2008 Daytona 500

2008 Daytona 500
Race details
Race 1 of 36 in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Date February 17, 2008 (2008-02-17)
Location Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S.
Course Permanent racing facility
2.5 mi (4.023 km)
Distance 200 laps, 500 mi (800 km)
Weather Temperatures reaching up to 82 °F (28 °C); wind speeds approaching 11.1 miles per hour (17.9 km/h)[1]
Average speed 152.672 miles per hour (245.702 km/h)
Pole position
Driver Hendrick Motorsports
Qualifying race winners
Duel 1 Winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hendrick Motorsports
Duel 2 Winner Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing
Most laps led
Driver Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing
Laps 86
Winner
No. 12 Ryan Newman Penske Racing
Television in the United States
Network Fox
Announcers Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, and Larry McReynolds
Nielsen Ratings 10.2/20

The 2008 Daytona 500, the 50th annual running of the event, was held on February 17, 2008 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The race was the 50th to be run since the first in 1959, won by Lee Petty. To commemorate the event, the Harley J. Earl Trophy, which goes to the winner of the race, was plated in gold instead of silver. In addition, the winning car was placed on display for one year at the Daytona 500 Experience attraction just outside Turn Four. Ryan Newman won the race, his only win in the 2008 season and his final win for team owner Roger Penske.

  1. ^ "Weather of the 2008 Daytona 500". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Archived from the original on 2024-05-26. Retrieved 2013-06-21.