2015 Daytona 500 Expert Picks: Top Sleepers with Longshot Odds to Win: The Sprint Cup Series season kicks off this weekend with the Daytona 500, and while plenty of the biggest names in the sport have won the prestigious event, there have also been plenty of surprise winners of “The Great American Race.” In 2011, Trevor Bayne won the Daytona 500 in his first try, Michael Waltrip’s first win was the Daytona 500, and unheralded drivers like Derrike Cope and Ward Burton also won the race. In other words, you don’t have to be a big name to win the sport’s biggest race. With that in mind, here is a closer look at a few sleeper candidates that could pull off the upset and win the 2015 Daytona 500.
He didn’t make much noise in his rookie year, but Austin Dillon was clearly at his best at the restrictor plate tracks. He scored the third-most points of any driver in the four plate events, and in two starts at Daytona, he finished ninth and fifth. Don’t rule out Dillon making his first-ever trip to victory lane in the sport’s biggest race.
Although he is a non-factor most weeks, Casey Mears has developed into a formidable restrictor plate racer the past couple of seasons. In fact, he is the only driver to have finished in the top 10 in each of the last three races at Daytona, and he scored the second-most points of any driver in the series at the restrictor plate races last season. Despite driving for a single-car team, Mears could end up in victory lane this weekend.
While many have argued that Danica Patrick doesn’t even belong in the Cup Series, there is no arguing that she has delivered some solid finishes at Daytona. She has four top-15 finishes in her last four starts at the track, and she has logged two top-10 finishes during the stretch. Patrick has great equipment at her disposal, and she has shown a knack for working the draft. An upset win isn’t out of the question Sunday.
He spends most of his time in the announcer’s booth, but when he does get behind the wheel, Michael Waltrip can still make some noise. After all, he is one of the most accomplished restrictor plate racers in series history, and he has three career wins at Daytona, including two in the Daytona 500. Even as a part-time driver in recent years, Waltrip has managed two top-10s in the last five races at Daytona, including a top-five finish in 2013.
His finishes at Daytona haven’t been great recently, but Martin Truex Jr. has shown plenty of muscle during Speedweeks. He led the most laps and finished second in the Sprint Unlimited last Saturday, and he finished fifth in his qualifying race Thursday. Truex appears to have a car capable of contending for the win this weekend.
When Speedweeks began, Regan Smith wasn’t even supposed to be in the Daytona 500. However, the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Kurt Busch has forced Smith into action. Despite the late notice, Smith could still be a surprise contender Sunday. After all, he has won multiple restrictor plate races in the Xfinity Series, and he has finished seventh in two of his last three starts in the Daytona 500.
He is coming off an atrocious sophomore season, but Ricky Stenhouse Jr. still managed to contend at Daytona. In fact, he finished a career-best seventh in last year’s Daytona 500, and he has finished 12th or better in three of his last four starts at the track. It doesn’t seem to matter how good or bad Stenhouse is performing. When he shows up at Daytona, he can make some noise.
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