The Great American Race is here.

Racing’s biggest day sparks the beginning of the 2012 Sprint Cup season. Another new year brings another year of wagering fake money on every race, which ought to be interesting when you see the numbers coupled with the action we’ve seen over the last week.

As always, there are three ground rules for my picks:

I bet fifty fake dollars on every race.  
My goal is to double my fake money should I win.
I never follow the rules I make up during the year.

The 2012 Daytona 500 is one of the toughest picks of the entire year. Fans have no idea how pack racing will impact the field, who will randomly wreck ten other cars or how long teams can tandem run before the engine blows up.

The good news is odds makers even the number out, giving people a chance to get elite drivers and good odds. With all of that in mind, it’s time to spread out my fake money.

Ten fake dollars on Tony Stewart at 12/1
Stewart was the sole reason I was up in 2011. No way I’m getting off that train.

Seven fake dollars on Kasey Kahne at 15/1
Kahne ended last season hot, has better equipment and ran well during testing. The other Hendrick cars just don’t fit well enough into my master plan.

Five fake dollars on Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Greg Biffle at 20/1
I think Hamlin rebounds, Keselowski contends and Biffle costs me more facke money again in 2012.

Five fake dollars on Matt Kenseth at 22/1
I think he can win the Sprint Cup. Why not start now?

Five fake dollars on AJ Allmendinger and Joey Logano at 30/1
Both need to get a win this year. Why not now with the packages they’re running?

Three fake dollars on Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at 35/1
His best friend is Trevor Bayne. It would be a great story.

Fifty fake dollars. Nine drivers. Nobody knows who is going to win the Daytona 500 Sunday. So spread the wealth, see what The Spread thinks, enjoy the race and insert random catchphrase here.

Kevin Harvick #29
+1000
Kyle Busch #18
+1000
Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88
+1000
Jeff Gordon #24
+1200
Carl Edwards #99
+1200
Tony Stewart #14
+1200
Jimmie Johnson #48
+1400
Kasey Kahne #5
+1500
Brad Keselowski #2
+2000
Denny Hamlin #11
+2000
Jeff Burton #31
+2000
Greg Biffle #16
+2000
Jamie McMurray #1
+2000
Matt Kenseth #17
+2200
Kurt Busch #51
+2500
Marcos Ambrose #9
+2500
Clint Bowyer #12
+2500
A.J. Allmendinger #22
+3000
Joey Logano #20
+3000
Paul Menard #27
+3500
Martin Truex Jr. #56
+3500
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #6
+3500
Ryan Newman #39
+3500
Trevor Bayne # 21
+3500
Juan Pable Montoya #42
+3500
Mark Martin #55
+3500
David Ragan #34
+4000
Regan Smith #78
+5000
Elliott Sadler #33
+6000
Michael Waltrip #40
+6000
Danica Patrick #10
+6500
David Reutimann #93
+6500
Casey Mears #13
+7500
Bobby Labonte #47
+7500
Aric Amirola #43
+7500
David Gilliland #38
+7500