrill it is. And because it is such a crap shoot, the sports books at least give you a fair shake on all the drivers. The LVH and William Hill sports books don’t have any driver listed under 10/1. You can get Jimmie Johnson, who won both Daytona races last season, at 12/1 when in three weeks at Las Vegas, he’ll be around 4/1 and bet down to 7/2.

While the odds on all the heavyweights have been raised, the odds on the drivers that usually have 500/1 attached to them weekly, such as David Ragan, are lowered considerably just because they have a good chance of riding the draft wave to the checkered flag. Ragan, who has won both his career races on restrictor-plate tracks, is 75/1 to win Sunday.

My best advice is to mix up the wagers a little bit. Take one or two of the favorites, take a driver in the middle at around 25/1, and go bold with Ragan or someone like him at 50/1 or higher, and then stagger the wager amounts based on who you think has the best chance of winning.

Although I say practice means little, I still will be formulating my last set of opinions Thursday night when the Budweiser Duels run which will determine the starting lineup. Austin Dillon (25/1) and Martin Truex Jr. (30/1) are locked into the front already from qualifying, but everyone else will be battling for position, and for six drivers, if they don’t perform well, they go home. What I will be looking for is how each of the top drivers gets out and pass. Who has the giddy-up and who has figured out the best places to make the move.

The team of Joe Gibbs Racing drivers should all have the equipment to shine as one of the best. Last season Matt Kenseth (10/1) led more laps than anyone in plate races, but didn’t get any of the four wins. He’s a two-time Daytona 500 winner and should be in a good position to be one of the drivers in the lead pack. The same goes for Hamlin (12/1) and Kyle Busch (10/1), both of whom have never won the Daytona 500.

The Hendrick Motorsports cars proved to be strong in plate races last season, but I was a little concerned when I saw three of their engines sold to other teams blow up in qualifying. It doesn’t mean that much, but it is something that sticks in the back of my head and raises a caution flag.

The Hendrick driver I can’t seem to get out of my mind in Dale Earnhardt Jr. (10/1). The guy has won only two races in six seasons with Hendrick and he hasn’t won a plate race since 2004, but there is this allure to him that I can’t shake and it doesn’t help that since he last won the Daytona 500 in 2004, his 12.9 average finish at Daytona -- a span of 20 races -- is the best among all drivers. His loyal followers also have the same problem I do, and will line up at the bet windows to have a ticket on him just for that chance to be a part of his victory if it does happen.

The Stewart-Haas Racing program took a dive last season, but with Kevin Harvick (10/1) and Kurt Busch (18/1) added to the stables, they are quality candidates to win Sunday. Harvick is a two-time Daytona winner and might be the best plate driver in the series. Busch might be the best plate driver never to win a plate race, but with teammates like Stewart and Harvick helping in the draft, he might be in store for his first win.

The Richard Childress Racing drivers should all be fast and the great thing about them is that they have nice attractive odds attached to them. They were the most impressive during pre-season testing and also qualified well collectively. Ryan Newman (30/1) won the 2008 Daytona 500, thanks to a Kurt Busch push, and will have rookie Dillon -- welcome back No. 3 -- and Paul Menard (40/1) helping him out. Could a rookie actually win the Daytona 500? Trevor Bayne did in 2011 and paid out 125/1 at the betting counter.

The Roush Racing drivers should all be competitive as well, along with Jamie McMurray (25/1) who has four career wins on restrictor-plate tracks, including the 2010 Daytona 500.

It sounds like I like everyone, but that’s the point. No driver can be discounted and no one can make a legitimate argument against anyone winning the race. Even Danica Patrick (40/1) has a chance. So I’ll leave it at that and offer my five drivers that appeal to me the most. Enjoy the race.

Read More Here.....Top-5 Finish Prediction

Video: Roberts talks Daytona 500 odds

Updated LVH Super Book 2014 Daytona 500 & Sprint Cup Odds

Ryan Newman and Austin Dillon could offer nice value at bet windows

DAYTONA 500
DAYTONA INT'L SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2014

JIMMIE JOHNSON 10
KYLE BUSCH 10
MATT KENSETH 10
DENNY HAMLIN 12
BRAD KESELOWSKI 12
KASEY KAHNE 15
JEFF GORDON 15
DALE EARNHARDT JR 10
TONY STEWART 12
KEVIN HARVICK 10
KURT BUSCH 18
JOEY LOGANO 18
CARL EDWARDS 20
CLINT BOWYER 20
GREG BIFFLE 30
RYAN NEWMAN 30
MARTIN TRUEX JR 30
BRIAN VICKERS 35
JAMIE McMURRAY 25
RICKY STENHOUSE JR 40
AUSTIN DILLON 25
PAUL MENARD 40
KYLE LARSON 40
MARCOS AMBROSE 75
DANICA PATRICK 40
MICHAEL WALTRIP 40
TREVOR BAYNE 75
AJ ALLMENDINGER 100
DAVID RAGAN 75
DAVID GILLILAND 100
JUSTIN ALLGAIER 200
CASEY MEARS 100
MICHAEL ANNETT 200
FIELD 30


