The Daytona 500 is regarded as the most important and prestigious race on the NASCAR calendar, carrying by far the largest purse.[1] Championship points awarded are equal to that of any other Sprint Cup race. It is also the series' first race of the year; this phenomenon is virtually unique in sports, which tend to have championships or other major events at the end of the season rather than the start. Since 1995, U.S. television ratings for the Daytona 500 have been the highest for any auto race of the year, surpassing the traditional leader, the Indianapolis 500 which in turn greatly surpasses the Daytona 500 in in-track attendance and international viewing. The 2006 Daytona 500 attracted the sixth largest average live global TV audience of any sporting event that year with 20 million viewers.[2]
UPCOMING INFO : Daytona 500
COMPETITION NAME : Daytona International Speedway 2012
COMPETITOR : Budweiser Shootout
DATE : Sunday, 26Th,Feb,2012
TIME/WHEN START : 01:00 PM (ET) / 07:00 AM (CET)
VENUE : Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach
You Can Watch Now On Your Mobile TV, iPhone, iPod, iPad, Laptop, Net book, Mac, Or PC!
That’s because Sunday will destroy the serenity.
Forty-three of the fastest cars and most skilled drivers will fly around the superspeedway in what has become the sport's Super Bowl. Winning the Daytona 500 is the greatest honor the sport can bestow for a single race and everyone wants it.
Will the Daytona 500 Live up to the Hype?
Yes/No
Submit Vote vote to see results
Where: Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla
When: Sunday, Feb. 26, 1 p.m. ET
Watch: FOX
Live Stream: NASCAR Track Pass
Listen: Motor Racing Network
Pre-Race Activities
In what is always one of the best experiences of the year, NASCAR will blow out the party they have for the 500 by bringing in plenty of celebrity guests. Not only will singer Lenny Kravitz open the event, WWE star John Cena will be the honorary starter for the race. This is the biggest event of the year and the sport will not let us down.
Driver to Watch: Danica Patrick
With the pole already locked up, Carl Edwards has become the odds on favorite to start this season with a win. That would be huge for a man who was leading the series in points for a good chunk of last season before letting it slip away in the waning days of the season. Edwards would like to begin the road to glory at the Daytona 500.
Prediction: Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins
After going over 100 races without a win on any track, and going since 2004 without a Daytona 500 win, Dale Jr. is looking to star his season of redemption off with a huge win. It will take plenty of luck to be there at the end, but Junior knows what it takes to win at the highest level and now has the equipment to match his elite driving. A win at the Daytona 500 would make Earnhardt a favorite for this season’s Sprint Cup Series title.
List of Daytona 500 winners
For NASCAR Grand National winners at Daytona from 1949–1958, see Daytona Beach & Road Course.
Mario Andretti, born in Italy, is the only driver to win the race not from the United States.
Year Date Driver Team Manufacturer Car# Start Winner's Prize
(USD) Distance Race Time Average Speed
First Annual 500 Mile International Sweepstakes
1959 February 22 Lee Petty Petty Enterprises Oldsmobile 42 15th $19,050 200 500 (805) 3:41:22 135.521
Second Annual 500 Mile International Sweepstakes
1960 February 24 Junior Johnson John Masoni Chevrolet 27 9th $19,600 200 500 (805) 4:00:30 124.740
1961 February 26 Marvin Panch Smokey Yunick Pontiac 20 4th $21,050 200 500 (805) 3:20:32 149.601
1962 February 18 Fireball Roberts Jim Stephens Pontiac 22 Pole $24,190 200 500 (805) 3:10:41 152.529
1963 February 24 Tiny Lund Wood Brothers Racing Ford 21 12th $24,550 200 500 (805) 3:17:56 151.566
1964 February 23 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises (2) Plymouth 43 2nd $33,300 200 500 (805) 3:14:23 154.334
1965 February 14 Fred Lorenzen Holman-Moody Ford 28 4th $27,100 133* 332.5 (535) 2:22:56 141.539
1966 February 27 Richard Petty (2) Petty Enterprises (3) Plymouth 43 Pole $28,150 198* 495 (797) 3:04:54 160.927
1967 February 26 Mario Andretti† Holman-Moody (2) Ford 11 12th $48,900 200 500 (805) 3:24:11 146.926
1968 February 25 Cale Yarborough Wood Brothers Racing (2) Mercury 21 Pole $47,250 200 500 (805) 3:23:44 143.251
1969 February 23 LeeRoy Yarbrough Junior Johnson Ford 98 19th $38,950 200 500 (805) 3:09:56 157.950
1970 February 22 Pete Hamilton Petty Enterprises (4) Plymouth 40 9th $44,850 200 500 (805) 3:20:32 149.601
1971 February 14 Richard Petty (3) Petty Enterprises (5) Plymouth 43 5th $45,450 200 500 (805) 3:27:40 144.462
