The 2008 Daytona 500 was a Sprint Cup Series event held at Daytona International Speedway on February 17, 2008. It was the season opener. In the 50th annual running of the "Great American Race", it appeared that a foreign manufacturer would take home the trophy. But Ryan Newman, some eighty races removed from his last victory brought teammate Kurt Busch with him to make a last lap pass of Tony Stewart. It was team owner Roger Penske's first ever plate victory and first ever 1-2 Cup finish. Stewart was third with Kyle Busch, who led the most laps (86) coming home fourth.
| 2008 Daytona 500 | |
| General info | |
|---|---|
| Series | Sprint Cup Series |
| Location | Daytona International Speedway |
| Date | February 17, 2008 |
| Qualifying | |
| Pole Sitter | Jimmie Johnson |
| Pole Speed | 187.075 mph |
| Race Data | |
| Winner | Ryan Newman |
| Margin of Victory | .092 seconds |
| Average Speed | 152.672 mph |
| Cautions | 7 for 23 laps |
| Points Leader | Ryan Newman (+15) |