Daytona 500 2019: TV Schedule, Odds and Top NASCAR Drivers to Watch
February 17, 2019
The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season begins in grand fashion on Sunday afternoon, when 40 drivers will take the green flag for the 61st running of the Daytona 500.
William Byron won the Busch Pole Award and will start first, while Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman will start on the outside of the front row. Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano won the Gander RV Duels at Daytona qualifying races and will start in the second row.
After three months without NASCAR, the Daytona 500 will be the first of 36 races this season.
Daytona 500 Information
Date: Sunday, Feb. 17
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Daytona 500 Odds
Brad Keselowski +800 (bet $100 to win $800)
Joey Logano +800
Kevin Harvick +850
Clint Bowyer +1,100
Ryan Blaney +1,100
Denny Hamlin +1,100
Aric Almirola +1,100
Chase Elliott +1,100
Kyle Busch +1,200
Kurt Busch +1,500
Martin Truex Jr. +1,800
Jimmie Johnson +1,800
Daniel Suarez +2,200
Erik Jones +2,500
Alex Bowman +2,500
Kyle Larson +2,800
Austin Dillon +3,000
William Byron +3,000
Jamie McMurray +3,300
Ryan Newman +3,400
Darrell Wallace Jr. +6,000
Daniel Hemric +6,000
Matt DiBenedetto +7,500
Ryan Preece +9,000
Chris Buescher +9,000
David Ragan +9,000
Ty Dillon +9,000
Michael McDowell +10,000
Matt Tifft +12,500
Cody Ware +15,000
Tanner Berryhill +20,000
Odds according to OddsShark.
Drivers to Watch in Daytona 500
Joey Logano
Joey Logano is tied with Brad Keselowski for the best odds to win the Daytona 500, and he has a much better starting position. The reigning Cup Series champion is starting fourth after winning the second qualifying duel race on Thursday night.
Not only is Logano a former Daytona 500 winner—he won the race in 2015—but he's also coming off an impressive finish to the 2018 season. He finished in the top five in five of the last seven races, ending with his win at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the final race to secure his first career Cup Series championship.
What better way to carry that momentum over into 2019 than with another Daytona 500 win? His finishes in the Great American Race over the past seven seasons read ninth, 19th, 11th, first, sixth, sixth and fourth.
Logano knows how to end the Daytona 500 near the front of the pack, and this year may not be any different.
Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch has been one of the most successful drivers in the Cup Series for more than a decade. Although the 2015 Cup Series champion has 51 career Cup Series victories, he has never won the Daytona 500.
In 2016, Busch finished third in the Great American Race. But he finished 38th and 25th the past two years.
Perhaps this will be the year Busch finally breaks through for his first Daytona 500. But he'll have a long path to the front of the field, as he's starting his 14th Great American Race in 31st.
Busch has only two career wins in restrictor-plate races, notching victories at Daytona and Talladega in 2008. The No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota is certainly due a positive result.
Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Johnson has already had some success during Daytona Speedweeks, as he won the Advance Auto Parts Clash on February 10. However, he's also created some controversy.
The seven-time Cup Series champion made contact with Paul Menard during the Clash, which led to a multi-car wreck as Johnson drove on to victory in the rain-shortened race. Johnson went on to spin Busch during the second duel qualifying race on Thursday night.
"I firmly believe the Clash was a racing incident," Johnson told the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com). "This one was a mistake on my behalf, and everyone makes mistakes."
It will be interesting to see whether either of those incidents plays on his mind during the Daytona 500. Either way, Johnson could be a contender to win the Great American Race for the third time.