DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Speedweeks always begin the same way: empty grandstands, full fuel tanks and a stopwatch that doesn’t care how many trophies you own. For the 68th running of the Daytona 500, pole qualifying is once again its own little Super Bowl, and Caesars Sportsbook has made it clear who it thinks brings the most raw speed to the table.
That would be Chase Briscoe, last year’s pole sitter, installed as the favorite at +450. Briscoe shocked much of the garage in 2025 by laying down a blistering lap that finally broke Ford’s superspeedway qualifying monopoly in the Next Gen era — and bookmakers are betting that wasn’t a fluke.
Right behind him are the Team Penske trio, a trio that treats Daytona qualifying like a science project. Joey Logano (+650) and Ryan Blaney (+700) headline the Blue Oval charge, with former pole winner Austin Cindric (+850) lurking close enough to remind everyone that Penske still treats single-car speed as a point of pride.
After that, the board gets interesting — and a little dangerous.
Alex Bowman (+900) leads the Hendrick Motorsports contingent, a team that historically treats the Daytona 500 pole like beachfront property. Hendrick has more Daytona 500 poles than anyone in the modern era, though the Next Gen car has complicated that legacy. Superspeedway poles since 2022 have leaned heavily Ford — until Briscoe uncorked his rocket last year.
Former Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell (+1100) sits in the sweet spot, followed by Kyle Larson (+1200), who remains one of the sport’s most unpredictable qualifying variables. Chris Buescher (+1300) continues RFK Racing’s quiet speed renaissance, while Todd Gilliland (+1500) and William Byron (+1500) round out a deep middle tier that could flip the board with one clean lap.
The odds widen from there: Chase Elliott (+1600), Zane Smith (+1600), Josh Berry (+1600), Ryan Preece (+1800) and Noah Gragson (+1800) all bring enough horsepower to make the timing sheet uncomfortable for the favorites if conditions swing their way.
And then there’s the long-shot club — Casey Mears, B.J. McLeod, Cody Ware and J.J. Yeley, all sitting at +25,000. Daytona qualifying has produced some strange results over the years, but that would still qualify as a full-on miracle lap.
For the full odds, visit Caeser’s Sportsbook.
Pole qualifying at Daytona is about clean air, courage and committing to a line you can’t see from the cockpit. One lap. No drafting partners. No excuses. By the time the sun sets, someone will have the front row — and everyone else will be explaining how they were “just a little tight” in Turns 3 and 4. That, too, is a Daytona tradition.
If EasySportz had any type of magic eight-ball, we’d back Ford on Wednesday night. Specifically, anything with a Penske engine to it.
