Posted on by Nick Giffen

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 2020 NASCAR Cup Series regular season kicks off with the granddaddy of them all, the Daytona 500. Sunday’s race features the fourth race run under the current superspeedway rules package.

Last year’s three races under this rules package each finished with between 18 and 21 drivers on the lead lap. I expect even fewer lead-lap finishers for this race. That’s because the honor of being crowned the Daytona 500 champion encourages drivers to take even more risks. Between the huge draft and the intensity of pushing for the win, the “Big One” — where multiple cars sometimes numbering in the double digits wreck — always looms.

Betting Daytona is a bit strange. Because nearly anyone competing can win, it doesn’t make sense to bet favorites unless you’re getting a really good price on them. Instead, see if you can find prop value on favorites, while taking a few fliers on longer shot drivers.

Get 500-1 odds on ANY driver to win the Daytona 500 at BetMGM

Matt DiBenedetto (+3200) to Win

Yesterday, my colleagues Matthew Freedman, PJ Walsh, and I ranked each driver from 1-40. I was highest on DiBenedetto, slotting him into the 10 hole, while PJ wasn’t far behind putting DiBenedetto in 12th. Even taking into account the more pessimistic 21st place ranking from Freedman, DiBenedetto averages out to our 14th place driver, but is priced with the 18th best chance to win at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Given I’m even higher on DiBenedetto, this is definitely a bet I’d recommend. Last year, DiBenedetto led twice for 49 laps on his own merit while driving for Leavine Family Racing before getting caught up in a wreck not of his making. He also pushed into the lead at the spring Talladega race before wrecking again. In the only superspeedway race he didn’t wreck, he finished eighth at the Coke Zero 400.

Now, DiBenedetto gets an upgrade to Wood Brothers Racing, which is affiliated with Team Penske. For context, Leavine Family Racing has never had a win in its Cup Series history. Ryan Blaney piloted the Wood Brothers car to a win in 2017 en route to a ninth place finish in the final points standings. You better believe DiBenedetto will benefit from the Team Penske alliance. The Penske drivers and cars are top of the line at Daytona, and DiBenedetto will be teaming with them all day.

If he avoids the Big One, he’s a legitimate contender to win. I like DiBenedetto down to +2200.

Chris Buescher (+7500) to Win

My colleague PJ Walsh wrote about Buescher back in December, but his odds haven’t budged at FanDuel where he remains a 75-1 long shot a mere 24 hours prior to the green flag.

FanDuel clearly hasn’t adjusted for the fact that Buescher has upgraded from JTG Daugherty to the No. 17 car at Roush Fenway Racing (RFR) previously driven by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Stenhouse piloted that car to two superspeedway wins. Buescher is no slouch himself at Daytona. In six races at Daytona while with JTG Daugherty, he has three top-ten finishes, including two fifth places finishes in 2018. With the upgrade, we should expect an even more competitive Buescher. I’d bet Buescher down to +5000.

Posted on by Staff Report

The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season begins at Daytona International Speedway, the birthplace of speed.

Kyle Busch is a two-time Cup Series champion. The “Big 3” this year may refer to a banner rookie class. And for one seven-time legend, this year’s “Great American Race” may be the final of his illustrious career.

It’s Daytona Day, the 62nd running of the Daytona 500 (will resume Monday at 4 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), and with it the first big step in a season with a brand-new, reimagined schedule that ends in Phoenix for the first time in history.

RELATED: Daytona 500 starting lineup | Ways to follow

NASCAR.com has you covered from every conceivable angle. Read our full coverage below to get ready for both today’s Daytona 500 and the 2020 season.

It’s Daytona time. Let’s go.

