51st Daytona 500 Gambling Preview
Race: Daytona 500
Date: Sunday, February 15, 2009
Time: 3:30 PM EST
TV: 2:00 PM EST on FOX
Preview: Call it the Great American Race, NASCAR’s Super Bowl, or simply its iconic name: The Daytona 500.It’s the race that every fan wants to be at and every driver wants to be in. But with as many as 56 teams hoping to make the field, there will no doubt be some disappointed drivers and owners when the green flag flies Sunday afternoon. The race itself will be 500 miles – 200 laps on the 2.5-mile oval which is noted for its high-banked, 31-degree turns and for the use of horsepower-limiting restrictor plates. While the all-Martin front row of Martin Truex Jr. (P1) and Mark Martin (P2) was set last weekend, the remainder of the field will be established Thursday during the Duel 150 races. Sunday marks the 51st running of the Daytona 500.
Safe Bets:
1. Jeff Gordon (+700): Gordon has the most wins among active drivers at Daytona combining both the winter and summer races. He’s won the Daytona 500 three times and took the checkers in Thursday’s first Gatorade Duel.
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (+550): Earnhardt has two wins at Daytona (a 500 and a Pepsi 400) in 18 starts and has a record of consistency on restrictor plate tracks. He’s finished 2nd and 3rd in the 500, along with his 2004 victory, and won last year’s Bud Shootout and Duel 150.
Dark Horse:
1. Clint Bowyer (+2600): Statistically, Bowyer has the best average finish among all active drivers at Daytona – a 12.3 in six starts – and has completed every lap he’s run here in the Cup series. Bowyer has a new team at RCR this year and it will take a total team effort to get the No. 33 car to Victory Lane in their first points-paying race together.
Summary: It’s going to be hard to stop the Hendrick Motorsports/GM juggernaut at Daytona this weekend. Keep an eye on the Toyota of Kyle Busch, winner of the second Gatorade Duel, and the Ford of Carl Edwards.
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Becca Gladden is a freelance writer and race handicapper specializing in NASCAR.
