Foxworthy entry the choice for 50th Daytona 500 ticket

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The online battle for ultimate bragging rights has ended, leaving one celebrity with the last laugh.

Jeff Foxworthy, star of the hit FOX television show Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader, has been voted the winner of the Daytona 500 Celebrity Tickets for Charity competition.

Foxworthy, the largest selling comedy-recording artist in history, was selected from 10 celebrity finalists for the honor of having his artistic vision immortalized on the most coveted ticket in all of motorsports -- the ticket to the 50th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 17, 2008.

To commemorate the historic milestone of NASCAR's most prestigious race, Daytona International Speedway launched Celebrity Tickets for Charity, a platform for celebrities from all walks of life to showcase their artistic talents and inspire philanthropic giving. More than 40 celebrity designs were submitted and displayed at www.daytona500.com.

An online fan vote began May 1 and drew more than 120,000 votes for their favorite celebrity "artists," narrowing the star-studded field to 10 finalists. A blue ribbon panel made up of distinguished members from the NASCAR community was tasked with selecting the winning ticket design. Foxworthy's rendering, a whimsical tribute to the Daytona 500 and its patriotic roots, was the majority favorite.

"It's a great thing to brag about, but you have to break up the sentence a bit," Foxworthy said. "Yeah, I won the Daytona 500 ... ticket design contest."

All original celebrity artwork, including Foxworthy's winning ticket design, will be auctioned online to benefit The Jeff Gordon Foundation, which seeks to better the lives of children with life-threatening diseases.

Fans can log on to www.daytona500.com and click on the Celebrity Tickets for Charity Auction banner to view and bid for their favorite celebrity artwork. The auction will close July 16.

Tickets to the 50th Daytona 500 are currently on sale to the general public. To view the top 10 finalists, purchase tickets or for ticket information, visit www.daytona500.com.