2023 Daytona 500 cheat sheet: Everything you need to know

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — It is time for the 65th running of the Daytona 500, NASCAR's biggest event on its biggest stage, kicking off what many believe could be one of the sport's biggest seasons. Much like Sunday's Super Bowl, though, we are well aware that many people will tune into this weekend's Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing who won't watch another race this year. They may not know the difference between a lug nut and a walnut. Perhaps you are one of those people. Or perhaps you are currently reading this while dressed in your Chase Elliott pajamas and tucked into your Jimmie Johnson bed sheets.

No matter how much you do or don't know about NASCAR, the following Daytona 500 preview is for everyone. Feel free to print it out, keep a cheat sheet in your pocket and randomly blurt out fact and figures to impress your friends as you watch the Great American Race.

According to the wise guys in the desert, the consensus top picks are three-time Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin (+1100 via Caesars), followed by a five-pack of drivers at +1200, including Ryan Blaney, who should have won this race a year ago, Joey Logano, who won the first of Thursday night's Duel 150s, Kyle Busch and Elliott.

Kyle Larson is also listed in that group, but we're not counting him. It's easily the most curious inclusion. Larson has won Cup races on every type of track except for «plate races» at Daytona and Talladega, places that he has openly admitted he can't stand and simply tolerates.

Bubba Wallace has made five Daytona 500 starts and finished second twice, and the first of his two career Cup Series wins came at Talladega, Daytona's sister superspeedway, in 2021. Austin Cindric, who shocked Wallace and the rest of the world by winning last