Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

When the NASCAR Cup Series arrives at Daytona International Speedway in February, three new full-time teams will be hitting the track for the first time.

Bubba Wallace will drive the No. 23 Toyota for 23XI Racing, Daniel Suarez will drive the No. 99 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing Team and B.J. McLeod will drive the No. 78 Ford for Live Fast Motorsports.

It’s an exciting time for the sport as new owners and sponsors ready for the upcoming 2021 season, but which organization is the most intriguing? NASCAR.com’s Terrin Waack and Chase Wilhelm share their thoughts.

RELATED: 2021 schedule in photos | Changes to know for 2021

WILHELM: Well, since I go first, I’ll take the easy layup. All eyes will be on 23XI Racing, co-owned by basketball legend Michael Jordan and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin, when we unload the haulers at Daytona.

Bubba Wallace, driver of the new No. 23 Toyota, outperformed on a number of occasions with limited funding while driving the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet. Now the sky is the limit.

Although the brand new team will surely have kinks to work out along the way, Wallace will be expected to perform at a higher level on a weekly basis sooner rather than later. With the star power Jordan brings, Hamlin’s prowess from what he’s learned at Joe Gibbs Racing and Wallace’s ability to get more out of a race car than what it might typically be capable of, this is quite possibly the beginning of something special.

What’s intriguing for me is how competitive Wallace and team will be out of the gate. When the Jordan brand is brought into the mix, success is probable — and expected. That puts added pressure on everyone involved.

Pressure, however, is something Wallace has become accustomed to after a 2020 season that launched him into the national spotlight, both on and off the race track. For that, I feel Wallace is ready for the task at hand. If the 23XI Racing team can put a fast car underneath him, it will finally be his moment to shine.

Wallace said there will be “no excuses” in 2021. Honestly, I don’t think he’ll need any.

RELATED: 23XI Racing welcomes founding partners | Denny Hamlin’s long-term vision for new team

WAACK: Yes, I’ll admit, a Michael Jordan-owned team is beyond exciting for the sport. Exciting being the key word there. I, however, am more intrigued by the Trackhouse Racing Team addition to the NASCAR Cup Series. There are multiple industry veterans in charge of that team.

Trackhouse owner Justin Marks himself has competed in all three NASCAR national series. Marks won a 2016 Xfinity Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, which isn’t all that surprising considering his road-course background via sports-car racing. With seven road courses spread across the 2021 schedule — postseason included — Marks’ behind-the-wheel, left-and-right knowledge surely can help Trackhouse with those events.

Ty Norris was named the president of racing operations at Trackhouse. Norris used to serve as the executive vice president and general manager at both Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Michael Waltrip Racing. Behind-the-scenes experience: check.

Last but not least, four teams in four seasons? Trackhouse’s driver, Daniel Suarez, may have bopped around the garage in recent years, but he has to know by now what he does and does not like when it comes to organizational chemistry and dynamics. This is an absolutely clean slate for him. And though he’s still seeking his first Cup Series win, Suarez has had success in NASCAR. He holds eight top-five results at the sport’s top level, highlighted by a 2018 runner-up finish from the pole position at Pocono Raceway, where there’s a doubleheader this season. He also has three Xfinity Series victories on his resume, topped off by a championship title in 2016.

These Trackhouse folks may know what they’re doing.

RELATED: Learn more about Trackhouse Racing Team | Live Fast Motorsports launches 

Posted on by Staff Report

The Kyle Petty Charity Ride announced Tuesday the 26th edition of its annual event has been postponed to 2022 because of COVID-19 concerns.

The charitable organization had originally postponed the event from May 2-8, 2020 to May 1-7, 2021 after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Organizers on Tuesday pushed that timetable back again to April 30-May 6, 2022 because of lingering concerns with the pandemic.

