NASCAR: Start Your Engines, the Daytona 500 is Here

The Great American Race is here as NASCAR returns with the Daytona 500. Jimmie Johnson is looking for a sixth straight Sprint Cup Championship but the season looks set to start badly for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Crash puts Jr to the back of the grid
The hugely popular Dale Earnhardt Jr gave his fans plenty to cheer about at the weekend when he took pole position for the Daytona 500. Unfortunately for Jr, his celebrations were short-lived. A crash during the week forced him to change cars, relegating him to the back of the field for Sunday’s race. It’s cruel luck for the #88 driver as he was on course for two strong performances in a row, after finishing second last year.

Wide open race
The lone upside of Jr’s troubles for NASCAR fans is that it makes the Great American Race a wide open affair. Kevin Harvick is the favorite at +700 with Sports Interaction but he’s far from a lock to come good in Daytona. Personally I like Tony Stewart, who is available at great value at +900 with Sports Interaction. Aside from having the experience of a champion, Stewart still has the competitive spirit required to succeed in Daytona. Another factor to note is the substantial weight loss by Stewart in the off-season. He’s worked hard to become fitter and be in better shape for the start of the season. Stewart isn’t quite a lean mean driving machine but he’s got more spring in his step. That could pay dividends on Sunday.

Cup is Johnson’s for the taking
No matter what happens this weekend, few will argue that Jimmie Johnson remains the man to beat in the race for the Sprint Cup title. Last season’s dramatic climax secured Johnson a fifth straight title, putting to bed any concerns that the #48 driver might lack the hunger that saw him break Cale Yarborough’s record for consecutive titles in 2009. Now the question is, how many championships can Johnson win? He is still two behind Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, who won seven titles each, and Johnson knows the fans won’t have his back this year. NASCAR betting fans might like to see someone different emerge from the pack and claim the Sprint Cup Championship. While a challenger may emerge, there’s no doubting that Johnson is the deserved favorite for the season at +250 with Sports Interaction.