BRAND NEW DAY

Daytona Embed Photo Jets


• Sunday preview: From blocking to superspeedway racing, start your Daytona prep here. These are the five most important things to watch. | Read more

• To block or not to block?: Blocking’s been the story of Speedweeks after multiple big wrecks in the Busch Clash. So, what to do? Zack Albert analyzes why Sunday may be a battle of survival. | Read more

• These five things will happen: How to predict one of the most unpredictable races? Our friends at Racing Insights provided some intriguing data. One trend: A Busch brother will get passed for the win. | Read more

• Teammate trouble?: The biggest bickering moments this Speedweeks belong to a pair of Team Penske teammates in Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano. Will the tension boil over Sunday? | Read more

• Fuel on the fire: Ah, yes, there’s Denny Hamlin interjecting into the Kes-Logano snipping as only he can. | Read more

• A new ‘Seven-Time’: It’s Jimmie Johnson’s final full-time season. His legacy on track is unmatched, but fans should expect to see a different side of him this year. | Read more

• Then and Now: We asked Jimmie Johnson some of the exact same questions he was asked during his media day interview as a rookie in 2002. Hear if his answers have changed. | Watch more

• One last check mark: Kyle Busch has done practically everything there is to do in NASCAR … except win the Daytona 500. Hear ‘Rowdy’ address that head on. | Watch now

• Brand new paint: New year, new paint schemes. Here are the looks you’ll see on track today. | Read more

• New paint … again: These fresh looks are so nice, we had to show them off from every angle. | Read more

A YEAR IN VIEW

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

• Ranking them all: Take every Daytona 500, study it, analyze it … then rank it. That’s what we did, coming up with our cumulative list that measures one thing. Greatness. | Read more

• Projecting the playoffs: Fifteen NASCAR.com staff members submitted ballots in an attempt to predict the 16-driver playoff field. We added the results to come up with this group of drivers. | Read more

• Race by race: Predicting the winner of every 2020 race? Sure, we’ll give it a shot. We have a few upsets, some twists … and a new two-time champion at the end of the season. | Read more

• A place in history: It takes a special driver and special circumstances to win the biggest race in NASCAR. Here is the select group to have done it. | Read more

• A heartfelt plea: Corey LaJoie to the No. 48? LaJoie is giving it a shot, stating his case in a personal, handwritten letter to team owner Rick Hendrick. | Read more

• A future in focus: Erik Jones is one of several big-name drivers entering 2020 in a contract year. His future plans? ‘No intention’ of leaving Joe Gibbs Racing, he says. | Read more

• New start for Martin: Martin Truex Jr., one of the most dominant drivers of the past three years, has a new crew chief atop the pit box. Meet James Small, the man tasked with replacing Cole Pearn. | Read more

• Get off my lawn!: We asked the NASCAR veterans to give their advice to this year’s rookies crop. The results had Martin Truex Jr. keeled over in laughter. | Watch more

LET THE GAMING BEGIN

Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images
Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

• The odds are … : Don’t get caught heading to the betting window without checking the latest odds to win. Who’s the favorite, and who presents a good value? | Read more

• Life in the Fastlane: Fantasy Live is back, and so is fantasy guru RJ Kraft’s advice in Fantasy Fastlane. Get off on the right foot Sunday with this advice. | Read more

• New way to play: NASCAR and Penn National Gaming are partnering up to give fans a whole new gaming experience. At the center is NASCAR Finish Line, where you could win $50,000. | Read more

• Expert picks: Now that you’ve clicked the above link and know how to play NASCAR Finish Line, allow expert Steve Letarte to give you his picks. | Watch now

Posted on by Terrin Waack

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Timmy Hill is having himself a Speedweeks.

The personal run of mini victories started in the Bluegreen Vacations Duel 2, where Hill earned a bid into the NASCAR Cup Series’ Daytona 500 for the first time in his career. It then extended into the Xfinity Series’ NASCAR Racing Experience 300, as Hill pulled off a career-best third-place finish.

“I just feel like this year is kicking off on a great note,” Hill said Saturday. “Making the Daytona 500 on Thursday was awesome. I didn’t think it could get any better. Third place was a nice finish. I thought we could’ve had a shot at the win.”

