| Race details[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 of 36 in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series | |||
 | |||
| Date | February 14, 2010 | ||
| Location |
Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S. | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4.023 km) | ||
| Distance | 208 laps, 520 mi (836.858 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km) | ||
| Weather | Cold with temperatures reaching up to 55 °F (13 °C); wind speeds up to 8 miles per hour (13 km/h)[3] | ||
| Average speed | 137.284 miles per hour (220.937 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Hendrick Motorsports | ||
| Time | 47.074 | ||
| Qualifying race winners | |||
| Duel 1 Winner | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Duel 2 Winner | Kasey Kahne | Richard Petty Motorsports | |
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | |
| Laps | 41 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 1 | Jamie McMurray | Earnhardt Ganassi Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | Fox Broadcasting Company | ||
| Announcers | Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds | ||
| Nielsen Ratings |
| ||
The 2010 Daytona 500 was the first stock car race of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The 52nd Daytona 500, it was held on February 14, 2010, in Daytona Beach, Florida, at Daytona International Speedway, before a crowd of about 175,000 attendees. Earnhardt Ganassi Racing's Jamie McMurray won the 208-lap race from 13th place. Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Hendrick Motorsports finished in second, and Roush Fenway Racing's Greg Biffle was third.
Mark Martin, the event's oldest pole position winner at 51 years and 27 days, led the first four laps before Kasey Kahne passed him on lap five. Martin reclaimed the lead two laps later. The lead changed 52 times between a then-record-breaking 21 different drivers during the race, with Kevin Harvick leading the most laps (41). It was twice stopped because a large pothole developed between turns one and two, due to moisture, cold weather, and heavy cars scraping the tarmac surface as they ran low to the ground for better aerodynamic efficiency. Harvick led on the 206th lap, until McMurray passed him for his first Daytona 500 victory, and the fourth of his career.
Because this was the first race of the season, McMurray led the Drivers' Championship with 195 points, followed by Earnhardt in second place who had 175 points and Biffle in third with 170 points. Clint Bowyer and Harvick were fourth and fifth with 165 and 155 points, respectively. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Chevrolet led with nine points, ahead of Ford with six points. Toyota with four points, and Dodge with three points with thirty-five races left in the season.
- ^ "The Race: The Daytona 500". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on October 11, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- ^ "2010 Daytona 500". Racing-Reference. USA Today Media Sports Group. Archived from the original on January 15, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2015.
- ^ "Weather information for the 2010 Daytona 500". The News Tribune. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
TVRatingswas invoked but never defined (see the help page).