Sit down NASCAR fans, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., and Kyle Busch might not win this week when the circuit heads to Daytona for the Coke Zero Sugar 400. Neither of the Big 3 are favorites to win the race under the lights Saturday night at the famous speedway.
The top pick is Brad Keselowski at 6/1. He is followed by Joey Logano at 8/1, and Denny Hamlin at 10/1. The closest of the trio is Harvick at 11/1. Busch, who won last week at the Overton’s 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, is listed at 15/1, and Truex is at 20/1.
Harvick, Truex, and Busch have ruled NASCAR this year, winning 13 of 17 races this season. So why are they not near the top of the betting board for this event? The answer is NASCAR’s great equalizer – the dreaded restrictor plate.
Restrictor Plate Effect
This is the fourth of five races where the device will be used. Austin Dillion won the Daytona 500 in February, and Harvick won at the All Star Race at Charlotte in May.
“This race weekend probably will be one of the most aggressive you’ll see,” Dillon said to USA Today Sports. “Everybody has opportunities here they don’t get every other weekend. If you’re in that position, you’re going to do crazy things to make it happen. I will do that because I’m trying to get bonus points. It’s not that easy.”
Logano might be a popular bet for the race. He finished in the top five for the previous three races that used restrictor plates, claiming first at Talladega, third at Charlotte, and fourth at the Daytona 500. He has proven he isn’t bothered by restrictor plates.
A restrictor plate is a device that is installed at the intake of an engine to limit its power and top speed. The goal is to provide an equal playing field. That has certainly been the case at the summer race at Daytona. Eight drivers: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Keselowski, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Aric Almirola, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, David Ragan and Harvick have won this event.
While fans enjoy the diversity, drivers have claimed restrictor plates bunch up cars and can cause more accidents.
Bumping and Grinding Expected
Last week at Chicagoland Speedway, Busch and Kyle Larson made contact twice on the final lap as they battled for first place roaring towards the finish line. After the thrilling finish, Busch was excited about the contact in the final lap.
“It was a good day, a great finish,” Busch said. “People don’t necessarily see those very much anymore. Man, you just got to be pumped for that. It’s cool.”
Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. told USA Today that race fans should expect lots of paint trading on Saturday night.
“You’ve got to do everything you can to win,” said Wallace, who finished second in the Daytona 500. “Look at last weekend. Respect was thrown out the window, and it ended up being a pretty good race. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”