RELATED: Gragson breaks through at Daytona | Race results

It looked like it. Ultimately, Noah Gragson won the Xfinity Series’ season opener.

There was a late-race caution on Lap 115 of 120. The field went back to green with three laps to go. As the white flag came out, though, Gragson led with Harrison Burton closing in behind him. Hill was actually pushing Burton.

“We were tight, like backed up to each other really tight,” Burton said. “He did a good job of pushing. We just needed an extra corner, an extra two corners.”

Said Hill: “My goal was to push him out front. Then, if we could have raced together for the win, that would have been awesome.”

Neither driver has won a race in any of NASCAR’s national series.

Second place was a new best for Burton, too. This is his first full-time season in the Xfinity Series, and a runner-up showing already places him high in the early championship standings. He’s in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

“If we get points, that’s good, but we’re here to win races,” Burton said. “So bummed out that didn’t happen, but at the end of the day, we can go home with our car in one piece and be happy about that.”

Hill, meanwhile, is eligible for points in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.

Before the Xfinity Series’ qualifying session, Hill’s No. 66 MBM Motorsports Ford team was hit with a L2-level penalty for manipulating bodywork on the nose of the car. It was fined $50,000 and docked 75 points in the Xfinity team owner standings. Crew chief Sebastian Laforge was suspended six races, including Saturday’s event.

“It’s going to be tough for the next few races,” Hill said. “A third-place finish will help us purse wise to pay that money back. That blow this morning was a hurt, but this is a nice way to kind of bounce back from that.”

There’s also Sunday’s Daytona 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX/FOX Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Hill will steer another No. 66 MBM Motorsports Ford as one of four competitors who had to race their way into the 40-driver field. The other 36 were guaranteed spots because of team charters.

Hill is now more than ready for “The Great American Race” at the 2.5-mile track.

“I’ll tell you what, I’m on career high right now,” Hill said. “I want to keep riding this wave, and I can’t wait to continue on.”

Posted on by NASCAR Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — After a less-than-stellar rollout of last year’s NASCAR Cup Series Camaros, Chevrolet teams are optimistic that changes to the car will result in improved performance in 2020. 

So far, the results seem to bear that out. Chevrolet driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. of JTG Daugherty Racing won the pole for the Daytona 500 (set to resume on Monday at 4 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Alex Bowman of Hendrick Motorsports grabbed the other locked-in position on the outside of the front row.

RELATED: Stenhouse wins pole for Daytona 500 | Byron wins Duel 2 | See the full field for Sunday

In Thursday night’s second Bluegreen Vacations Duel 150-mile qualifying race, Hendrick’s William Byron visited Victory Lane for the first time in NASCAR’s top series, leading a 1-2-3 sweep by Chevrolets.

“I feel like, last year, Chevy came — they just missed the ball,” said NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty, who fields the No. 43 Camaro driven by Bubba Wallace. “This year, they corrected a lot of those mistakes. We hope that they corrected it enough that we’re going to be competitive wherever we go.

“Right now, I think Chevrolet’s probably got the best overall program … I think they’re totally, totally committed to racing. We want to be right along in there with somebody that’s as dedicated to racing as we are.”

Saturday’s Chevrolet owners press conference in the Daytona International Speedway media center covered a broad range of topics, with the following highlights:

— Rick Hendrick expressed his commitment to making seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson’s final full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series as successful as possible. “Jimmie is fired up,” Hendrick said. “I think they’re going to have a really good year with the new car … I’ve never seen Jimmie so energized. We going to give him everything we’ve got, leave nothing on the table.”

DAYTONA 500: Five key story lines to know

— The new Chevrolet engine block and headers are ready to go. “It’s done,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet’s U.S. vice president for performance vehicles and motorsports. “It’s rotated when it’s ready. Typically, on the engine side, we do that when the pool of current engines is at the point where you can rotate them out.”

