The Super Bowl is the most-watched sporting event in the United States year after year. Out of the millions of people that watch, some care more about the game, some care more about the commercials, but there are a chosen few that think of one particular thing once the Super Bowl kicks off.
One. More. Week. Until. Daytona.
The 63rd running of the Daytona 500 at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida, takes place on Sunday, February 14th. In one of the wilder off-seasons in recent memory, many changes have been made in the NASCAR world. From Michael Jordan starting a race team to major changes in the Cup Series schedule, this season is destined to be one of the best. 44 Cars are entered to attempt to make the 40-car field that will race in the Daytona 500, with qualifying taking place during the days leading up to the race.
Here are some of my favorite picks to win the Daytona 500 on Sunday.
All odds listed are from the DraftKings Sportsbook as of 2/9/2021.
The Favorites
Denny Hamlin (7/1) – Going for his 4th career Daytona 500 victory, Hamlin hopes to become the first driver to ever complete the task of winning three Daytona 500’s in a row. Last year, Hamlin was dominant at all the superspeedway races, finishing no worse than 4th between the four races at Daytona and Talladega. It is tough to bet against Hamlin, but racing at Daytona is always unpredictable, so anything can happen.
Chase Elliott (9/1) – After winning his 1st Cup Series title last year, Elliott hopes to pick up his 1st Daytona 500 victory. A win at the 500 would be his 3rd straight win, after winning the final two races last year. Elliott has yet to win at Daytona but has shown speed in the past, finishing 2nd to his teammate William Byron at Daytona last year in the Coke 400. NASCAR’s most popular driver is a threat to win at every race, and his Hendrick powered Chevrolet is sure to be a contender come Sunday.
Ryan Blaney (11/1) - Ryan Blaney came less than half a car-length short of winning last year's Daytona 500 in a hectic finish but do not let Blaney’s bad luck in the 500 scare you from picking him to win this year’s running. With a pair of 2nd place finishes, along with the 2018 race where he finished 7th after leading 118 of the 200 laps, you would think Blaney has been racing in the Cup Series for a lot longer than he has been. The North Carolina native has been a threat every year at Daytona, and this may just be his year as Blaney aims to win the Daytona 500 in his 7th attempt.
The Underdogs
Chris Buescher (50/1) – Chris Buescher is coming off a quiet, but solid season with Roush Fenway racing in 2020, but where Buescher showed strength was at Daytona, and its sister track, Talladega. The 2015 Xfinity Series champ finished 3rd and 9th at the two races at Daytona last year, and in both races, he was in contention to win all race long. With a powerful Roush-Yates Ford engine under the hood, Buescher will most definitely have the speed to compete for a Daytona 500 victory, which would only be the 2nd win of his Cup Series career.
Michael McDowell (66/1) – Michael McDowell, now a veteran of the Cup Series, is heading into his 14th year as a driver in 2021. Driving for Front Row Motorsports, McDowell is still on the hunt for his first career victory. McDowell has always driven for smaller teams throughout his career, but he always puts those cars up front at Daytona. Out of his 12-career top 10 finishes in the Cup Series, 6 of them come at Daytona, for 3 different teams spanning the past 7 years. In the past 2 Daytona 500’s, he has been within the top 5 late in the race, but misfortune kept him from really having a shot at the win. Watch for Michael McDowell’s number 34 Ford Mustang to be in contention late in the Daytona 500.
Daniel Suarez (100/1) – Daniel Suarez is coming into his 5th full-time season in the Cup Series after his 2016 Xfinity Series championship, but since then he has, for the most part, underperformed in every opportunity given to him. The still winless Suarez will be driving for a brand-new team in 2021, the 4th different team Suarez has driven for in the past four years. Trackhouse Racing is owned by Justin Marks, ex-driver turned owner, and Pitbull… yes that Pitbull, Mr. Worldwide baby. Trackhouse Racing has high expectations for 2021, and with help from Richard Childress Racing, the brand-new team will have speed from the get-go. Expect Monterrey, Mexico's, Daniel Suarez to have a shot to win the 500 on Sunday.
Have an opposing viewpoint to this opinion? Let us know. All views are welcomed. Send your thoughts to our Editorial Staff – Editor Anna Proulx aproulx@student.dean.edu or Dean Daily Faculty Advisor, Professor John Rooke jrooke@dean.edu
All statistics from racing-reference.info