NASCAR Can-Am Duel No. 1 Odds – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Favored
By Drew Sharper
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series holds its Can-Am Duels later today. Here is a look at the leading oddsmakers for this first Duel race.
This event is two 60-lap races to determine the starting order of the Daytona 500 on Sunday. The first and second starting positions are already set with Chase Elliott (1st) and Matt Kenseth (2nd), but the winner of the first duel will start third, the runner-up fifth and so on. According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is favored to win this Duel, as he has 4/1 odds. Other short odds to win are Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano, who each have 6/1 odds. The Can-Am Duel 1 takes place today at 7:19PM ET at Daytona International Speedway.
Dale Jr. starts second in this Duel race. Earnhardt Jr. is a three-time winner in his Daytona career with a driver rating of 90.3 at this track, which is fourth-best of any active driver.
Harvick starts 22nd out of 22 drivers in this race. Daytona hasn’t been tremendous at Daytona. He does have two wins, but his driver rating is just 79.9, which doesn’t rank among the top drivers.
Logano starts seventh in this race. Logano has never won at Daytona. His driver rating at the track is 82.5, which ranks 11th amongst active drivers.
NASCAR Can-Am Duel No. 2 Odds – Jimmie Johnson Favored
By Drew Sharper
Who will emerge the winner of the NASCAR Can-Am Duel No. 2 on Thursday night? Get a look at the latest odds.
This event is two 60-lap races to determine the starting order of the Daytona 500 on Sunday. The first and second starting positions are already set with Chase Elliott (1st) and Matt Kenseth (2nd), but the winner of the first duel will start fourth, the runner-up sixth and so on. According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth are co-favorites in this duel, as each has 11/2 odds while Kyle Busch has 13/2 odds. The Can-Am Duel 2 takes place today at 9PM ET at Daytona International Speedway.
Johnson will start third in this race. Johnson is a three-time winner at Daytona and he brings in a driver rating of 87.0, which ranks sixth among the active drivers competing today.
Kenseth starts first in this one. Kenseth has won two times at Daytona and already has his starting position set. He has a driver rating of 91.6 at Daytona, which ranks second among today’s drivers.
Busch will start from the second position. He has one win to his credit at Daytona and his driver rating there is 96.2, which is best of any driver competing today by nearly 5 full points.
Can-Am Duel starting lineups: Drafting partners, who to watch
By Jeff Owens
Sportingnews.com
With 36 Sprint Cup teams already guaranteed starting spots in the 58th Daytona 500, Thursday’s qualifying races are about one thing: preparing for the Great American Race.
With only five drivers vying for two open spots in the 500, the Cam-Am Duels are about drivers getting their cars ready and figuring out how they will handle in the tight draft. It’s also about finding drafting partners who might help them on Sunday.
Who’s fast? Who can race from the back to the front? Who is willing to help whom? And, most importantly, which drivers have the cars to beat?
Answers to those questions will start to become clear during the twin qualifying races. Here’s what to watch:
Can-Am Duel No. 1
1. Chase Elliott, No. 24 Hendrick Chevrolet — The Daytona 500 pole-sitter has a fast car, but can he keep it up front? Locked into the top starting spot, the rookie driver should latch onto teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s bumper and learn as much as he can.
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Hendrick Chevrolet — Earnhardt is trying to win his second straight Duel, but make no mistake, he expects to contend for his third Daytona 500 victory.
3. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Roush Ford — Stenhouse was fast in qualifying, but he will need drafting help from his two Roush teammates to stay up front.
4. *Ryan Blaney, No. 21, Wood Brothers Ford — A rookie for a popular non-charter team, Blaney is already building a following. He may prove to be a surprise contender — on Thursday and Sunday.
5. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet — Dale Earnhardt won a record 10 qualifying races at Daytona in the famous No. 3. A Cup win of any kind would be a step in the right direction for Dillon.
6. Denny Hamlin, No. 11, Joe Gibbs Toyota — He dominated the Sprint Unlimited on Saturday night, but he’ll attack the Duels with no teammates. Look for Penske teammates Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski to race him hard again.
7. Joey Logano, No. 22 Penske Ford — The 2015 Daytona 500 winner is trying to set the tone for another strong run. It would be smart to be cautious and patient in the Duels, but that’s not Logano.
8. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Hendrick Chevrolet — Kahne is fast but he would be wise to catch his faster teammates and stay there.
9. Paul Menard, No. 27 RCR Chevrolet — No one flies under the radar more than Menard. A mid-pack master, that’s where he’ll be again.
10. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Penske Ford — He was Hamlin’s equal in the Unlimited, but will he be as feisty in a race that doesn’t matter? Unlike his teammate, Bad Brad is smarter than that.
11. Brian Scott, No. 44 Richard Petty Ford — His first race in a Petty Ford, Scott must prove he deserves his full-time Cup ride.
12. *Michael McDowell, No. 59 Circle Sport-Leavine Chevrolet — Driving for a non-charter team, McDowell must outrun Blaney and others to make the Daytona 500. He has raced his way in before.
13. Regan Smith, No. 7 Tommy Baldwin Chevrolet — A feel-good story, Smith didn’t land this ride until last month. And he’s an experienced restrictor-plate racer.
