Micah Roberts’ Sprint Cup Driver Ratings

Daytona 500

Daytona International Speedway, today, 10:15 a.m.

Rating, Driver, Odds, Practice 3 or 4*, Practice 5 or 6*, Final Practice, Duel Results

1. Jeff Burton -- 12/1, 20th, 1st, 2nd, 1st
One career victory at Daytona in 2001; stood out the most throughout Speedweeks.

2. Kevin Harvick -- 7/1, 9th, DNP, 21st, 3rd
2007 Daytona 500 winner; won two of the four restrictor plate races in 2009.

3. Kurt Busch-- 10/1, 12th, 8th, 5th, 1st
Won Bud Shootout and Gatorade Duel; no driver has ever completed the triple.

4. Clint Bowyer -- 12/1, 22nd, DNP, 1st, 2nd
Average Daytona 500 finish of 11.8 in five starts is best among all current drivers.

5. Jeff Gordon -- 10/1, 3rd, DNP, DNP, 12th
Three Daytona 500 wins, tied for third all time; also holds record for most plate wins.

6. Kyle Busch -- 8/1, 1st, DNP, 16th, 4th
One career win at Daytona in 2008; finished 14th and 41st in last two Daytona 500s.

7. Jamie McMurray -- 12/1, 8th, DNP, 13th, 6th
Won Daytona 500 last year; three of six career wins have come in restrictor plate races.

8. Matt Kenseth -- 25/1, 6th, 5th, 30th, 4th
2009 Daytona 500 winner; had the most consistent Speedweeks of all Ford drivers.

9. Kasey Kahne -- 25/1, 1st, 3rd, 11th, 5th
Average finish of 17.6 in 14 Daytona starts; runner-up in 2010 Daytona summer race.

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- 12/1, 3rd, 10th, 25th, 13th
2004 Daytona 500 winner, 2010 runner-up; average finish of 14.4 in 22 Daytona starts.

* The drivers' best listed time on that day of practice combining the two sessions.

Note: Practice 1 and 2 were used primarily for qualifying setup, making it fairly irrelevant in the ratings equation.

Odds courtesy of the Las Vegas Hilton Super Book.

Micah Roberts, a former race and sports director, has been setting NASCAR lines in Las Vegas since 1995. For more Roberts insights and post-practice analysis on the race, go to VegasInsider.com.