Micah Roberts’ Sprint Cup driver ratings
February 21, 2016 - 12:18 am
Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida
10:30 a.m. today (KVUU-5)
Rating Driver Odds 2015 500* Unlimited** 150s** Practice 7
1. Denny Hamlin 10-1 4th 1st 5th 1st
Three top-fives in past four Daytona starts (3.75 average), 2014 500 runner-up. He's been real fast all week.
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 4-1 2nd 15th 1st 11th
Four-time winner (500s: 2004, 2014) who has won three of the past eight restrictor-plate races (led 367 laps) — using same car.
3. Joey Logano 8-1 1st 2nd 2nd 7th
2015 500 winner — won two of the four plate races last season. Sterling Marlin last to go back-to-back (1995).
4. Matt Kenseth 10-1 35th 12th 16th 5th
2009, 2012 500 winner. His car is almost as good as Hamlin's and will be strong in draft.
5. Brad Keselowski 12-1 41st 9th 13th 15th
Three wins at Talladega but none at Daytona — third in 2014 500. Penske good in draft.
6. Jimmie Johnson 10-1 5th 22nd 13th 12th
Three-time winner, including 2013 season sweep, and tandem with teammate Earnhardt Jr. makes him good candidate to be up front.
7. Kevin Harvick 12-1 2nd 25th 4th DNP
Two-time winner, including 2007 500. Second and fourth in 2014 Daytona races. He is smart and has plenty of friends who trust him.
8. Kyle Busch 12-1 DNP 17th 1st 2nd
2008 summer winner. Only five reigning Cup champs have won the 500 the next season — Dale Jarrett the last in 2000.
9. Kurt Busch 15-1 DNP 7th 3rd DNP
Impressive 18 top-five finishes in 59 career plates races but never a win. Last three Daytona starts: 9.67 average finish.
10. Carl Edwards 15-1 23rd 16th 4th 19th
No plate wins in 45 starts, but his Joe Gibbs' Toyota will give him best opportunity for first win today.
* Results from 2015 Daytona 500, which featured 27 lead changes among 12 drivers and seven cautions for 26 laps. The results are relevant to 2016 because the cars are almost the same.
** Results from Saturday's Sprint Unlimited (79 laps) and Thursday's two Cam-Am Duel 150 qualifying races — both are great indicator to how today's race will be run.
Odds courtesy of the Westgate.
— Micah Roberts, a former Las Vegas sports book director, has been setting NASCAR odds since 1994. Follow him: @MicahRoberts7