(WOMR file photo)
It is just 26 days and a few hours before the dropping of the green flag for the 2015 Daytona 500. Additionally, the smoke has all settled from all the championship burnouts, the Rolex 24 has concluded at Daytona, and that can only mean one thing! In just 19 days all the Sprint Cup haulers will be lined up in the garage area, and the lights will be turned on for the first Sprint Unlimited practice!
The beautiful thing about the few weeks leading up to “The Great American Race”, is that drivers and teams starts off with a clean slate. All they have is their notebooks from last year to look at. But for 2015 NASCAR instituted a few very strategic rule changes. The two biggest changes involve reduced downforce on the car, coupled with reduced horsepower. Both of those changes will, in effect, completely nullify all the notes from the 2014 season!
Having said all that, the playing field leading up to the Daytona 500 is, once again, completely level for all race teams! Nevertheless, we fans think that there are certain drivers, and teams, that will be heavily favored to win the Sprint Cup championship!
Who, in your eyes, is your favorite driver to win it all in 2015?
Here is the pre-season bookmaker’s odds for the 2015 Sprint Cup Championship.
| CAR NO. | DRIVER | WESTGATE SUPERBOOK | WILLIAM HILL |
|---|---|---|---|
| #48 | JIMMIE JOHNSON | 5/1 | 7/1 |
| #4 | KEVIN HARVICK | 6/1 | 5/1 |
| #24 | JEFF GORDON | 6/1 | 6/1 |
| #2 | BRAD KESELOWSKI | 7/1 | 6/1 |
| #22 | JOEY LOGANO | 8/1 | 10/1 |
| #20 | MATT KENSETH | 10/1 | 12/1 |
| #18 | KYLE BUSCH | 12/1 | 12/1 |
| #19 | CARL EDWARDS | 12/1 | 30/1 |
| #11 | DENNY HAMLIN | 15/1 | 15/1 |
| #88 | DALE EARNHARDT JR. | 15/1 | 8/1 |
| #42 | KYLE LARSON | 20/1 | 30/1 |
| #14 | TONY STEWART | 20/1 | 30/1 |
| #41 | KURT BUSCH | 25/1 | 30/1 |
| #5 | KASEY KAHNE | 25/1 | 15/1 |
| #31 | RYAN NEWMAN | 40/1 | 30/1 |
| #15 | CLINT BOWYER | 40/1 | 30/1 |
| #1 | JAMIE McMURRAY | 40/1 | 30/1 |
| #16 | GREG BIFFLE | 40/1 | 40/1 |
| #3 | AUSTIN DILLON | 50/1 | 75/1 |
| #55 | BRIAN VICKERS | 100/1 | 50/1 |
| #27 | PAUL MENARD | 200/1 | 75/1 |
| #78 | MARTIN TRUEX JR. | 200/1 | 60/1 |
| #47 | A.J. ALLMENDINGER | 300/1 | 150/1 |
| #6 | TREVOR BAYNE | 300/1 | 60/1 |
| #9 | SAM HORNISH JR. | 300/1 | 100/1 |
| #17 | RICKY STENHOUSE | 300/1 | 100/1 |
| #10 | DANICA PATRICK | 500/1 | 300/1 |
| FLD | FIELD (ALL OTHERS) | 100/1 | 100/1 |
| #13 | CASEY MEARS | X | 250/1 |
| #43 | ARIC ALMIROLA | X | 75/1 |
I will let the odds speak the truth! All I can say it that they need to “put a some drive in their country” if they want to be the champion!
TIL NEXT TIME, PULL YOUR GLOVES UP, FLIP YOUR VISOR DOWN, AND LET’S GO RACIN’!