Actress Megan Fox arrives for the premiere of the film “Jonah Hex” in Hollywood, California June 17, 2010. REUTERS/Jason Redmond (UNITED STATES – Tags: ENTERTAINMENT)
- Ducati Diavel: Ride with the Devil. (Bullz-Eye.com)
- Five NFL defenses that (potentially) improved over the offseason. (The Scores Report)
Pamela Anderson presents a creation from the A*MUSE Fall 2010 collection during New York Fashion Week February 17, 2010. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson (UNITED STATES – Tags: FASHION ENTERTAINMENT)
Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck (12) hands off to running back Stepfan Taylor (33) against USC in the first half at the Coliseum in Los Angeles on October 29, 2011. UPI/Lori Shepler
- Slideshow: The ultimate weekend at Aria in Las Vegas. (Bullz-Eye.com)
Washington Redskins’ quarterback Donovan McNabb is sacked by Houston Texans’ Mario Williams during the third quarter at FedEx Field in Washington on September 19, 2010. UPI/Kevin Dietsch
- Bullz-Eye gets back to basics with Harley-Davidson. (Bullz-Eye.com)
- Credit the Bills for being aggressive when it came to signing Mario Williams. (The Scores Report)
- Hyundai Unveils Teaser Images of All-New Santa Fe. (Dashboard News)
- Five Hair Phases Every Guy Has Gone Through. (Uncoached)
- Ten ‘80s TV Shows That Shall Not Become Films. (Maxim)
Sacha Baron Cohen arrives on the red carpet at the 84th Academy Awards at the Hollywood and Highlands Center in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles on February 26, 2012. UPI/Kevin Dietsch
- Coming Soon: A Moviegoer’s Guide to March. (Bullz-Eye.com)
Danica Patrick walks down pit road after driver introductions prior to the start of the rain delayed Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida on February 26, 2012. UPI/Martin Fried
If recent history is any indication, this Daytona 500 figures to be very close and very unpredictable. The 54th running of the Daytona 500 has Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch as slight favorites in NASCAR betting lines but almost anyone can win this wide open race.
Last year it was Trevor Bayne becoming the youngest driver to win the Daytona 500 and one of the most unlikely winners in history. In restrictor plate races anything is possible which does make it tough to pick a favorite. The NASCAR betting lines list Harvick and Busch as co-favorites but there are so many other drivers that could just as easily be cast in the role of favorite. There are probably six other drivers you could put with the top two. Tony Stewart is the defending Sprint Cup champion and he is very motivated to start the new season with a win. Jimmie Johnson had his run of five straight championships come to an end last season so you know he will want to start the 2012 season with a win. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has always been very good in restrictor plate races so he should be a contender. Carl Edwards is on the pole so we know he will be right there and teammates Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon should also be in the mix.
When you are trying to pick a winner in the Daytona 500 there are some facts that you need to know. Almost half of the 53 previous Daytona 500’s have been won by a driver starting in the top five. The farthest back any winner has started from is 39th when Matt Kenseth won in 2009. The race has been won nine times from the pole but not since 2000. A total of 16 Daytona 500’s have been won from the front row.
Unlike last year’s race which saw a lot of two-car tandem racing, this year’s race should be more like past Daytona’s where drivers are in a pack. That was the case in the Bud Shootout and it should be the case on Sunday.
“I like it better,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said, “The closing rate is a little fast. Guys will go flying backwards and forwards. We made a lot of great improvements, don’t get me wrong. We have really made a lot of great improvements and I have more of my destiny in my hands in this type of racing.”
Singer Katie Perry arrives at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles, August 28, 2011. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni (UNITED STATES – Tags: ENTERTAINMENT SOCIETY) (MTV-ARRIVALS)
