NASCAR’s 2017 season officially kicks of this Sunday with the running of The Great American Race, the Daytona 500. After tying Dale Earnardt Sr. and Richard Petty for the most Sprint Cup titles of all time, Jimmie Johnson looks to get his 2017 campaign started strong in Daytona Beach, Florida. But after an OK showing in the qualifying runs, Johnson will begin Sunday’s race in the 24th position.
The biggest story heading into the 59th running of the 500 will be Dale Earnhardt Jr. In his first race since last June, Earnhardt Jr. is set to begin the race on the front row next to pole sitter Chase Elliott. Earnhardt Jr. miss the entire second half of the racing season while dealing with concussion-like symptoms. Although he’s won Daytona twice, he’s never won the overall points championship. If he’s able to accomplish that feat in 2017, he may call it quits.
“Hell, yeah … I would definitely not want to come back and try to race anymore if I won the championship … I’d be outta’ here,” Earnhardt said via the L.A. Times. “You know, I’ve always wanted to win a championship so badly. We’ve worked so hard to come back from this injury. To come back and win a championship, it would be hard not to hang it up.”
Earnhardt Jr. is the favorite to claim his third Daytona win, followed closely by Brad Keselowski.
The festivities begin early on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET with the pre-race show on Fox. Driver introductions follow at 1:15 p.m. and then the green flag is expected to drop at 2 p.m. ET.
Daytona 500 lineup, pole position
Position | Driver |
1 | Chase Elliott |
2 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
3 | Jamie McMurray |
4 | Denny Hamlin |
5 | Kevin Harvick |
6 | Cllint Bowyer |
7 | Brad Keselowski |
8 | Kurt Busch |
9 | Matt Kenseth |
10 | Austin Dillon |
11 | Trevor Bayne |
12 | Danica Patrick |
13 | Aric Almirola |
14 | Ryan Newman |
15 | Joey Logano |
16 | Kyle Larson |
17 | Cole Whitt |
18 | Ty Dillon |
19 | Daniel Suarez |
20 | David Ragan |
21 | Kyle Busch |
22 | Michael McDowell |
23 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. |
24 | Jimmie Johnson |
25 | Matt DiBenedetto |
26 | Kasey Kahne |
27 | Landon Cassill |
28 | DJ Kennington |
29 | Joey Gase |
30 | Michael Waltrip |
31 | Corey LaJoie |
32 | Jeffrey Earnhardt |
33 | Paul Menard |
34 | Erik Jones |
35 | Martin Truex Jr. |
36 | Ryan Blaney |
37 | Chris Buescher |
38 | AJ Allmendinger |
39 | Brendan Gaughan |
40 | Elliott Sadler |
Here’s how the oddsmakers have as favorites to win the big one on Sunday, according to VegasInsider.com.
Daytona 500 odds
Racer | Odds |
Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 5/1 |
Brad Keselowski | 7/1 |
Jimmie Johnson | 10/1 |
Kevin Harvick | 10/1 |
Martin Truex Jr. | 10/1 |
Denny Hamlin | 12/1 |
Joey Logano | 12/1 |
Kyle Busch | 12/1 |
Matt Kenseth | 12/1 |
Chase Elliott | 14/1 |
| Clint Bowyer | 20/1 |
| Kyle Larson | 20/1 |
| Daniel Suarez | 25/1 |
| Kurt Busch | 25/1 |
| Jamie McMurray | 30/1 |
| Kasey Kahne | 30/1 |
| Austin Dillion | 35/1 |
| Erik Jones | 35/1 |