2014 SPRINT CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

JIMMIE JOHNSON 5-2
KYLE BUSCH 7
MATT KENSETH 7
DENNY HAMLIN 8
BRAD KESELOWSKI 10
KASEY KAHNE 12
JEFF GORDON 15
DALE EARNHARDT JR 15
TONY STEWART 15
KEVIN HARVICK 15
KURT BUSCH 15
JOEY LOGANO 20
CARL EDWARDS 20
CLINT BOWYER 20
GREG BIFFLE 30
RYAN NEWMAN 30
MARTIN TRUEX JR 75
BRIAN VICKERS 100
JAMIE McMURRAY 100
RICKY STENHOUSE JR 100
AUSTIN DILLON 100
PAUL MENARD 300
KYLE LARSON 200
MARCOS AMBROSE 300
DANICA PATRICK 1000
FIELD 60

Video: Roberts Talks Daytona 500 odds

2014 Daytona 500 Track Facts

Austin Dillon and Martin Truex Jr. will start from the front row on sunday

Daytona International Speedway Data

Race #: 1 of 36 (2-23-14)

Track Size: 2.5 miles

Race Length: 500 miles (200 laps)

Banking/Corners: 31 degrees

Banking/Straights: 3 degrees

Banking/Tri-Oval: 18 degrees

 

Top 10 Driver Ratings at Daytona

Kyle Busch                  96.9

Tony Stewart                93.0

Matt Kenseth                92.6

Dale Earnhardt Jr.         89.7

Kurt Busch                   88.8

Jimmie Johnson            88.4

Jeff Gordon                   87.2

Clint Bowyer                 86.2

Denny Hamlin               83.7

Kasey Kahne                82.4

Note: Driver Ratings are compiled from 2005-2013 races (17 total) at Daytona.

 

Qualifying/Race Data

2013 pole winner: Danica Patrick, (196.434 mph, 45.817 seconds)

2013 race winner: Jimmie Johnson (159.250 mph, 2-24-13)

Qualifying record: Bill Elliott, (210.364 mph, 42.783 secs. 2-9-87)

Race record: Buddy Baker, (177.602 mph, 2-17-80)

 

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final 2013 Top 12 at Daytona International Speedway

	Driver	Races	Poles	Wins	Top Fives	Top 10s	DNFs	Average Finish	Driver Rating
1	Jimmie Johnson	24	2	3	8	11	5	17.5	88.4
2	Matt Kenseth	28	1	2	6	13	5	17.5	92.6
3	Kevin Harvick	25	1	2	6	11	3	16.0	82.3
4	Kyle Busch	18	1	1	5	6	4	18.6	96.9
5	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	28	1	2	10	16	3	13.8	89.7
6	Jeff Gordon	42	3	6	12	19	6	16.6	87.2
7	Clint Bowyer	16	0	0	3	7	2	14.8	86.2
8	Joey Logano	10	0	0	2	3	2	20.9	79.0
9	Greg Biffle	22	1	1	3	6	2	19.7	79.1
10	Kurt Busch	26	0	0	10	13	1	17.9	88.8
11	Ryan Newman	24	0	1	4	6	5	20.0	81.8
12	Kasey Kahne	20	0	0	2	7	4	19.0	82.4

Note: Driver Rating from races at Daytona International Speedway from 2005-2013.

