Daytona 500 2020: TV Schedule, Odds and Top NASCAR Drivers to Watch
2019 Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin is one of the favourites to take victory in this year's edition as the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series gets underway on Sunday.
Hamlin will be searching for his third win at Daytona International Speedway and is well-fancied by the oddsmakers, along with 2019 champion Kyle Busch, Team Penske drivers Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski and veteran Kevin Harvick.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will start the race from pole position but will need no reminding that only nine pole-sitters have ever won the Great American Race; the most recent driver to manage the feat was Dale Jarrett in 2000.
Date: Sunday, February 16
Start Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
TV Schedule: Coverage on Fox from 11 a.m ET
Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
Daytona 500 Odds
Denny Hamlin: 10-1
Brad Keselowski: 10-1
Joey Logano: 10-1
Kyle Busch: 10-1
Kevin Harvick: 10-1
Chase Elliott: 12-1
Martin Truex Jr.: 12-1
Ryan Blaney: 15-1
William Byron: 18-1
Alex Bowman: 18-1
Kurt Busch: 18-1
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: 30-1
Courtesy of Caesars Palace.
Top Drivers to Watch
Kyle Busch
Cup Series champion Busch has enjoyed a phenomenal career, but surprisingly he has never won the Daytona 500 in 14 attempts.
The 34-year-old was asked about his lack of success in the Great American Race in the buildup to Sunday's curtain-raiser and said it will be on his mind, per Nate Ryan at NBC Sports (h/t Yahoo Sports): "Me not being able to win the Daytona 500 isn't something that's going to kill me, but it's certainly going to weigh on me in the late goings of a race to try to get out there and win this thing."
Busch came agonisingly close to claiming a maiden title last year. The veteran was leading going into the closing laps but had to settle for second behind team-mate Hamlin.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has also said he will need more than just skill to win on Sunday, per sportscaster Fred Cowgill:
There's no doubt that Busch has the talent to secure the landmark victory missing from his illustrious resume, and he will be hoping luck is on his side too in Florida on Sunday.
Denny Hamlin
Hamlin will join a select band of five drivers if he wins the Great American Race for the third time in his career.
His first victory came in 2016, when he won the closest Daytona 500 in history by just 0.01 seconds from Martin Truex Jr. Hamlin has been happy to reminisce about that victory:
Another win followed last year, making him only the 12th driver in history to win the famous race multiple times.
More history beckons at the Daytona International Speedway, and Hamlin is hopeful he can successfully defend his title, per Matt Baker at the Tampa Bay Times.
"I think I've still got quite a few years ahead of me to get a third," he said. "Hopefully it's this year."
Hamlin's record at Daytona—he has two podium finishes to go with his two wins in the Great American Race—suggests he will be in the mix once again.
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