The NASCAR season starts its engines this weekend with the premier event of the season the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.

The Budweiser Shootout is much shorter than a regular NASCAR race at only 75 laps, but that shouldn't matter to bettors who can still cash in.

At BetOnline the co-favorites in this year's Shootout Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. both at +1000. Both drivers have won the Shootout twice before with Harvick winning back-to-back in 2009-10 and Junior winning in 2003 and 2008.

In last year's Shootout Kurt Busch tamed the rest of the field to win for the first time. At BetOnline he's a +2000 under to repeat as race winner. A few other former winners and their Shootout odds at BetOnline include three-time winner Tony Stewart +1200, Denny Hamlin +2000, Jimmie Johnson +1200 and Jeff Gordon +1200.

The actual Sprint Cup season gets started next week on February 26 with the Great American Race, the Daytona 500. Last year's Daytona 500 was arguably the most shocking ever, as unknown Trevor Bayne won his first career Sprint Cup race and also set the record for youngest Daytona 500 winner.

Bayne never cracked the Top 10 again last season, so betting on him to repeat as winner is probably not a great idea.

The favorite at most books is this year's Daytona 500 is Kevin Havick. He's won the 500 before in 2007 and finished second in the race in 2009. Harvick has also won Daytona's other Sprint Cup race the Coke Zero 400 in 2010.

Harvick almost always seems to be in contention for the checkered flag at Daytona and should be at the top of the list for driver for bettors to take at least a flier on.

A few other recent winners of the Daytona 500 that bettors should keep an eye on include Jamie McMurray, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. Anyone thinking about betting on reigning Sprint Cup champ Tony Stewart may want to think again.

Stewart has won the Coke Zero 400 three times, but he's been snake bitten in the 500, cracking the Top 10 six times in his last 10 starts, but never able to make it to victory lane.