RELATED: Charity Ride information | Kyle Petty’s heartfelt second act

“We talked through every ‘what if’ scenario and tried to come up with a way to safely execute the Ride this spring, but ultimately we don’t feel we could safely make that happen,” said Kyle Petty, a longtime analyst now with NBC Sports. “There is still so much uncertainty and risk with the pandemic, which is why we have decided to once again postpone the Ride, now to 2022. The health and safety of our Riders and the communities we visit is of the utmost importance to us and we simply cannot take that risk.

“I hope that we will soon be in a much better place. I’m choosing to cling to that hope and now focus on making our 2022 Ride the best it can possibly be. The camaraderie of the riders, the beautiful scenery of our country and the mission to raise funds to send so many deserving kids to camp at Victory Junction is what the Ride is all about!”

The ride has helped raise more than $19 million for the Victory Junction camp, which was founded by the Petty family in 2004 to honor the memory of Kyle’s son, Adam. More than 8,650 riders have joined the ride’s efforts, which has also benefited other children’s charities.

The route for the 2022 ride — presented by Cox Automotive — remains unchanged from the original 2020 itinerary, starting and ending in Phoenix after a weeklong loop through parts of Arizona and Utah.

Posted on by Team Release

CONCORD, N.C., (Jan. 12, 2021) – Kohler Generators, a leader in whole-home backup generators and which operates underneath the umbrella of Kohler Co., has partnered with Roush Fenway Racing as an anchor partner, making its debut on the No. 6 Ford with driver Ryan Newman on Feb. 14 at the famed Daytona 500. Kohler Generators will also serve as Newman’s primary partner for races at Atlanta Motor Speedway (March 21), Darlington Raceway (May 9), Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 30), Road America (July 4), Bristol Motor Speedway (Sept. 18), Talladega Superspeedway (Oct. 3) and Martinsville Speedway (Oct. 31).

“We are looking forward to getting back to Daytona (International Speedway) this year, and bringing on Kohler Generators as the primary partner for our biggest race of the season is really exciting,” said Newman, who was seconds away from winning his second Daytona 500 last season. “Kohler is one of the most trusted brands in the world and is a natural fit with Roush Fenway and the No. 6 team. We came very close to winning this race last season, so hopefully this year we can go to Daytona, finish the job and put that Kohler Generators Ford in Victory Lane at what is undoubtedly one of the grandest events in all of motorsports.”

Kohler 2021 6 Mustang Front
Courtesy: Roush Fenway Racing

Newman, the 2008 Daytona 500 Champion, enters his 20th full season in the NASCAR Cup Series and third behind the wheel of Hall of Fame owner Jack Roush’s iconic No. 6 entry. The 43-year-old veteran was seconds away from winning the 2020 edition of The Great American Race before a horrific crash at the finish line. Newman, who was hospitalized after the accident, was released less than 48 hours later and made a miraculous return to the track after having missed only three events.

MORE: Ryan Newman through the years

Roush Fenway boasts a pair of wins at the Daytona 500, taking the celebrated checkered flag in 2009 and 2012, with the latter serving as Roush’s historic 300th NASCAR victory. Overall, RFR has won seven times at the World Center of Racing in NASCAR’s premier series, most recently in the 2017 summer race.

“We are pleased to welcome Kohler to the Roush Fenway Family,” Roush said. “We share the same pursuit of high performance in both of our fields, and I cannot think of a better place to kick off the partnership than Daytona.”

This will mark Newman’s 20th Daytona 500 start. In addition to scoring a seventh-place finish in his inaugural run in 2002, the South Bend, Indiana, native has finished in the top 10 six total times, including the victory in 2008. Overall, Newman enters the 2021 campaign with 263 career top 10s, 115 top fives, 18 wins and 51 poles.

RELATED: All of Ryan Newman’s Cup Series wins

Kohler 2021 6 Mustang Driver
Courtesy: Roush Fenway Racing

“Our partnership with Roush Fenway Racing and driver Ryan Newman provides new opportunities to showcase the leading-edge design, technology and reliability of Kohler Generators with passionate and loyal NASCAR fans. Jack Roush’s Hall of Fame career and championships speak to his hard-earned reputation of excellence,” said Brian Melka, group president – power at Kohler Co. “Bringing together Roush Fenway Racing and Kohler, along with a highly decorated competitor in Ryan Newman, is exciting and reinforces our shared commitment to power and technology and an inner drive to always achieve the highest level of performance. We are thrilled to unveil the sleek blue Kohler Generators No. 6 car at the Daytona 500, as well as Road America, which is less than 20 miles from our world headquarters in Kohler, Wisconsin.”

