Gordon remains choice in LV books

Bobby Labonte may have won his 125-mile qualifying race Thursday, but it wasn't enough to impress local bookmakers who set the odds for Sunday's Daytona 500.

Labonte, who will start on the inside of row two behind Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, retained his 4-1 odds at the Imperial Palace despite winning his qualifier and starting the race from the second row.

Pole-sitter Gordon still is listed as the race favorite at 5-2 while Rich Bickle is the long shot at 300-1. Gordon won the pole during qualifying last weekend after posting a lap of 195.067 mph.

Defending Daytona 500 champion Dale Earnhardt has made the biggest move since the Imperial Palace first posted its odds on the "Great American Race." After opening at 20-1 at the I.P., Earnhardt was bet down to 8-1 and was dropped to 5-1 after winning Thursday's second 125-mile qualifier.

Stewart, the former Indy Racing League champion who is a rookie on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit this season, is lumped in with the "field" at 20-1 despite posting the second fastest qualifying speed last weekend. Stewart, who finished sixth in his qualifying race Thursday, will start on the front row beside Gordon, based on his qualifying speed of 194.599 mph.

Several sports books are offering proposition bets including over/under lines on number of cautions flags (six); race leaders (eight); average race speed (155 mph); and Rusty Wallace's finish (7 1/2).

The Imperial Palace also is offering several match-up bets where bettors can wager on the head-to-head finishes between selected drivers.

Leroy's Horse & Sports once again is offering pari-mutuel wagering on NASCAR Winston Cup races this year at its downtown and satellite locations.

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