— Chip Ganassi was predictably close-mouthed about the prospects of re-signing driver Kyle Larson, who is in the final year of his current contract. Larson has expressed interest in listening to offers from other owners.

“I think it’s always important to keep good people around, whether it’s a driver, crew chief, engineer, whatever,” said Ganassi, who didn’t elaborate. But as that question was asked, Hendrick reached for his wallet and eyed Ganassi with a knowing look.

— Richard Childress is happy with his 2020 NASCAR Cup Series driver lineup, with two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Tyler Reddick having moved up to the premier series.

“We feel good about it,” Childress said. “We moved Tyler up. He earned the right to move up. Excited about having him. He and Austin (Dillon) are going to make good teammates, work together so far as everything I’ve seen.”

Posted on by Staff Report

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — It was a first for Noah Gragson. It was more of the same for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

When a wreck on the backstretch at Daytona International Speedway ended Saturday’s NASCAR Racing Experience 300, Gragson was in the lead, and when the driver of the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet crossed the finish line under caution, he claimed his long-awaited first victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

RELATED: Official Xfinity Series race results

What was a novel experience for Gragson was old hat to Earnhardt, who won at the 2.5-mile track for the seventh time as a car owner — with his seventh different driver. Five of Earnhardt’s victories have come in the season opener at the Birthplace of Speed, including the last three in a row.

Gragson recovered from an early pit road speeding penalty to take control of the race. His crew chief, Dave Elenz, won for the fourth time at Daytona with his fourth different driver.

“We were wide open all day and managed to control the group behind us really well,” said Gragson, who climbed the frontstretch fence to celebrate his maiden win. “My spotter, Earl Barban, did a great job. He led me to this victory. Very, very thankful to everybody at JR Motorsports, (engine supplier) Hendrick Motorsports for the great power and building this new chassis. Without everybody like that, it just wouldn’t be possible.

“Just trying to stay focused, stay positive when we threw it away on that speeding penalty after that first stage. But I’m so, so proud to be on this team. We stayed till 9:30 the night before we came down here working on the hauler. The team chemistry is better than it’s ever been. And I’m ready to go and do this deal some more.”

A strong push in the top lane from runner-up Harrison Burton propelled Gragson into the lead after the final restart on Lap 198 of 200. On the final lap, Gragson had pulled away from his pursuers by roughly two car lengths before Brandon Brown knocked Michael Annett’s Chevrolet sideways and started the wreck that ended the race under yellow.

The caution froze the finishing order, with Timmy Hill, Brandon Jones and Chase Briscoe running third, fourth and fifth, respectively. A 12-car wreck on Lap 114 that eliminated the contending cars of Jeb Burton and Austin Cindric set up the three-lap dash to the finish.

Previous multi-car crashes had KO’d Justin Allgaier and first-time pole winner Myatt Snider. Jeb Burton (26 laps), Allgaier (23) and Snider (22) combined to lead 71 circuits, but none of the three was running at the finish of the race.

Harrison Burton thought he had an excellent shot at the victory before the wreck and caution on the final lap.

“Noah got out front about a car-and-a-half, and I thought ‘He might be in trouble here,’ but then the caution came out,” Burton said. “Just really proud of our guys. We had a tough day. I think that there were a couple times in the race that we were down and out, and our guys clawed it out. I was proud of that effort.”

Briscoe had grabbed the lead from Gragson before the wreck on Lap 114 but couldn’t hold it after the final restart.

“That one is going to sting for a while for sure,” Briscoe said. “I feel like we were making more moves than anybody and I thought I was going to have a really good shot there at the end. I don’t know what was up with the 19, he couldn’t give me any help on the bottom.

“It was just one of those where you wish you would have picked the top. We went on the bottom because at the time it felt like the right decision.”

Justin Haley, Brandon Brown, Ray Black Jr., Ryan Sieg and Alex Labbe completed the top 10.