Daytona 500 qualifying is set for Feb. 10 to determine the front row for the 63rd running of The Great American Race. The Duels — the twin 150-mile events that determine the remainder of the starting lineup — are slated for the next night, with the Daytona 500 to follow Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

That appears to be the mentality most NASCAR Cup Series team owners have now regarding their superstar drivers participating in other forms of motorsports. This year, it especially holds true for the Chili Bowl Nationals.

The amount of NASCAR’s own participating in this week’s Chili Bowl in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is as big as it has ever been, with 11 active drivers from the Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series slated to take on the 1/4-mile dirt oval at the River Spirit Expo Center. Those drivers include Justin Allgaier, Chase Briscoe, Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, Ryan Ellis, Kyle Larson, Brett Moffitt, Ryan Newman, Garrett Smithley, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and JJ Yeley. Alex Bowman owns a team in competition, as well.

RELATED: Chili Bowl tune-in information | Night 1 recap

For Briscoe, the Cup Series rookie set to take over the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford in 2021, the positives of competing in grassroots levels of motorsports outweigh any negatives that could be a cause for concern.

“I think if you even looked at five years ago, for sure 10 years ago, it was kind of forbidden to go run sprint-car stuff because obviously it’s dangerous and our day job is to run the NASCAR stuff,” Briscoe told NASCAR.com. “That’s our No. 1 priority. The last two or three years, a lot of these team owners have noticed how much better it honestly makes us on Sundays. Anytime when you can go from racing 36 races a year to running 60 races a year and not only running the Cup car, but sprint cars, winged, non-winged, midgets, dirt late model, it makes you a better race car driver.”

As far as his outlook on this week, Briscoe isn’t sure what to expect after running a significantly smaller number of dirt races in 2020 due to his Xfinity Series schedule and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“I feel like every year you go there, and you want to run good, but with 330 something (entries) and only 24 making it, everything’s gotta go your way,” Briscoe said. “Everything has to go your way, you have to be fast, you gotta have a little bit of luck.

“You show up at Tulsa and you really have to be 110% from the get-go. You can’t struggle with the car. You can’t struggle as a driver. You gotta go because on Monday, you’re going to get four laps for practice and then on your prelim night, you’re going to get another three laps and then you go heat racing, which really determines how your whole week goes.”

Elliott, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion making his first appearance at the event, has used Briscoe to get up to speed in the dirt-racing realm. The No. 9 driver cut his teeth on asphalt short tracks across the southeast where late-model racing is more prevalent than open-wheel dirt racing. He has shown the interest and willingness to learn a new trade with dirt midgets and been a quick study, finishing third and fourth to Briscoe and Larson in a pair of A-Main events at the 1/6-mile Millbridge Speedway near Salisbury, North Carolina, back in December.

RELATED: Elliott impresses in Chili Bowl prep

Briscoe was impressed with not only his gumption to learn something new but also how quickly he was able to adapt to a car so foreign compared to his background. But between the Chili Bowl’s competitive nature and Elliott’s lack of experience, Briscoe also admitted the learning curve for Elliott will be steeper this time around.

“Tulsa is another animal than Millbridge,” Briscoe said. “Regardless, he’s going to have a really good time, a lot of fun and hopefully this will be the first of many years that he’ll come and do it because having a guy that caliber, just the popularity and the recognition he has, to bring that to the Chili Bowl is great for short-track racing, the dirt-racing community and bridge that gap to NASCAR.”

In the past, there was a notion among those in the grassroots racing community that some drivers had forgotten where they came from, maybe not as willing or even unable to take the time to go back and pay respect. It’s the participation of Elliott, Briscoe and other drivers with NASCAR ties in recent years that has shrunk a gap between the highest level of stock-car racing and the grassroots racing that helped elevate them to that level.

