Sports Interaction
Promotions
Sports Interaction
Promotions

Daytona 500: Odds Don’t Look Good For Danica Patrick

  • Frank Doyle's Author profile. Frank Doyle

Add Sports Interacton as Your Preferred News Source

The greatest ending imaginable for this year’s Great American Race would have Danica Patrick celebrating on the podium after a historic win before she’s swept away by boyfriend Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Just don’t hold your breath waiting for it. So far, Patrick has played the leading role well, winning pole position in the Dayton 500. She’s saying all the right things and is easily the most camera-friendly driver NASCAR has ever seen. But as far as Daytona 500 betting goes, no pole winner has actually taken the checkered flag since Dale Jarrett did way back in 2000. Just two pole winners have won the race since 1988 with an average finish of 15.3.

Taking Care of the Car

After taking the pole with a 45.817 lap last weekend, Patrick essentially put her new Gen 6 car in cruise control in Thursday’s first Budweiser Duel. She finished 22nd in the 60-lap qualifier, but was more concerned about getting her car through the run unscathed. “We wanted to be conservative,” Patrick told reporters. “We didn’t want to have any issues with the GoDaddy car. We wanted to make sure we’ve got it on that front row for Sunday.”

Watching Your Weight

While the odds are certainly stacked against Patrick, she does have one significant advantage over the rest of the field: her weight. She’s listed at 100 pounds, obviously much lighter than any other driver. When you take that into account along with the lighter new Generation 6 car, it might end up being something to keep in mind as the season wears on. NASCAR adds 10 pounds of weight for every 10 pounds under 180 pounds a driver is, but that only applies to weights down to 140 pounds. That means Patrick’s car is at least 40 pounds lighter than any other in the race. Does it make a difference? That’s debatable.

“When you are trying to race anything, there is a balance between the weight you need and whether it’s a balance between left and right-side weight or overall weight,” NASCAR vice president Robin Pemberton told ThatsRacin.com. “When you go to places like Daytona, it probably means very little.”

What Are The Odds?

If you’re looking to find Danica Patrick’s name on Sports Interaction’s odds board, you’re not going to find it. She’s lumped in with the field at +1400, while Kyle Busch is the +800 favourite. Kevin Harvick checks in at +900 with Dale Earnhardt Jr. right behind him at +100. If you’re looking for a bet outside of the top of the odds board, Jeff Gordon, who starts the race in the No. 2 spot, isn’t a bad bet at +1200.