Last Sunday, Martin Truex, Jr. grabbed the pole for the 2009 Daytona 500 in qualifying. And the 50-year-old Mark Martin, who's 0-24 in his career in the 500, placed second in qualifying and will start alongside Truex in the front row Sunday. FOX television will provide the live coverage of the 500, beginning at 2 pm Eastern.
Potential Truex backers may want to note that the last driver to win the Daytona 500 from the pole position remains Dale Jarrett, who pulled the trick back in 2000.
Kyle Busch, who won eight races during NASCAR's “regular season” last year, but faltered terribly during the 10-race Sprint for the Cup is favored to win Sunday's 500 at +400 tightly followed by three time winner Jeff Gordon at +500.
They're followed by former winner Dale Earnhardt Jr., at +700; Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR's three-time defending season champion and the 2006 Daytona 500 winner, at +800 along with Tony Stewart at +800;Carl Edwards, who won more races last year (nine) than any other driver, and finished second in the final Spring Cup standings, at +1,200; Denny Hamlin, also at +1200.and Tony Stewart at +1,200; Kevin Harvick at +1400; Kurt Busch at +1,800; Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, McMurray and David Ragan at +2,500; Greg Biffle and Clint Boyer at +3,000; and Kasey Kahne and Juan Pablo Montoya at +3,500.
Bill Elliott, who had such a great week prior to experiencing mechanical problems in the Gatoraide 150-1 qualifying race gets +2500 odds as part of the field.