NASCAR Hall of Fame driver and three-time champion Tony Stewart initially helped pave that way, finding joy in showing up at a short track when he wasn’t busy with his NASCAR obligations. Stewart competed in sprint-car events across the country throughout his NASCAR career, a passion he still pursues to this day after his retirement. Stewart is also a two-time Chili Bowl Nationals champion, winning in 2002 and 2007.

Now it’s Larson who has taken over the reins and took his participation on dirt tracks across the country and even internationally to new levels. Larson will pilot the new No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in 2021, and in doing so, he appears to have warmed up to team owner Rick Hendrick enough to let him continue to roam free in other forms of racing.

“I’d say Larson being the first guy that’s really kind of bridged that gap for everybody because he’s so competitive on each side, truthfully, he wins everything on dirt,” Briscoe said. “I think it allows dirt fans to have a lot more reason to watch on Sundays because in the past you really only had Tony, where now you have Larson, you have Christopher Bell, you have myself, you have Tyler Reddick. There’s a lot of people to choose from and root for, you don’t just see them on Sunday. I think the biggest thing that’s bridged that gap is that it’s so much more accessible.”

SPEED SPORT: Daily schedule for Chili Bowl Nationals 

Larson has also played a huge role in helping new Hendrick Motorsports teammate Elliott get up to speed before the Chili Bowl.

“Kyle has been great, he’s been super open and honest talking about midget and dirt racing in general,” Elliott said. “As much as he’s willing to share, I’m certainly going to lean on him at least to help me get going. I’m excited to talk to him and learn some things that might be second nature to him, but that are completely foreign to me.”

While Briscoe grew up racing sprint cars and other forms of dirt competition in Indiana and across the Midwest, he thinks Elliott’s participation has the potential to make even greater strides since it has stemmed from his own initiative.

“That’s the coolest thing,” Briscoe said. “That’s where there’s a lot more respect to be had. … Chase genuinely wants to go run dirt and get better at it. I don’t know how much of that is because of the Cup race (on dirt at Bristol) getting added, but a lot of this was in the works before the schedule got announced, or obviously before he won the championship. He could have easily backed out, but he still wanted to do it. That shows a lot about his character.”

Posted on by Staff Report

ATTLEBORO, Mass. —  JDV Productions, led by Josh Vanada and his team of experienced professionals in motorsports, will return to grassroots short-track racing to promote three NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events in 2021.

As part of the tour‘s 37th annual season of competition, which includes a 14-race schedule in six different states, JDV Productions will promote races in three states — Pennsylvania, New York and Maine. Races at Jennerstown Speedway Complex (May 29), Oswego Speedway (June 12) and Beech Ridge Motor Speedway (August 21) will be led by the JDV team.

RELATED: 2021 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Schedule

All three events will be $10,000+ to win for drivers, including the Whelen Winner of the Race bonus award, and each will have a full purse structure throughout the field. JDV is committed to assisting the Whelen Modified Tour group to continue the deep history of NASCAR‘s oldest touring series.

“I‘m glad to be back involved with motorsports and promoting the incredibly talented drivers, car owners and race teams of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour,” Vanada said. “We‘ve selected three venues steeped in Modified history, with raceable surfaces and eager fans. I‘m looking forward to seeing everyone at Jennerstown, Oswego and Beech Ridge this summer.”

Vanada is no stranger to motorsports promotions. As the former General Manager of Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, Vanada assisted in coordinating some of New England‘s most historic events — including the Icebreaker weekend and Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing. Both of those events included the Whelen Modified Tour — along with the annual June and August stops at Thompson during Vanada‘s tenure at the Connecticut oval.

To be announced at a later date, there will be a challenge for competitors who elect to compete in all three tour races promoted by JDV.