Daytona 500 Tidbits

• The 2014 edition will be the 56th running of the Daytona 500.
• Although the first Daytona 500 was held in 1959, it has been the season-opener only since 1982.
• 523 drivers have competed in at least one Daytona 500; 311 in more than one.
• 35 drivers have won a Daytona 500.
• Youngest Daytona 500 winner: Trevor Bayne (2/20/2011 - 20 years, 0 months, 1 days)
• Oldest Daytona 500 winner: Bobby Allison (2/14/1988 - 50 years, 2 months, 11 days)
• 10 drivers have won more than one Daytona 500, led by Richard Petty with seven victories.
• The 10 drivers who have won the Daytona 500 more than once: Richard Petty (seven), Cale Yarborough (four),Bobby Allison (three), Dale Jarrett (three), Jeff Gordon (three), Bill Elliott (two), Matt Kenseth (two),Jimmie Johnson (two), Sterling Marlin (two) and Michael Waltrip (two).
• A driver has won back-to-back Daytona 500s three times. Richard Petty (1973-74), Cale Yarborough (1983-84) and Sterling Marlin (1994-95).
• Active Daytona 500 winners and the number of NSCS starts in their careers when they won: Jeff Gordon won his third Daytona 500 on his 402nd career start (2005). Gordon also posted his second Daytona 500 win on his 190th career start (1999). Jimmie Johnson posted his second Daytona 500 win on his 400th career start (2013) and Matt Kenseth won his second Daytona 500 on his 437th career start (2012). Michael Waltrip posted his second Daytona 500 win on his 535th career start (2003).
• Seven drivers posted their career-first victory with a win in the Daytona 500: Tiny Lund (1963), Mario Andretti(1967), Pete Hamilton (1970), Derrike Cope (1990), Sterling Marlin (1994), Michael Waltrip (2001) andTrevor Bayne (2011).
• Three other drivers posted their career-first victory in (points-paying) qualifying races: Johnny Rutherford (1963),Bobby Isaac (1964) and Earl Balmer (1966).
• Lee Petty, who won the inaugural Daytona 500, and Trevor Bayne, 2011 Daytona 500 champion, are the only two drivers to win the Daytona 500 in their first appearance.
• Dale Earnhardt leads the series in runner-up finishes in the Daytona 500 with five; Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads all active drivers with four.
• Dale Earnhardt had 12 top fives in his 23 Daytona 500 starts, more than any other driver. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin and Terry Labonte lead all active drivers in Daytona 500 top-five finishes with six.
• Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty each posted a series leading 16 top 10s in the Daytona 500. Terry Labonte and Mark Martin lead all active drivers in Daytona 500 top-10 finishes with 12; followed by Michael Waltrip with nine.
• Only 12 drivers have an average finish of 10th or better in the Daytona 500, five of those competed in the Daytona 500 only once.
• Clint Bowyer has an 11.9 average finish in nine appearances, the best of the active drivers who have competed in more than one Daytona 500.
• 28 of the 35 drivers, who have won, participated in at least two Daytona 500s before visiting Victory Lane.
• Dale Earnhardt competed 19 times before winning his only Daytona 500 (1998), the longest span of any of the 35 race winners.
• Six drivers made 10 or more attempts before their first Daytona 500 victory: Dale Earnhardt (19), Buddy Baker(18), Darrell Waltrip (16), Bobby Allison (14), Michael Waltrip (14) and Sterling Marlin (12).
• The driver with the all-time most Daytona 500 starts without a victory is Dave Marcis with 33 races; the active drivers with the most starts without a Daytona 500 win is Terry Labonte (31 races), Mark Martin (29 races),Joe Nemechek (18) and Tony Stewart (15).
• Kevin Harvick’s 0.020-second margin of victory over Mark Martin in the 2007 Daytona 500 is the 12th-closest overall since the advent of electronic timing in 1993, and the closest in a Daytona 500.
• Nine of the 55 Daytona 500s (16.3%) have been won from the Coors Light pole. The last to do so was Dale Jarrettin 2000. Jeff Gordon is the only active driver to accomplish the feat (1999).
• Cale Yarborough (1968, 1984) and Bill Elliott (1985, 1987) are the only two drivers to win the Daytona 500 from the Coors Light pole more than once.
• 16 of the 55 Daytona 500s (29.0%) have been won from the front row.
• 27 of the 55 Daytona 500s (49.0%) have been won from a top-five starting position.
• 40 of the 55 Daytona 500s (72.7%) have been won from a top 10 starting position
• Matt Kenseth won the Daytona 500 from the 39th starting position in 2009, the deepest a race winner has started.
• Five reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions have gone on to win the Daytona 500 the following season:Lee Petty (1959), Richard Petty (1973), Cale Yarborough (1977), Jeff Gordon (1999) and Dale Jarrett (2000).
• Five drivers have won the Daytona 500 and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in the same season,Richard Petty has done it four times: Jimmie Johnson (2006, 2013), Jeff Gordon (1997), Richard Petty (1964, 1971, 1974, 1979), Cale Yarborough (1977) and Lee Petty (1959).
• Danica Patrick on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2013 became the first female in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history to win a Coors Light pole for the Daytona 500 posting a speed of 196.434 mph.
• Janet Guthrie previously held the record for top starting position by a female NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, starting ninth twice in 1977 - at Talladega Superspeedway on Aug. 7, 1977 and at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 28, 1977.
• In 2012, Danica Patrick became the third female driver to compete in a Daytona 500 joining Janet Guthrie andShawna Robinson. Below are the previous female driver performances in the Daytona 500.
  

