| Race details[1][2][3] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 of 36 in the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series | |||
 | |||
| Date | February 24, 2013 | ||
| Location |
Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S. | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4.023 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km) | ||
| Weather | Warm with temperatures reaching up to 79 °F (26 °C); wind speeds approaching 8 miles per hour (13 km/h)[4] | ||
| Average speed | 159.250 mph (256.288 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Stewart-Haas Racing | ||
| Time | 45.817 seconds | ||
| Qualifying race winners | |||
| Duel 1 Winner | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | |
| Duel 2 Winner | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Matt Kenseth | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Laps | 86 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | Fox | ||
| Announcers | Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, and Larry McReynolds | ||
| Nielsen Ratings |
9.9/22 (16.7 million viewers) | ||
The 2013 Daytona 500, the 55th running of the event, was held on February 24, 2013, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida over 200 laps and 500 miles (800 km) on the 2.5-mile (4 km) asphalt tri-oval. It was the first race of the 2013 Sprint Cup season. Danica Patrick won the pole for the race, becoming the first woman to earn a pole position in NASCAR's highest division. She also achieved the best-ever finish by a woman at the Daytona 500, finishing 8th. Jimmie Johnson, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, won the race, making this his first win of the season and his second win in the "Great American Race" and his first since the 2006 race. His teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 2nd while Mark Martin, Brad Keselowski, and Ryan Newman rounded out the Top 5.
The race was the final Daytona 500 starts for Mark Martin, Dave Blaney, Juan Pablo Montoya, Travis Kvapil, David Reutimann, Scott Speed, and Jeff Burton.
- ^ "Sprint Cup Series Schedule". ESPN. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
- ^ Bruce, Kenny (February 24, 2013). "JOHNSON HOLDS OFF DALE JR. FOR DAYTONA 500 WIN". NASCAR. Archived from the original on February 27, 2013. Retrieved February 24, 2013.
- ^ Kondolojy, Amanda (February 26, 2013). "2013 Daytona 500 on FOX Ranks as Highest-Rated and Most-Watched Since 2008". TVbytheNumbers. Archived from the original on March 2, 2013. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
- ^ "Weather of the 2013 Daytona 500". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved June 18, 2013.