“I‘m really excited to have both Oswego and Jennerstown back on the schedule — we ran really well at both tracks and I just really enjoyed both facilities,” two-time Whelen Modified Tour champion Justin Bonsignore said. “I always enjoy seeing new tracks added to the schedule, and look forward to going to Beech Ridge and seeing how we stack up against the competition.”

The tour returns to Jennerstown, a .522-mile asphalt track in Pennsylvania, for a Memorial Day weekend special. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Jennerstown hosted the season-opener for the series without fans, won by eventual two-time champion Bonsignore. The track also hosted a second date in August, won by rising star Craig Lutz. It will be the 17th tour race in the history of the oval.

In June, NASCAR‘s Modifieds will return to the “Steel Palace” of Oswego for their first of two dates during the 2021 season. JDV‘s part in the June event marks the earliest the Whelen Modified Tour will visit Oswego during a season in the 12-race history. Last year, there was no tour event at Oswego, with the doors shuttered due to COVID-19. Doug Coby, Ryan Preece, Matt Hirschman and Bonsignore were the four drivers in Victory Lane between 2016-2019.

Beech Ridge Motor Speedway returns to the tour schedule for the first time since 2005 on August 21, bringing rolling thunder back to the NASCAR-sanctioned oval in Maine. Beech Ridge has seen Modifieds through the years, but when the tour rolls into town, fans can expect a tight-quarters racing battle at one of New England‘s oldest venues.

“Josh has a proven track record of producing high-quality, entertaining events for our race fans. He has a passion for promoting events that bring an emphasis on both the racer and fan experience,” Jimmy Wilson, Director of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour said. “We are looking forward to working together with him and his team to bring the excitement and adrenaline that is the hallmark of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. After a year of challenges with the current pandemic, we are proud of the diverse schedule and the opportunity to bring the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to the variety of legacy and historic tracks on tap this year.”

More information regarding all three events will be released closer to the day of race events. For more information on JDV Promotions, visit https://www.facebook.com/JDVProd.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials will require driver Hailie Deegan to take sensitivity training before the 2021 season after her use of an offensive word during an online racing stream Sunday.

Deegan apologized Sunday night after using a term that disparages those with intellectual disabilities during an iRacing event. The stream — since deleted — was the first from her personal account on Twitch.

The 19-year-old driver is set for her first season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this year with David Gilliland Racing. She made her series debut with the team last October at Kansas Speedway.

Deegan is a three-time winner in what is now called the ARCA Menards Series West.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR will hold its first Next Gen test of 2021 on Tuesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Kurt Busch will be back behind the wheel in a test that will validate some adjustments that have been made to components of the Next Gen car. Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion, currently drives for Chip Ganassi Racing.

The Next Gen car was most recently on the track last month at Daytona International Speedway with Roush Fenway Racing driver Chris Buescher logging the prototype’s first laps on a superspeedway. Busch and Martin Truex Jr. took part in two days of testing in November on the Roval and oval layouts of Charlotte Motor Speedway. That session marked the first time that two prototypes were on the track at the same time.

RELATED: Daytona Next Gen test photos | 2021 Cup Series schedule

John Probst, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Racing Innovation, indicated after the Daytona test that another session at Charlotte was potentially in the cards.

“I think some of the stuff we found in the car is very promising for some of the other tracks we’re going to take it to,” Probst said. “So if anything, we may try to get on a local track up in the Charlotte area for a couple hours to verify what we found here translates to some other track types.”

The Next Gen car is scheduled for its competition debut in 2022.

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

The 2021 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals at the River Spirit Expo Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma will be broadcast live on FloRacing and MAVTV Motorsports Network. Kyle Larson looks to defend his first Chili Bowl victory last year, while Christopher Bell will be battling for his fourth Nationals crown. See the full TV schedule and live streaming channel breakdown below.

What channel is the Chili Bowl on?

  • TV channel: MAVTV Motorsports Network
  • Live stream: FloRacing

A live stream of the 2021 Chili Bowl Nationals will be available on FloRacing.com for the preliminary qualifying events and alphabet soup qualifiers from Monday through Saturday evening. The broadcast switches to MAVTV for Saturday night’s opening ceremonies and final features.

