The 2005 Daytona 500 was a Nextel Cup Series (Now Sprint Cup) event held at Daytona International Speedway on February 20, 2005. It was the season opener. Jeff Gordon didn't grab the lead until late in the event, but managed to hold off Kurt Busch in the final few laps to grab his third career Daytona 500 victory. Stats
| 2005 Daytona 500 | |
| General info | |
|---|---|
| Series | Nextel Cup Series |
| Location | Daytona International Speedway |
| Date | February 20, 2005 |
| Qualifying | |
| Pole Sitter | Dale Jarrett |
| Pole Speed | 188.312 mph |
| Race Data | |
| Winner | Jeff Gordon |
| Margin of Victory | 0.158 seconds |
| Average Speed | 135.173 mph |
| Cautions | 11 for 45 laps |
| Points Leader | Jeff Gordon (+15) |