1972 February 20 A.J. Foyt Wood Brothers Racing (3) Mercury 21 2nd $44,600 200 500 (805) 3:05:42 161.550
1973 February 18 Richard Petty (4) Petty Enterprises (6) Dodge 43 7th $36,100 200 500 (805) 3:10:50 157.205
1974 February 17 Richard Petty (5) Petty Enterprises (7) Dodge 43 2nd $39,650 180* 450 (724) 3:11:38 140.894
1975 February 16 Benny Parsons L.G. DeWitt Chevrolet 72 32nd $43,905 200 500 (805) 3:15:15 153.649
1976 February 15 David Pearson Wood Brothers Racing (4) Mercury 21 7th $46,800 200 500 (805) 3:17:08 152.181
1977 February 20 Cale Yarborough (2) Junior Johnson (2) Chevrolet 11 4th $63,700 200 500 (805) 3:15:48 153.218
1978 February 19 Bobby Allison Bud Moore Engineering Ford 15 33rd $56,300 200 500 (805) 3:07:49 159.730
1979 February 18 Richard Petty (6) Petty Enterprises (8) Oldsmobile 43 13th $73,900 200 500 (805) 3:28:22 143.977
1980 February 17 Buddy Baker Harry Ranier Oldsmobile 28 Pole $102,175 200 500 (805) 2:48:55 177.602‡
1981 February 15 Richard Petty (7) Petty Enterprises (9) Buick 43 8th $90,575 200 500 (805) 2:56:50 169.651
1982 February 14 Bobby Allison (2) DiGard Motorsports Buick 88 7th $120,360 200 500 (805) 3:14:49 153.991
1983 February 20 Cale Yarborough (3) Harry Ranier (2) Pontiac 28 8th $119,600 200 500 (805) 3:12:20 155.979
1984 February 19 Cale Yarborough (4) Harry Ranier (3) Chevrolet 28 Pole $160,300 200 500 (805) 3:18:41 150.994
1985 February 17 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford 9 Pole $185,500 200 500 (805) 2:54:09 172.265
1986 February 16 Geoff Bodine Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 5 2nd $192,715 200 500 (805) 3:22:32 148.124
1987 February 15 Bill Elliott (2) Melling Racing (2) Ford 9 Pole $204,150 200 500 (805) 2:50:12 176.263
1988 February 14 Bobby Allison (3) Stavola Brothers Racing Buick 12 3rd $202,940 200 500 (805) 3:38:08 137.531
1989 February 19 Darrell Waltrip Hendrick Motorsports (2) Chevrolet 17 2nd $184,900 200 500 (805) 3:22:04 148.466
1990 February 18 Derrike Cope Bob Whitcomb Chevrolet 10 12th $188,150 200 500 (805) 3:00:59 165.761
1991 February 17 Ernie Irvan Morgan-McClure Motorsports Chevrolet 4 2nd $233,000 200 500 (805) 3:22:30 148.148
1992 February 16 Davey Allison Robert Yates Racing Ford 28 6th $244,050 200 500 (805) 3:07:12 160.256
1993 February 14 Dale Jarrett Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet 18 2nd $238,200 200 500 (805) 3:13:35 154.972
1994 February 20 Sterling Marlin Morgan-McClure Motorsports (2) Chevrolet 4 4th $258,275 200 500 (805) 3:11:10 156.931
1995 February 19 Sterling Marlin (2) Morgan-McClure Motorsports (3) Chevrolet 4 3rd $300,460 200 500 (805) 3:31:42 141.710
1996 February 18 Dale Jarrett (2) Robert Yates Racing (2) Ford 88 7th $360,775 200 500 (805) 3:14:25 154.308
1997 February 16 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports (3) Chevrolet 24 6th $377,410 200 500 (805) 3:22:18 148.295
1998 February 15 Dale Earnhardt Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 3 4th $1,059,805 200 500 (805) 2:53:42 172.712
1999 February 14 Jeff Gordon (2) Hendrick Motorsports (4) Chevrolet 24 Pole $1,172,246 200 500 (805) 3:05:42 161.551
2000 February 20 Dale Jarrett (3) Robert Yates Racing (3) Ford 88 Pole $1,277,975 200 500 (805) 3:12:43 155.669
2001 February 18 Michael Waltrip Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet 15 19th $1,331,185 200 500 (805) 3:05:26 161.783
2002 February 17 Ward Burton Bill Davis Racing Dodge 22 19th $1,389,017 200 500 (805) 3:29:50 130.810
2003 February 16 Michael Waltrip (2) Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (2) Chevrolet 15 4th $1,419,406 109* 272.5 (439) 2:02:08 133.870
2004 February 15 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (3) Chevrolet 8 3rd $1,495,070 200 500 (805) 3:11:53 156.341
2005 February 20 Jeff Gordon (3) Hendrick Motorsports (5) Chevrolet 24 15th $1,497,150 203* 507.5 (817) 3:45:16 135.173
2006 February 19 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports (6) Chevrolet 48 9th $1,505,120 203* 507.5 (817) 3:33:26 142.734
Daytona 500 presented by Toyota
2007 February 18 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing (2) Chevrolet 29 34th $1,510,469 202* 505 (813) 3:22:55 149.333
2008 February 17 Ryan Newman Penske Championship Racing Dodge 12 7th $1,543,045 200 500 (805) 3:16:30 152.672
2009 February 15 Matt Kenseth Roush Fenway Racing Ford 17 39th1 $1,536,388 152* 380 (612) 2:51:40 132.816
2010 February 14 Jamie McMurray Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet 1 13th $1,514,649 208* 520 (837) 3:47:16 137.284
2011 February 20 Trevor Bayne Wood Brothers Racing (5) Ford 21 32nd $1,463,810 208* 520 (837) 3:59:24 130.326
.jpg)
.jpg)