FloRacing is an online sports subscription streaming service. The FloSports service provides unlimited access to live events across more than 25 sports, which also includes original programming of news, expert commentary, documentaries, films and more.

Owned and operated by Lucas Oil Products, MAVTV Motorsports Network is a motorsports and automotive cable and satellite channel. The channel provides exclusive coverage of events such as the Chili Bowl Nationals, AMA Pro Motocross series, Lucas Oil Challenge Cup and more. The channel is available on many nationwide television providers, including Spectrum, AT&T U-verse, YouTubeTV, DirecTV and more.

RELATED: Daily schedule for Chili Bowl Nationals

Chili Bowl 2021 TV schedule

The opening ceremonies and final features for the 2021 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals will be broadcast live on MAVTV Motorsports Network on Jan. 16 beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET. The three-hour broadcasting window includes C-Mains, B-Mains and the final A-Main events. The broadcast will air again following the checkered flag on Saturday night. The TV channel will also re-air the event on Jan. 17 at 3 p.m. ET.

RELATED: 15 drivers set for Chili Bowl Race of Champions

Chili Bowl 2021 live streaming

Preliminary and alphabet soup qualifying events for the 2021 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals will be live streamed on FloRacing.com from Jan. 11-16. Below is a full chart of the live streaming and TV channel schedule.

  Date Time Network
Mon., Jan. 11: Cummins, Inc. Qualifying Night 6 p.m. ET FloRacing
Tues., Jan. 12: Warren Cat Qualifying Night plus the VIROC 5 p.m. ET FloRacing
Wed., Jan. 13: Circle City Raceway Qualifying Night 5 p.m. ET FloRacing
Thurs., Jan. 14: John Christner Trucking Qualifying Night 5 p.m. ET FloRacing
Fri., Jan. 15: Driven2SaveLives Qualifying Night 5 p.m. ET FloRacing
Sat., Jan. 16: Lucas Oil Championship Feature Events 11 a.m. ET/8:30 p.m. ET FloRacing/MAVTV

NASCAR drivers in competition

Below are current and former NASCAR drivers who will be competing in the 2021 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals, along with their respective qualifying nights:

  • Rico Abreu (Wednesday)
  • Justin Allgaier (Friday)
  • Chase Briscoe (Monday)
  • Christopher Bell (Thursday)
  • Chase Elliott (Wednesday)
  • Ryan Ellis (Thursday)
  • Kasey Kahne (Friday)
  • Kyle Larson (Tuesday)
  • Brett Moffitt (Wednesday)
  • Ryan Newman (Wednesday)
  • Garrett Smithley (Thursday)
  • Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Friday)
  • JJ Yeley (Friday)
Posted on by Staff Report

Which channels have NASCAR programming this week? We answer that and give the weekly NASCAR television listings here in the NASCAR TV schedule.

Note: All times are ET.

MORE: How to find NBCSN | Get the NBC Sports App | How to find FS1 | Get FOX Sports App

Tuesday, January 12
On MRN
7 p.m., NASCAR Live

Wednesday, January 13
8 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2007 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
11 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2009 Aaron’s 499 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
2 p.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2013 Auto Club 400 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: 2020 Sights and Sounds (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive, Part 1 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
9 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Radioactive, Part 2 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
10 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Jimmie Johnson Tribute (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
11 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Features, Part 1 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App

Thursday, January 14
Midnight, NASCAR Race Hub: Best of Features, Part 2 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
1 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2020 Daytona 500 (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App
4 a.m., NASCAR Auto Racing Classics: 2020 All-Star Race (re-air), FS2/FOX Sports App

Posted on by PJ Walsh

The Action Network specializes in providing sports betting insights/analytics and is a content partner with NASCAR. Check out more NASCAR betting analysis here.

The new year is finally here, and while that means football season is coming to a close, it’s also a reminder that NASCAR’s season-opening race, the Daytona 500 (Feb. 14 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FOX), is right around the corner.

