The 2020 Daytona 500 is now in our rearview mirrors, and up ahead is a race in Las Vegas, where the drivers will compete at the 2020 Pennzoil 400 for more points to add to their series 2020 NASCAR Cup Series totals. We’ve discussed the favorites in our preview of the race, but how about the sleepers? Let’s get to know some of them below.
Johnson, the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, failed in his bid to get a nostalgic win at the last Daytona 500 of his career as a racer, as he finished just 35th. His car figured in an accident and his crew was not able to get the right fixes done before the time allotted for him to get back on track expired. Johnson hasn’t won a race since 2017, but that doesn’t change the fact that he is still Jimmie Johnson. The same Jimmie Johnson who won three-straight races in three races at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the mid-2000s. Johnson, who’s set to retire at the end of this season, placed 11th in his last appearance at the track, which was during last year’s edition of The South Point 400. In his career, Johnson has an average finish of 11.95 in 20 races in Las Vegas.
Ryan Blaney (20/1 Vegas Odds)
Blaney was so close to achieving a win at the 2020 Daytona 500 last week. In the end, he settled for a second-place finish, which was still a solid feat for the Penske Championship Racing driver. It’s a good start for the 26-year-old Blaney, who hasn’t won more than a race in a season in his still-young career. He hasn’t won in Las Vegas, but his body of work there suggests that a win is imminent. In seven races there since 2015, Blaney has collected five top 7s and three top 5s at the track. Last year, he finished fifth during the 2019 The South Point 400 race.
Clint Bowyer (60/1 Vegas Odds)
Bowyer started the season strong with a sixth-place finish at the 2020 Daytona 500. Like in Daytona Beach, Bowyer hasn’t won in Las Vegas in his career, but he’s not done particularly bad there either. The Team Stewart-Haas Racing driver has four top 10s and eight top 20s in 16 races at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, dating back to 2006.
