Vegas is pumping the brakes on the notion of Danica Patrick as a viable contender to win the Daytona 500, though she will start in pole position for NASCAR’s marquee race, the first woman in the circuit’s history to earn the leadoff spot.
Bookmaker Bovada installed Patrick as the 14th choice at 18-1 to take the checkered flag at Sunday’s season opener after she set the pace in qualifying with a lap of 196.434 mph in her No. 10 Chevrolet.
The pioneering Patrick had one win in 114 races on the IndyCar circuit, and placed third in the Indy 500 in 2009. Her best result in the Sprint Cup Series was a 17th-place finish in last November’s AdvoCare 500 in Phoenix.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., whose legendary driver father died in an accident at Daytona in 2001 and who won the race in 2004, was made the favorite at 17-2. Jeff Gordon, second behind Patrick in qualifying, was next at 11-1.
Patrick then falls on the tote board below 11 veteran drivers, such as Tony Stewart, defending series champion Brad Keselowski and last year’s Daytona winner Matt Kenseth, none of whom have starred in a string of memorable GoDaddy.com Super Bowl commercials.