14. Chris Buescher, No. 34 Front Row Ford — The Xfinity Series champion gets a shot with this Roush affiliate. He has the talent, but does he have enough power and resources to contend?
15. Bobby Labonte, No. 32 Go FAS Ford — The 2000 Cup champion is still logging starts at age 51. Question is, why?
16. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 HScott Motorsports Chevrolet — A lot of people are asking why the 2017 Tony Stewart replacement is not in the injured Smoke’s car now. Bowyer is loyal, sometimes to a fault.
17. *Cole Whitt, No. 98 Premium Motorsports Toyota — This is another non-charter team wheeled by a young driver trying to carve out a career for himself.
18. David Ragan, No. 23 BK Racing Toyota — The two-win veteran lands with another underfunded team. But Ragan can wheel it at Daytona, where he has a Cup win.
19. *Josh Wise, The Motorsports Group Chevrolet — The journeyman driver is looking for a miracle for a non-charter team.
20. Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Roush Ford — Bayne and Greg Biffle both failed post-qualifying inspection and must start at the rear of the field. They’ll have to work together to get to the front.
21. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Roush Ford — The 46-year-old veteran will lead the Roush charge. Stenhouse and Bayne need to follow his lead.
22. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Chevrolet — His car failed post-race inspection, too, but no worries for Happy Harvick. He’ll be among the leaders in short order.
Can-Am Duel No. 2
1. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Toyota — A two-time Daytona 500 winner, Kenseth is sneaky fast. He’s already locked into the front row, so he may not be eager to show his hand on Thursday.
2. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Toyota — This is where he broke his leg last year and he already has been in one wreck this week. Will he be cautious, or will Rowdy be rowdy?
3. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Hendrick Chevrolet — He’s a lone wolf with no Hendrick teammates, so six-time may not have many friends in this race.
4. Carl Edwards, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Toyota — He's the third Gibbs driver in this race, and that may be bad news for the competition.
5. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Stewart-Haas Chevrolet — Busch ran this race last year, and then got suspended for the 500. That still sticks in his craw, so he may race hard and take some chances.
6. Casey Mears, No. 13 Germain Racing Chevrolet — He always seems to surprise at Daytona and Talladega. A likeable guy, he might find some surprising drafting partners.
7. Ryan Newman, No. 31 RCR Chevrolet — No one hates restrictor-plate racing more, but that won’t stop him from mixing it up. NASCAR better hope he doesn’t get airborne.
8. Ty Dillon, No. 95 Circle Sport-Leavine Chevrolet — Dillon may be stepping into Tony Stewart’s ride after Daytona, but for now he’ll try to give this small team a lift.
9. Aric Almirola, No. 43 RPM Ford — Almirola won the July race here in 2014. He’s looking for another upset in Richard Petty’s car.
10. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chip Ganassi Chevrolet — McMurray is a sleeper, but he shouldn’t be. He won the 2010 Daytona 500 and has a July victory at Daytona as well. He was fast in the Unlimited.
11. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chip Ganassi Chevrolet — Larson was fast in the Unlimited, too. Look for the two Ganassi teammates to draft to the front.
12. *Matt DiBenedetto, No. 93 BK Racing Toyota — This young, little-known driver earned a spot in the Daytona 500 field with a fast qualifying lap. And he has one of the sport’s best drafters behind him.
13. Michael Waltrip, No. 83 BK Racing Toyota — BK Racing will have at least three cars in the Daytona 500, and one of them will be wheeled by a two-time 500 winner.
14. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Stewart-Haas Chevrolet — This is a big race for Danica. She needs to prove she has a fast car and can find some drafting partners. Teammate Kurt Busch is in the field, but he didn’t help her Saturday night.
15. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 JTG-Daugherty Chevrolet — He's fast but wild on restrictor-plate tracks. He needs to find some speed and keep his car in one piece.
16. Michael Annett, No. 46 HScott Chevrolet —The young driver has a golden opportunity with a charter team. With Bowyer as a teammate, he needs to learn all he can.
17. Landon Cassill, No. 38 Front Row Ford — He’s now known as Chris Buescher’s teammate, but hey, he’s got a full-time ride.
18. *Robert Richardson Jr., No. 26 BK Racing Toyota — Richardson must outrun DiBenedetto and the two drivers behind him to earn a spot in the 500.
19. *David Gilliland, No. 35 Front Row Ford — The veteran driver has an edge among drivers with non-charter teams — he’s finished in the top five at Daytona and Talladega and knows how to draft in plate races.
20. *Reed Sorenson, No. 50 Hillman Chevrolet — Sorenson also has been around a while, but he may not have the power to contend for a 500 spot.
21. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Furniture Row Toyota — Truex failed post-qualifying inspection, but he’s locked into the field. He’ll be testing his car by trying to see how far he can climb in the field.
22. Brian Vickers, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Chevrolet — Vickers might be the unluckiest driver in the field. Returning from another long layoff due to blood clots, he landed a ride as Tony Stewart’s replacement, but he already has been in a wreck and failed post-qualifying inspection. It has to get better, right?
*Non-charter team that must race their way into Daytona 500.