24h Le Mans
While the next-to-last round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) takes place in Bahrain, the first edition of the Classic 24 Hour will salute the legacy of the Rolex 24 at Daytona
The first endurance races run at the Daytona circuit first took place over three hours (1962-63) then 2,000km (1964-65). Two future winners of the 24 Hours of Le Mans inaugurated the record book: Dan Gurney in 1962 then Pedro Rodriguez the following year. The latter also won the first 2,000km race, along with Phil Hill, three-time winner in Le Mans (1958-61-62). In all, 22 drivers have won both in La Sarthe and in Florida.
The Ford-Ferrari duel – The first two editions of the 24-hour race as we know it today saw two remarkable episodes of the battle between the American giant and the Italian manufacturer. Though in 1966 Ford won both in Daytona (with Ken Miles-Lloyd Ruby) and in Le Mans (with Chris Amon-Bruce McLaren), Ferrari got its revenge in 1967 by achieving, in Daytona, a one-two-three lead by Chris Amon (who went to the Italians!) and Lorenzo Bandini.
The French in Floride – Henri Pescarolo and Christophe Bouchut are the only French drivers to have achieved a Le Mans-Daytona one-two. Winners in Le Mans in 1972-73-74-84 and in 1993 respectively, the first won in Daytona in 1991, the second in 1995.
Hurley Haywood, two races and eight victories – Three-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans across three different decades (1977-83-94), the American driver won the 24 Hours of Daytona five times. A record now shared with his fellow countryman Scott Pruett who joined him in 2013.
Timo Bernhard and Mike Rockenfeller: two drivers, three victories, one record – Winners in Daytona in 2003 and 2010, respectively, the two German drivers won in La Sarthe in 2010 in an Audi along with French driver Romain Dumas, beating the distance record (5,405km at an average of 225km/h). Mike Rockenfeller is the last driver to date to have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Daytona in the same year.
The next edition of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, which this year became the opening round of the Tudor United SportsCar Championship, the new American endurance series, will take place on Saturday, January 24th and Sunday, January 25th, 2015.