Posted on by RJ Kraft

The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season is here and Fantasy Live is back in action! Ricky Stenhouse Jr. led the field to green for the 62nd Daytona 500 (set to resume on Monday at 4 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Is the JTG Daugherty Racing newcomer worthy of a lineup spot? What about fellow front row starter Alex Bowman? RJ Kraft offers up his race-day lineup and bonus picks below.

RJ Kraft race-day lineup for Daytona 500:
1: Joey Logano
2: Matt DiBenedetto
3: Aric Almirola
4: Erik Jones
5: Austin Dillon
Garage: Ryan Newman
Just missing the cut for me: Alex Bowman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Michael McDowell and William Byron

To the rear: Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Ty Dillon, Brennan Poole, Corey LaJoie, B.J. McLeod and Christopher Bell

RELATED: Lap averages, practice results and more | Fantasy preview coming into Daytona 

Analysis: The fantasy season is a marathon not a sprint and the 10-race use limit can loom large later in the year, so that as well as the unpredictability of superspeedway racing has me going with a set strategy. One anchor or star pick and then a host of mid-tier drivers that have solid superspeedway resumes. My only absolute here is I am completely avoiding Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin. They are far too valuable at too many tracks in the regular season and I am not going to burn a use for them at Daytona. Hamlin was one play I did briefly consider but given that the rules package is by and large similar to the one that he, Busch and Truex dominated with at times for much of 2019. I want to save those usages.

Logano is my ace for this one and I realize the play here might cost me down the line. He’s been too strong in Speedweeks and is too good at superspeedway racing for me to pass on the use here. Almirola joins my lineup after an impressive Speedweeks and my desire to go heavier on the Fords in my lineup. DiBenedetto has a solid Daytona history (three top 10s and led the most laps in this race last year) as does his new team in the Wood Brothers. Jones is a bit of an under-the-radar play when it comes to superspeedways, but he won the Clash. I wanted to have a Toyota in my lineup and I was avoiding the aforementioned JGR trio. Dillon has had solid Daytona numbers his entire career and was extremely race-y in this package last year.

As I wrote earlier this week, Newman is the ideal garage pick. He’ll run in the back for much of the race, but with five laps to go, he’ll be in the top 10 and you be thanking his patience instead of cursing his lack of stage points. My main risk is a lack of Chevrolets outside of Dillon and that is something I will weigh on race-day morning one last time.

Bonus picks: Byron to win Stage 1, Hamlin to win Stage 2 with Logano and Ford for the race and manufacturer win.

Posted on by Staff Report

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Even though he sees triple-digit speeds regularly as a full-time NASCAR driver, Michael McDowell says he often feels safer on the race track than on public roads. Joined by his team and some helpful partners, he’s trying to do something about the latter.

Front Row Motorsports announced last week that a collaborative “We Care” effort with ClassicCars.com and the National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF) will raise awareness for safe driving. The message came too close to home for McDowell earlier this week, when his wife, Jami, was involved in a crash Tuesday when another driver ran a red light at an intersection in Concord, North Carolina.

MORE: Daytona 500 starting lineup

She emerged sore but otherwise unhurt, but the “We Care” initiative became an even more personal campaign for McDowell.

“It’s just a great reminder of how important it is, not only to drive safe but to remember that there’s other families out there,” said McDowell, who started 26th in the Daytona 500 (set to resume on Monday at 4 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM). “It’s easy to be distracted, especially in the era that we live in with people calling, texting and so much happening and you’re so accessible. Luckily my kids weren’t with her and everybody was able to walk away, but it definitely hits home.”

In hopes of offsetting some of the dangers of distracting driving, FRM is taking pledges from motorists to focus on safer travel. McDowell will carry a decal on the side of his No. 34 Ford to amplify the campaign, which has made the message to “leave speeding to the professionals.”

