After the preseason Cook Out Clash exhibition race finally took place on Wednesday following multiple snow-related delays, the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season is officially scheduled to get underway in just over a week with the 68th annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
At DraftKings Sportsbook, it's no surprise who a lot of the favorites are. Hendrick Motorsports' two-time reigning Daytona 500 winner William Byron is listed in a second place tie with 2015 winner Joey Logano, trailing only Ryan Blaney, who has come about as close as you can get to winning without winning. The third member of Team Penske, 2022 winner Austin Cindric, is listed seventh.
Three-time winner Denny Hamlin is listed fourth, ahead of reigning series champion Kyle Larson in fifth. Kyle Busch, considered arguably the best driver to never win the "Great American Race", is listed sixth.
But there are quite a few contenders, specifically drivers who have won the 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona Beach, Florida oval before, who are considered nothing more than longshots to win this year's race.
Here's a look at three former Daytona 500 winners who are being slept on heading into the 2026 edition.
Austin Dillon
2018 Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon is listed at +4500 to win this race, which is great value for a driver who owns three career Cup Series victories at Daytona.
In addition to his Daytona 500 victory eight years ago, Dillon won a Duel race at the track in 2021, and he added a points-paying race there in the summer race in 2022. Among active drivers with at least 20 starts at Daytona, he is tied with Hamlin for the best average finish.
Michael McDowell
The start of Michael McDowell's stint with Spire Motorsports was quietly similar to the start of his stint with Front Row Motorsports. He finished ninth in the 2018 Daytona 500 in his first race in the No. 34 Ford, and he finished 11th in the 2025 Daytona 500 in his first race in the No. 71 Chevrolet.
It took him four chances to win with Front Row Motorsports, but he has since become a threat at all superspeedways. He has two other top five finishes at Daytona, four at Talladega Superspeedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway, and was the driver to beat in the Daytona summer 2024 race. As far as value goes, +4500 on McDowell is incredible.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. owns four career victories, and all four have come on superspeedways. After winning at Talladega and Daytona in 2017, and contending at both tracks every year after that, it felt like it was only a matter of time before he broke through with a Daytona 500 win, and it happened in 2023.
Stenhouse remains the most recent Daytona 500 winner not named William Byron, and he has since added another victory at Talladega. A flier on Stenhouse at +3000 may not be the absolute smartest play, but it might be the most exciting move you could make.
Honorable mention: Jimmie Johnson
Despite the fact that he is literally locked into the race with the Open Exemption Provisional, Jimmie Johnson isn't even listed on DraftKings Sportsbook. This is the case despite the fact that Austin Hill, who isn't even competing, is listed at +10000.
We can't be sure what Johnson's odds will be, if and when they are eventually published, but after he surprised almost everybody (probably himself) with a third place finish in 2025, there could be value on his odds as well. He is a two-time winner, having won it in 2006 and 2013.
Full Daytona 500 odds can be found here and are always subject to change.
Daytona 500 qualifying is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, February 11, with Fox Sports 1 set to provide live coverage beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET. The two America 250 Florida Duel races are set to be shown live on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 12. The Daytona 500 itself is set to be shown live on Fox beginning at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 15. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss any of the action!