Ladies and gentlemen, start your bet slips!
Wyatt Watson is back as host of Through the Gears for 2026 as the NASCAR Cup Series revs up the season at the Daytona 500 for five straight days of on-track action.
William Byron enters the weekend looking for the elusive three-peat in the Great American Race at +1,500 odds, but the task will be tall for the driver of the Hendrick Motorsport No. 24 to go three in a row, with a plethora of drivers eager to take home the Harley J. Earl Trophy.
One of those drivers will no doubt be favorite Ryan Blaney, defending winner of the summer Daytona International Speedway race, at +1,100 odds. Will Team Penske teammates and former Daytona 500 champions Joey Logano and Austin Cindric help their teammate to victory, or will Blaney be the bridesmaid once more?
With 45 drivers entered and astronomical odds, Watson and guest analyst Dalton Hopkins share their favorite picks and dark horse plays to start off 2026 in the green.
Watch here or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Wyatt Watson has followed motorsports closely since 2007. He joined Frontstretch as a journalist in February 2023 after serving in the United States Navy for five years as an Electronic Technician Navigation working on submarines. Wyatt is one of Frontstretch's primary IndyCar correspondents, providing exclusive video content on site. He hosts Frontstretch's Through the Gears podcast and occasionally The Pit Straight.You can find Wyatt's written work in columns such as Friday Faceoff and 2-Headed Monsteras well as exclusive IndyCar features. Wyatt also contributes to Frontstretch's social media team, posting unique and engaging content for Frontstretch.
Wyatt Watson can be found on X @WyattWRacing