  Race	Season	Driver	Start	Finish
  Daytona 500	1977	Janet Guthrie	39	12
  Daytona 500	1980	Janet Guthrie	18	11
  Daytona 500	2002	Shawna Robinson	36	24
  Daytona 500	2012	Danica Patrick	29	38
  Daytona 500	2013	Danica Patrick	1	8

  
  
   
  ·        Driver Ratings for Winners – Pre-Race Daytona 500 Driver Ratings heading into 2013 for the past Daytona 500 winners (past 6 years)Driver – Year – Driver Rating
  o   Jimmie Johnson – 2013 – 82.8
  o   Matt Kenseth – 2012 – 89.0
  o   Trevor Bayne – 2011 – 68.9
  o   Jamie McMurray – 2010 – 80.2
  o   Matt Kenseth – 2009 – 89.0
  o   Ryan Newman – 2008 – 82.9
  o   Kevin Harvick – 2007 – 86.3
  o   Jimmie Johnson – 2006 – 87.5
   
  ·        Drivers who have won the Daytona 500 in more than one car manufacturer:
  Driver – Manufacturer (Number of wins in that manufacturer)
  o   Richard Petty – Plymouth (3), Dodge (2), Oldsmobile (1) and Buick (1)
  o   Cale Yarborough – Chevrolet (2), Mercury (1) and Pontiac (1)
  o   Bobby Allison – Buick (2) and Ford (1)
  o   Dale Jarrett – Ford (2) and Chevrolet (1)
   
  ·        Drivers who have won The Sprint Unlimited and the Daytona 500 in the same season: 
  Driver – (Year)
  o   Bobby Allison (1982)
  o   Bill Elliott (1987)
  o   Dale Jarrett (1996 and 2000)
  o   Jeff Gordon (1997)
   
  ·        Car Numbers that have produced three or more Daytona 500 victories: 
  Car Number – Drivers – (Years)
  o   No. 43 – Richard Petty (1964, ’66, ’71, ’73, ’74, ’79, ‘81)
  o   No. 21 – Tiny Lund (1963), Cale Yarborough (1968), A.J. Foyt (1972), David Pearson (1976) and Trevor Bayne (2011)
  o   No. 28 – Fred Lorenzen (1965), Buddy Baker (1980), Cale Yarborough (1983 and 1984) and Davey Allison (1992).
  o   No. 4 – Ernie Irvan (1991), Sterling Marlin (1994 and 1995)
  o   No. 15 – Bobby Allison (1978), Michael Waltrip (2001 and 2003)
  o   No. 17 – Darrell Waltrip (1989), Matt Kenseth (2009 and 2012)
           No. 24 – Jeff Gordon (1997, 1999 and 2005)
  
  
  At Daytona International Speedway
  History
  ·        Groundbreaking for Daytona International Speedway was Nov. 25, 1957. The soil underneath the banked corners was dug from the infield of the track and the hole filled with water. It is now known as Lake Lloyd.
  ·        The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona was a 100-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20, 1959.
  ·        Richard Petty won his 200th career race on July 4, 1984 at Daytona.
  ·        Lights were installed in the spring of 1998. However, the July race was delayed until October that year due to thick smoke from wildfires. The second Daytona race has been held under the lights ever since.
  ·        The track underwent a repave in 2010.
   
  Notebook
  ·        There have been 133 NASCAR Sprint Cup races since the track hosted its first race in 1959: 55 have been 500 miles, 51 were 400 miles and four 250 miles. There were also 23 qualifier races that were point races.
  ·        Fireball Roberts won the inaugural pole at Daytona.
  ·        Bob Welborn won the first race at Daytona, the 100-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500.
  ·        Lee Petty won the inaugural Daytona 500 on Feb. 22, 1959; he led 38 laps and won by 2 feet.
  ·        Fireball Roberts won the first 400-mile race at Daytona, the 1963 Firecracker 400.
  ·        57 drivers have posted poles at Daytona.
  ·        Cale Yarborough leads all drivers with 12 poles at Daytona.
  ·        Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin lead all active drivers with three poles at Daytona.
  ·        56 drivers have won at Daytona.
  ·        Richard Petty leads all drivers in victories at Daytona with 10.
  ·        Jeff Gordon has six victories at Daytona, more than any other active driver.
  ·        The Wood Brothers have won 15 races at Daytona, more than any other car owner.
  ·        17 full-length races at Daytona have been won from the pole; the last to do it was Jimmie Johnson in the 2013 Daytona 500.
  ·        A driver has swept both the Daytona 500 and the July race only five times at Daytona International Speedway:Jimmie Johnson (2013), Bobby Allison (1982), LeeRoy Yarborough (1969), Cale Yarborough (1968) andFireball Roberts (1962).

--  NASCAR