Micah Roberts’ Sprint Cup Driver Ratings, Feb. 24
Daytona 500
Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.
9 a.m. today, Fox (5)
RATING, DRIVER, ODDS, TEST*, UNLIMITED, BUD DUEL, BEST PRACTICE**
1. Kevin Harvick 10/1 2nd 1st 1st 12th
2007 winner; looks to have best understanding of how to maneuver new Gen-6 car
2. Matt Kenseth 8/1 1st 5th 5th 5th
Two-time winner, including in 2012; no worse than third in past three Daytona point races
3. Kyle Busch 10/1 3rd 16th 1st 3rd
Won 2008 summer race; seven top-five finishes in final 10 races of last season
4. Kasey Kahne 15/1 15th 7th 2nd 1st
2010 summer runner-up; best 500 finish: seventh (in ’07, ’08); car looked great in Duels
5. Greg Biffle 18/1 1st 2nd 2nd 5th
Won 2003 summer race; using chassis that finished third in last season’s Daytona 500
6. Jeff Gordon 15/1 8th 17th 12th 2nd
Three-time Daytona 500 winner; NASCAR-best 12 restrictor-plate wins
7. Jeff Burton 30/1 1st DNP 8th 2nd
One plate win: Daytona, 2000; using successful chassis Clint Bowyer drove while with RCR
8. Tony Stewart 12/1 5th 4th 6th 1st
Has done it all at Daytona except win 500; won summer race for the fourth time in July
9. Denny Hamlin 12/1 1st 15th 20th 6th
Fourth in 2012 Daytona 500; best Daytona finish was third in summer of 2009
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 12/1 4th 8th 9th 3rd
Won 2004 Daytona 500; runner-up in two of past three Daytona 500s; using new chassis
* Best performance among the six preseason test sessions held Jan. 10-12 at Daytona.
** Best performance in any of the seven Daytona 500 practice sessions.
Odds courtesy of the LVH.
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 Sporting News.com or follow @MicahRoberts7 on Twitter.
