Martin takes the pole
The opening race of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season will have a familiar face starting out front as Mark Martin won the pole during qualifying for the Daytona 500 on Saturday.
Martin won the pole Saturday and will start in the first spot with Dale Earnhardt Jr. taking the second spot. All remaining positions will be determined during the Gatorade 125 Duals on Thursday, starting at 2PM ET.
Despite starting on the pole, Martin is not the pre-race favorite to win. That honor goes to Tony Stewart
Stewart is a 7/1 favorite to win the race according to odds makers at the online sports book SPORTSBETTING.com. Other short odds to win are Kyle Busch (8/1), Kurt Busch (10/1), Jimmie Johnson (10/1), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (10/1), and slew of drivers at 12/1, including Martin and Jeff Gordon.
Stewart has not won the Daytona 500 but he has three wins in 22 career starts on this track. He also has finished in the top five seven times at Daytona in his career.
Kyle Busch has raced 10 times in Daytona, winning one event, but not the Daytona 500. He has finished in the top five four times in his 10 races.
Kurt Busch has raced 18 time at Daytona and doesn’t have a win in his career. He does have nine-top five finishes there.
Johnson is the four-time defending Sprint Cup champion. He is the 2006 winner of this event and in 16 career starts on this track, he has six top-five’s and nine top-10’s.
Earnhardt Jr. won the 2004 Daytona 500 and he has raced on the track 20 times. He has won twice on the track in his career and has six top-five finishes.
Martin will start on the pole despite his performance in the Gatorade Duals. Martin has never won the Daytona 500. In fact, Martin has never won at Daytona. In 49 career starts at this track he has only finished in the top five nine times.
Jeff Gordon is a three-time Daytona 500 winner. In 35 career races on this track, Gordon has won six events and finished in the top five 11 times.
The Daytona 500 will take place Sunday, Feb. 14 from Daytona International Speedway at Noon ET. For complete odds and track information on this year’s event, see below.
Odds to win the Daytona 500 – 2010 Daytona 500 – Daytona International Speedway – Feb. 14, 2010
AJ Allmendinger 50/1
Bobby Labonte 50/1
Brad Keselowski 35/1
Brian Vickers 28/1
Carl Edwards 20/1
Casey Mears 50/1
Clint Bowyer 25/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr 10/1
David Ragan 28/1
David Reutimann 30/1
Denny Hamlin 12/1
Elliott Sadler 50/1
Greg Biffle 35/1
Jamie McMurray 30/1
Jeff Burton 30/1
Jeff Gordon 12/1
Jimmie Johnson 10/1
Joey Logano 30/1
Juan Pablo Montoya 12/1
Kasey Kahne 30/1
Kevin Harvick 20/1
Kurt Busch 10/1
Kyle Busch 8/1
Marcos Ambrose 40/1
Mark Martin 12/1
Martin Truex Jr 30/1
Matt Kenseth 25/1
Michael Waltrip 50/1
Paul Menard 80/1
Ryan Newman 25/1
Sam Hornish Jr 40/1
Scott Speed 80/1
Tony Stewart 7/1
Field (Any Other Driver) 25/1
Qualifying Results
1 Mark Martin (5)
2 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88)
3 Bobby Labonte (71)
4 Jeff Gordon (24)
5 Jeff Burton (31)
6 Bill Elliott (21)
7 Michael Waltrip (151)
8 John Andretti (34)
9 Derrike Cope (175)
10 Joe Nemechek (87)
11 Robby Gordon (7)
12 Mike Wallace (192)
13 Elliott Sadler (19)
14 Matt Kenseth (17)
15 Mike Bliss (36)
16 Norm Benning (157)
17 Tony Stewart (14)
18 Dave Blaney (66)
19 Boris Said (26)
20 Jeff Fuller (197)
21 Kirk Shelmerdine (127)
22 Kurt Busch (2)
23 Ryan Newman (39)
24 Greg Biffle (16)
25 Terry Cook (46)
26 Jamie McMurray (1)
27 Kevin Harvick (29)
28 Jimmie Johnson (48)
29 Juan Pablo Montoya (42)
30 Travis Kvapil (37)
31 Brian Vickers (83)
32 Martin Truex Jr. (56)
33 Casey Mears (190)
34 Kasey Kahne (9)
35 David Reutimann (00)
36 David Ragan (6)
37 Carl Edwards (99)
38 Regan Smith (78)
39 Kyle Busch (18)
40 Sam Hornish Jr. (77)
41 Paul Menard (98)
42 Max Papis (13)
43 David Gilliland (49)
44 Clint Bowyer (33)
45 Brad Keselowski (12)
46 AJ Allmendinger (43)
47 Reed Sorenson (132)
48 Denny Hamlin (11)
49 Aric Almirola (09)
50 Robert Richardson Jr. (38)
51 Michael McDowell (55)
52 Scott Speed (82)
53 Marcos Ambrose (47)
54 Joey Logano (20)
2010 Daytona 500 Information
Race Date: Sunday, Feb. 14
Location: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, FL
Pre-Race: Noon ET
Green Flag: Approx. 1:19PM ET
TV Coverage: FOX
Radio Coverage: MRN
Track Type: Oval (200 laps)
Posted: 2/7/10 9:27AM ET
