NASCAR at Daytona 2019: Top Sleepers to Watch in Great American Race

On February 17, NASCAR returns, as drivers and teams will converge on Daytona International Speedway for the Daytona 500, the 61st running of the Great American Race.

Although this year's winner could be a former Daytona 500 victor or past Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion, it could also be a less well-known driver who ends up in Victory Lane. That's especially true for a race in which cars have restrictor plates on the engines.

However, this will be the final race featuring restrictor plates, as NASCAR announced last year that cars will no longer utilize them at Daytona and Talladega Superspeedway like past seasons following this year's Daytona 500.

But with restrictor-plate racing taking place one final time, there is a wide range of drivers—be it reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano, seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson or another former champion, such as Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick or Brad Keselowski—who could open the 2019 season with a win.

Here's a look at three sleeper drivers to keep an eye on when the green flag drops on February 17.

Austin Dillon

Austin Dillon may be the reigning Daytona 500 winner, but that was also the last time he won a Cup Series race, and he finished 13th in the final points standings in 2018.

Although Dillon won the Great American Race last year, online sportsbook Betonline.ag has 16 drivers with better odds than Dillon to win this year's race. That makes Dillon a bit of a sleeper pick as he seeks to become the first driver to win back-to-back Daytona 500s since Sterling Marlin in 1994-95.

Driving the No. 3 Chevrolet owned by Richard Childress, Dillon's grandfather, Dillon won last year's Daytona 500 after an exciting finish. At the start of a two-lap overtime, Dillon's car made contact with Aric Almirola's car, which then turned into the wall. Dillon drove on to win his second career Cup Series race.

After last year's Great American Race, Dillon only had one top-five finish and seven top-10 finishes in the final 35 races of the season. Perhaps if Dillon can open the 2019 season with another Daytona 500 victory, it could lead to a better year.

William Byron

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Imagine this: A 21-year-old driver opens his sophomore Cup Series season by driving Hendrick Motorsports' legendary No. 24 Chevrolet to a Daytona 500 win for his first career victory.

That's the opportunity William Byron has at this year's Great American Race.

Byron was the Rookie of the Year in 2018, although he only had four top-10 finishes and finished 23rd in the standings after missing the playoffs. His highest finish of the season was sixth at Pocono on July 29.

But there's one key difference for Byron entering 2019—Chad Knaus, who won seven Cup Series championship as Jimmie Johnson's crew chief, is now the crew chief for Byron's team. That's a huge boost for a young driver to have early in his career.

Byron won the Xfinity Series championship in 2017, and he's poised to break out in the Cup Series this season. There would be no better way to start than his first career victory in the Daytona 500.

Ryan Newman

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Young drivers aren't the only ones who qualify as Daytona 500 sleepers.

Ryan Newman is entering his 18th season as a full-time driver in the Cup Series. After five years driving Richard Childress Racing's No. 31 Chevy, the veteran has moved to Roush Fenway Racing for 2019 to drive the No. 6 Ford.

Over his five seasons at RCR, Newman won one race—a victory at ISM Raceway in Phoenix on March 19, 2017. Last year, he posted nine top-10 finishes, missing the playoffs and finishing 17th in the standings. Newman's best result in 2018 was a sixth-placed finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 22.

It's time for a fresh start for Newman, and his second career Daytona 500 victory would be a great way to begin the new season. The veteran previously won the Great American Race in 2008.