“I’m way more comfortable out on the race track than I am on the highway,” McDowell says. “I think that racing in general, we have 40 of the best drivers that there are, so everybody on the race track is doing the same thing, paying attention. Driving a car at 200 mph requires 110 percent focus, so when you get out on the road and people are not paying attention, it’s very frustrating.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Joey Logano led final practice in the NASCAR Cup Series on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. Logano, the 2015 Daytona 500 winner, wheeled his No. 22 Team Penske Ford around the 2.5-mile superspeedway at a top speed of 200.517 mph.

Logano was the fastest of eight Fords at the top of the speed chart with Kevin Harvick, in the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, coming in second at 200.512 mph. Brad Keselowski was third in the No. 2 Team Penske Ford at 200.499 mph.

Clint Bowyer, in the No. 14 SHR Ford, and Cole Custer, in the No. 41 SHR Ford, rounded out to the top five. Other Fords among that top group included Aric Almirola, David Ragan and Michael McDowell.

RELATED: Full Daytona Speedweeks schedule | Full final practice results

William Byron was the top Chevrolet in ninth place at 198.754 mph. Brendan Gaughan rounded out the top 10 in the No. 62 Chevrolet at 198.548 mph.

The Toyota group opted to bypass final practice as all of those manufacturer’s cars stayed in the garage.

This was the final time for cars on track before the 62nd running of the Daytona 500 (set to resume Monday at 4 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on by Steve Luvender

If there’s one thing true about the users of social media, it’s that they’re always right, no matter the subject. Post an opinion about anything at all, and somebody will tell you what’s actually correct.

With this foundational characteristic of Internet users in mind, I once again set out to put this rule to the test: Can people on Twitter guess the Championship 4 — the four drivers who will compete for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series title and Bill France Cup — before the 2020 season even begins?

This is the third year I posed the question to the larger Twitter populace. In 2018, nobody guessed correctly. Last year, things went a little better; we had two correct predictions.

For the most part, there have been plenty of predictions that are reasonable-sounding — at least right now. The Kyle Busches, the Denny Hamlins, the Joey Loganos (or is it Joeys Logano?) — the usual suspects. Basically, the drivers who NASCAR.com’s fantasy experts would pick.

Plus, we’ve got some bold predictions, like Daytona 500 polesitter Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the Championship 4.

Or Ryan Newman soaring into the championship round.

Or picks that could be interpreted in different ways.

Or picks that I suppose could end up technically accurate, though no driver names were provided.

It’s even possible to fan so hard for your driver you think they alone will occupy the entirety of the Championship 4.

And, of course, the examples of the Internet doing Internet things and making a mockery of this VERY SERIOUS contest, for which there is no prize.

Excellent use of Make My Driver!

Certainly don’t disagree with this one.

If you want in — because if somebody else doesn’t know it all, you do — reply to the original tweet with your Championship 4 picks. Be forewarned, though: if you miss all four picks, I’ll most definitely shame you on NASCAR.com later.

We’ll unearth this time capsule in November when the Championship 4 is decided the week between Martinsville and Phoenix, and see which — if any — pixel prognosticators proved prescient and picked perfectly.

Posted on by Staff Report

The No. 66 NASCAR Xfinity Series team of MBM Motorsports was assessed an L2-level penalty before Saturday morning’s qualifying session for manipulating bodywork on the nose of the car.

The L2 penalty means crew chief Sebastian Laforge has been suspended for six races, and the team has been fined $50,000. The suspension is effective immediately; Laforge was ejected from the garage.

RELATED: Daytona Speedweeks schedule

The team will be docked 75 points in the Xfinity team owner standings as well. A penalty for Timmy Hill in the driver standings was not assessed as Hill is eligible for championship points in the Gander Trucks Series.

Hill will be allowed to qualify the No. 66 for Saturday’s NASCAR Racing Experience 300 (2:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Hill placed 16th in first practice on Friday and did not run a lap in final practice.