| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 of 36 in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series | |||
 | |||
| Date | February 17, 2008 | ||
| 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.
- ^ "Weather of the 2008 Daytona 500". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Archived from the original on 2024-05-26. Retrieved 2013-06-21.