This coming week brings the occasion that first put the Worldwide in .
It’s often known as the , and has been since 1992, which is the longest stretch wherein it has answered to any given identify (extra on that later).
The person-and-machine marathon has truly been run at 4 totally different durations since its 1962 debut — 5 if you happen to rely the time it ran precisely zero laps (extra on that, too, under). The Rolex has grow to be one of many racing world’s main sports-car occasions, second solely maybe to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which acquired a four-decade head begin on the .
JUNIOR!
The additionally offers up over a decade of historical past to the 12 Hours of Sebring, which was North America’s premier endurance take a look at till the Rolex finally flexed its worldwide muscle tissue and have become the marquee occasion it’s at this time.
This coming weekend, 61 race groups will take the inexperienced flag on Saturday and hope to see the checkers on Sunday. Many gained’t, after all. These 61 vehicles are cut up between two lessons of prototypes, together with the marquee GTP, and two lessons of showroom-style vehicles making up the GTD subject (Porsche, Mustang, Ferrari, Corvette, and many others.).
Earlier than the engines crank to begin one other season, let’s dig into our annual primer in regards to the Rolex and its historical past.
A legend gained the primary Rolex 24 that wasn’t a Rolex or a 24
NASCAR founder and Speedway builder Invoice France Sr. included a street course with the mammoth observe he opened in 1959, and never only for appears.
Huge Invoice wished a global sports-car race to reinforce his observe’s rising status, and he acquired it in 1962, full with lots of the worldwide sports-car stars of the day. It might be three journeys across the clock-face and was often known as the Daytona 3-Hour Continental.
To assist in giving speedy standing to the brand new occasion, that inaugural race was gained by a racing legend, Dan Gurney, who crammed himself right into a Lotus for the event.
Three hours?
The race ran for 3 hours in 1962 and ’63, then was dramatically lengthened to 2,000 kilometers the subsequent two years. These 2,000 kilometers had been coated in roughly 12 hours.
The large transfer got here in 1966 when it was stretched to 24 hours, to match Le Mans.
Effectively, it didn’t all the time run for twenty-four hours after 1966.
Because of engine-reliability issues from the world’s sanctioning physique — the Europe-based FIA — the Daytona race was shortened to 6 hours in 1972.
Because of public-relations issues centering on the mid-’70s power disaster, the 1974 race was cancelled utterly. That very same February, by the best way, NASCAR bowed to PR issues and shortened its prized Daytona 500 by 50 miles.
So a few years, so many names
The roll name of official race names over the previous 63 years …
1962-63: Daytona 3-Hour Continental.
1964-65: Daytona 2000.
1966-71: 24 Hours of Daytona.
1972: 6 Hours of Daytona.
1973-77: 24 Hours of Daytona.
1978-83: 24 Hour Pepsi Problem.
1984-91: SunBank 24 at Daytona.
1992-2025: Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Paul Newman gained it as soon as
No, not the general Rolex 24, however Paul Newman was a part of a Jack Roush Ford Mustang workforce that gained the GT-1 class in 1995. His co-drivers had been Mark Martin, Tommy Kendall and Michael Brockman.
Newman was 70 on the time, nevertheless it wasn’t his final Rolex try. He raced in a number of others throughout an extended driving profession that he handled fairly severely when not pulled away by his Hollywood job.
Different celebrities made Rolex begins over time, together with James Garner, Tim Allen, Craig T. Nelson, Bruce Jenner and, most lately, Patrick Dempsey, who was a part of a third-place GT workforce in 2015.
In 2012, AC/DC front-man Brian Johnson co-drove a prototype and supplied a memorable evaluation:
“It was probably the most enjoyable I’ve had with my garments on. It was the very best 24 hours of my life, proper up there with being born. That was fairly good as nicely.”
Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt and extra
The trendy checklist of racing royalty contains a number of who rely a Rolex 24 amongst their many worldwide victories. Helio Castroneves, a four-time Indy 500 winner, lately was a part of three straight Rolex successful groups from 2021 to 2023. Juan Pablo Montoya additionally gained three.
Two different Indy stars — Josef Newgarden and Scott Dixon — have left Daytona with a model new Rolex watch, which has grow to be sports-car racing’s final trophy. A former Method One champ (Fernando Alonso) and two former NASCAR champs (Kyle Larson and Jeff Gordon) have co-driven prototypes to general Rolex victories prior to now decade.
In earlier years, the checklist of legendary winners was staggering, starting with Gurney however finally together with Ken Miles, Lloyd Ruby, Pedro Rodriguez, Phil Hill, Mark Donohue, and the aforementioned A.J. and Mario.
Who gained probably the most?
The checklist of all-time general wins, nonetheless, is topped by a sports-car lifer, Hurley Haywood, and a Scott Pruett, whose profession included IndyCar, NASCAR and IMSA sports-car racing. They every gained 5.
Porsche leads the best way
In earlier years, Porsche dominated the Rolex with racing variations of its famed road automobile — the 911. Final yr, a Porsche-backed prototype, fielded by Roger Penske, gained the Rolex 24.
General, Porsche has 19 Rolex victories. Riley (10), Ferrari (5) and Cadillac (4) are subsequent on the checklist. A pair of American-made muscle vehicles (Dodge Viper and Chevrolet Corvette) took general wins in 2000 and 2001.
