After two days of qualifying, featuring a single-car qualifying session on Wednesday and two Duel at Daytona races on Thursday, the starting lineup is set for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
Heading into qualifying, Richard Childress Racing's Kyle Busch was listed by FanDuel Sportsbook as the betting favorite to win the 200-lap race around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) high-banked Daytona Beach, Florida oval.
Busch, the winningest active full-time Cup Series driver, is still seeking his first victory in the "Great American Race" in his 20th attempt.
Busch is still listed among the top five favorites, but he is no longer number one. He qualified 21st. Ironically, the driver who qualified 22nd, Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson, is now the favorite. He has also never won the crown jewel race and is seeking to change that in his 12th start.
Here are the top five drivers most likely to win the 2025 Daytona 500.
1. Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports (+1200)
Kyle Larson has historically struggled in superspeedway races, and that is particularly true at Daytona, where he has no top five finishes in 21 starts, and an average finish of 22nd, good for 32nd among active drivers.
T-2. Joey Logano, Team Penske (+1300)
Joey Logano has the shortest odds among former Daytona 500 winners. His 2015 win is his only win at the track in 32 starts.
T-2. Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing (+1300)
Kyle Busch's lone win in 39 Daytona starts came all the way back in 2008, and it was in the summer race.
T-2. Ryan Blaney, Team Penske (+1300)
Ryan Blaney has one win in 19 starts at Daytona, but that win came in the summer race.
5. Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing (+1400)
Denny Hamlin has three wins in 38 starts at Daytona, all in the Daytona 500.
Dark horses
With all five of the top five listed between +1200 to +1400, it truly is a crapshoot, and mathematically speaking, those odds suggest that it's actually more likely than not that the winner will come from lower on the list.
And there are plenty of contenders to choose from, even with longer odds.
The four most recent Daytona 500 winners are Hendrick Motorsports' William Byron (+1700), Hyak Motorsports' Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+3400), Team Penske's Austin Cindric (+2400), and Spire Motorsports' Michael McDowell (+3700).
Polesitter Chase Briscoe of Joe Gibbs Racing is also a tempting longshot at +2500; he is attempting to become the first polesitter to win the race since Dale Jarrett in 2000, and he is trying to do it in his first start with Joe Gibbs' team.
Full odds can be found here.
Fox is set to provide live coverage of the 67th annual Daytona 500 from Daytona International Speedway beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 16 after a late schedule change. Start a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season opener!