NASCAR at Daytona 2022: Top Sleepers to Watch in Great American Race

The sleepers in the 2022 Daytona 500 field will have a hard time matching the underdog story of Michael McDowell, who unexpectedly captured the title 12 months ago.

However, the playing field is as level as it could be for another sleeper to win since all the racers entered into the field will be making their first race runs in the new Next Gen car.

Three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, reigning Cup Series champion Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott are among the favored drivers Sunday. But they could be beaten by the less heralded contenders because of the unpredictable nature of the Daytona 500 and the on-the-fly adjustments made during the first race of its kind in the new car setup.

                 

Top Sleepers to Watch

Christopher Bell

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Christopher Bell always has to be considered as one of the top sleepers at Daytona because of the team behind him.

Joe Gibbs Racing has won three of the past six Daytona 500s thanks to Denny Hamlin, and it should be one of the best equipped teams to deal with the changing environment with the new cars.

Bell has a pair of top-20 finishes at Daytona International Speedway and started fifth in the most recent event. He should benefit from drafting alongside Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. Strength in numbers typically helps drivers in the drafting lanes throughout the race.

The No. 20 car driver does not have the Daytona oval results to warrant a pick to win the event, but he has at least started well. Bell has three top-20 starts on the Daytona oval, and that could be significant as he tries to avoid the chaos of the first stage while drivers get used to the new car on the high banking.

If Bell earns a high qualifying spot, he could translate that into leading some laps or at least a position near the front alongside his teammates. The high positioning also could help him avoid the numerous wrecks that typically happen at Daytona, which may put him in the mix for the victory.

            

Cole Custer

Cole Custer could benefit from the same factors as Bell.

Custer has strength in numbers with his Stewart-Haas Racing teammates, and he has started well at Daytona in the past. The No. 41 car driver started 12th and 16th in his first two races at Daytona. He finished 11th in a crash-filled contest in February 2021.

The alignment of Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola and Chase Briscoe alongside Custer could help the Stewart-Haas cars remain at the front and challenge the other deeper teams. Harvick and Almirola carry a ton of experience, and Briscoe finished fifth in the Xfinity Series race to open the season in 2020.

Custer finished the 2021 season with five top-20 finishes in his last six races. So if anything, he is consistent. That is key to focus on in a race wherein unexpected things are a regular occurrence.

If Custer remains calm behind the wheel and combines well with his teammates, he could be close to the top of the field at the end, as he was 12 months ago.