We’re going to teach you how to bet on the Daytona 500. Are you ready for the NASCAR season to begin? If so, then it’s time to head to the sand and sun of Daytona Beach, Florida. The Daytona 500 kicks off the NASCAR Cup Series racing season every year as it is the official first points race on the schedule. It is possibly the most prestigious race for drivers to win during a NASCAR career as said driver will always be introduced as a Daytona 500 winner.
The original NASCAR races at Daytona were held on a combination street and beach course before moving to Daytona International Speedway in 1959. The track, a brainchild of NASCAR founder Bill France, was designed with the highest banking possible at the time. This was done so cars could lap the D-shaped oval at high rates of speed.
France wanted a thrilling race experience for fans. He got it. Now the only thing to cover is how to bet on the Daytona 500. There are a few things you can do to better your chances heading into Daytona Speed Week starting with understanding how the Daytona 500 is different from other races.
The Daytona 500 Field is Unlike Other Races
Every NASCAR race has a qualifying event that sets the field and starting order for a race. Often, more cars and drivers are entered into the event than there are slots available. That means that sometimes drivers miss a race because they fail to qualify with speed before the race. The Daytona 500 field is set by a slightly different method.
Instead of each driver taking a lap around the track to determine their starting position, the 500 field is set with several factors starting with heat races known as the Daytona Duels. The pole position and the 2nd starting spot (the front row) are set with a traditional qualifying run by all of the cars entered into the race. The remaining spots are filled with all chartered drivers during the Duel races. The remaining spots, of which 40 are available, are also filled by non-chartered teams during the duel races. If more than 40 cars show up, then some cars are heading home without running in the race known as the Great American Race.
The Most Popular Ways to Bet on the Daytona 500
The most popular wager on the Daytona 500, like any other NASCAR Cup Series race, is probably by placing a wager on who you think will win the race outright. Simply put, pick a driver that you think will cross the finish line first to become the Daytona 500 champion. But that’s not the only wager you can make as there are several other popular bets you can place.
The next most popular way to bet on the Daytona 500 is probably the podium finish wager. This is a bet on who you think the top three drivers will be. The term “Podium Finish” is often related to winning a Gold, Silver, or Bronze medal. Depending on your choice of sportsbooks, wagering app, or site, you may also have access to wagers such as to a driver finishing in the top five or top ten. These are popular wagers as you don’t have to be as specific.
One of the other popular bets available during the Daytona 500 are the head-to-head matchups. This is when you can select a driver to finish ahead of another driver. For example, you may see the names of Bubba Wallace and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. with odds attached to each driver. Your job is to simply select which driver you think will finish ahead of the other driver. They do not have to win, they could come in last place and second to last place, you are just selecting which one finishes better than the other.
Daytona 500 Betting Trends
As with any wager, you are probably doing some research and looking for information that points towards a trend. A trend in NASCAR wagering at Daytona falls into two categories. First, in my opinion, is a set of results that indicate the possibility of performing well in the future. Secondly, a set of results that indicate a possibility of drivers, other than the biggest names in the sport winning every race. Here are two examples.
First, the trend of a set of results that indicate performing well in the future. This one is easy, let’s look at Denny Hamlin and the Daytona 500. His past performance at the track shows that he has the possibility of winning the Great American Race again. He’s won the Daytona 500 twice in the last ten seasons with three wins overall at the track. He has finished inside the top five eleven times as a Cup Series driver. This shows that Denny Hamlin often runs well at Daytona.
The other trend leans more towards being an event or track trend. This shows that not every race is won by the biggest names in the sport. Yes, drivers like Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Joey Logano can win the Daytona 500 and often do. However, Daytona is a track that is often said to be a racetrack where any driver can win when they are in position during the final laps. This is proven by the last three Daytona 500 winners.
Michael McDowell won the 2021 Daytona 500 for Front Row Motorsports behind the wheel of a Ford. Austin Cindric, also in a Ford, won the 2022 Great American Race for Team Penske. The 2023 Daytona 500 winner was Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in a Chevrolet for JTG Daugherty Racing.
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Tips for Winning Money Betting on the Daytona 500
There are several tips for winning money when you bet on the Daytona 500 starting with taking the above two sections of this article into consideration. The main point is to do a little bit of research as suggested above. It takes only a few minutes to look up the past winners of a race online. Or to see how certain drivers finish on bigger tracks like Daytona International Speedway.
There are other things you can do as well and it starts with keeping tabs on any news stories concerning drivers, teams and manufacturers heading into the race weekend. This can range from looking for results from a driver in qualifying or the Duel races. One thing to look for is to see if a driver has been forced into piloting a backup car. Was their primary car damaged or wrecked during the Duels?
Also, look for news stories covering Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota before the race. Did one, or more, of the manufacturers make changes to the body of their car during the off-season? This could be a reason to fade or pick a brand. You’ll need to lean on the results of the Duel races and qualifying to see how they performed.
Making your wagering selections could be as simple as taking a moment to look up a few key stats online. Look for trends that back up your choices. If you don’t have time to dive too deeply into research then you may need to move towards the fun that prop bets offer. These types of bets will come up during the Daytona 500 race and week.
They can vary from who wins the pole, what drivers miss the race by not qualifying and what manufacturers will be on the front row. During race day, you can expect prop bets on the number of caution flags, red flags if it will rain, the number of caution laps under yellow and even how many different drivers will lead a lap. The number and type of prop bets available will depend on your platform.
Past Ten Winners of the Daytona 500
- 2023 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. / JTG Daugherty Racing / Chevrolet
- 2022 – Austin Cindric / Team Penske / Ford
- 2021 – Michael McDowell / Front Row Motorsports / Ford
- 2020 – Denny Hamlin / Joe Gibbs Racing / Toyota
- 2019 – Denny Hamlin / Joe Gibbs Racing / Toyota
- 2018 – Austin Dillon / Richard Childress Racing / Chevrolet
- 2017 – Kurt Busch / Stewart-Haas Racing / Ford
- 2016 – Denny Hamlin / Joe Gibbs Racing / Toyota
- 2015 – Joey Logano / Team Penske / Ford
- 2014 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. / Hendrick Motorsports / Chevrolet
The Great American Race kicks off the NASCAR Cup Series season and is one of the biggest sporting events of the year, which makes it popular for wagering on. Having some added knowledge about the race is key to knowing how to bet on the Daytona 500. As with any bet you place, it all starts with gaining as much information as possible. Taking some or all of the tips I’ve listed above and combining them with your methods should help you make better-informed wagers.