Daytona 500 odds are available at most sportsbooks, so it’s time to turn our attention toward motorsports and start building betting cards for NASCAR’s biggest race.

With this in mind, here are three drivers I’m locking in right now for the Daytona 500.

Daytona 500 Picks

*Odds as of Jan. 8 at 10 a.m. ET

Denny Hamlin (+800)

In an event that can be very random, Hamlin has found a way to dominate the Great American Race in recent years.

The Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) driver has won back-to-back 500s and three of the last five. That’s pretty good.

And it’s not just Daytona that fits Denny’s superspeedway eye as of late, evidenced by finishes of fourth and first at Talladega last year as well. In fact, here were Hamlin’s finishes at the four superspeedway races last season: first, fourth, third and first, for an insane 2.3 average finish.

I’m typically in very little rush to bet Daytona 500 favorites this early, but I can’t find any reason to wait on Hamlin at 8-1 odds right now.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+2000)

I just can’t quit you at superspeedways, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Stenhouse is the ultimate checkers-or-wreckers driver, a characteristic that often results in wadded-up race cars. Still, I’m not overly concerned about where he finishes because, as a bettor, if he ain’t first, he’s last.

Ricky’s two Cup Series victories came at Talladega at Daytona (both in 2017), and he’s shown the speed to win there throughout this career, including last season after switching from Roush Fenway Racing to JTG-Daugherty Racing.

Stenhouse won the pole and led the third-most laps in the 2020 Daytona 500, then followed it up with a runner-up at Talladega in June in which he crossed the finish line .007 seconds behind winner Ryan Blaney in a crazy finish.

At 20-1, this is a worthy price to add one of the series’ top superspeedway drivers, especially one who will not settle for anything less than a win.

Chris Buescher (+4000)

Part of being a successful bettor is understanding your flaws, especially the ones that bleed profit throughout the season. My New Year’s NASCAR betting resolution is to stop taking so many longshots at superspeedway races, especially the Daytona 500. Sure, anything can happen in these races and that’s what can be seductive with longshot prices, but the deep sleepers rarely ever take the checkered flag.

As a result, I’ll be looking more toward props for my favorite sleepers — follow me on Twitter (@PJWalsh24) for my Daytona 500 props — while avoiding them (hopefully) to win outright.

With that said, I’m taking a shot, and a fairly big one, on Chris Buescher at 40-1 odds.

Here are the top 10 drivers (sorted by driver rating at the four superspeedway races last season) and corresponding 2021 Daytona 500 betting odds via BetMGM.

  • Joey Logano (98.4 driver rating): +1000
  • Denny Hamlin (98.3): +800
  • Ryan Blaney (95.1): +1000
  • Brad Keselowski (89.3): +1400
  • William Byron (88.5): +1400
  • Chris Buescher (88.1): +4000
  • Alex Bowman (85.1): +1600
  • Chase Elliott (84.6): +1000
  • Kurt Busch (82.0): +2000
  • Erik Jones (80.2): +6600

The list above includes the six drivers with the best odds to win the Daytona 500 and seven drivers at 16-1 or shorter. Kurt Busch, the 2017 winner is next at 20-1, leaving just Buescher (40-1) and Jones (66-1) as the outliers. For those wondering, Jones, who was around 28-1 to win this race last year, switched from powerhouse team JGR to Richard Petty Motorsports in the offseason, explaining the significant drop in price.

That list alone illustrates why I’m willing to take a flier on Buescher, but looking at average finish makes this bet even more appetizing. Hamlin and Blaney were the only current Cup Series regulars who finished with better average finishes than Buescher at superspeedways in 2020.

In Buescher we’re getting a driver …

  • In very fast Roush Fenway Racing superspeedway equipment.
  • Who finished with the sixth-best driver rating at superspeedways in 2020.
  • Who had the third-best average finish at superspeedways (among current full-time drivers) in 2020.

Additionally, savvy bettors can get Buescher at an even better price by shopping the market and locking him in right now at William Hill at the unbeatable price of 50-1.