2013 Daytona 500

2013 Daytona 500

Race details[1][2][3]
Race 1 of 36 in the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Date	February 24, 2013 (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	Danica Patrick	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.