Rolex celebrates 30 years as title sponsor of the 60th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona

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This weekend, the titans of speed will once again descend on the hallowed fields of the world center of racing, as 61 teams prepare for the around the clock extravaganza that is the Rolex 24. Once again, your favorite reporter/podcaster will traverse the long road from South Florida to East Central Florida in the search for fast times, and family fun. 

Fast Facts:

  • The 2022 Rolex 24 At DAYTONA will take place Saturday, January 29 to Sunday, January 30.
  • 61 cars will compete in this annual race against the clock. 
  • This year marks Rolex’s 30th anniversary as Title Sponsor. 
  • The relationship between Rolex and Daytona dates back to when Sir Malcolm Campbell, the so-called “King of Speed”, set five World Land Speed Records at Daytona Beach, the fastest in 1935 behind the wheel of Bluebird with a Rolex Oyster on his wrist.
  • Rolex has supported the event since the early 1960s and went on to name one of its most iconic watches after this temple of motorsport. 
  • As part of the forthcoming 60th anniversary celebrations, Daytona International Speedway® will honor previous champions, including Mario Andretti, Hurley Haywood and Scott Pruett, as well as the machines which carried them to victory.
  • Scott Pruett, five-time overall winner of the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, says:  

    “The testament of time is present in various aspects of the Rolex 24. For me personally, having raced there on 24 occasions, and having won it many times, the excitement never grows old. Now celebrating the 60th anniversary, reliving the legacies that looped this track, I keep coming back to the Champion’s Creed: ‘It’s all about the watch’. Rolex and the 24 hours at Daytona are synonymous, as they continuously stand the test of time, showcase perseverance and hold fast to tradition.”

  • The 2022 Rolex 24 At DAYTONA will be preceded by the now well-established Roar Before The Rolex 24, which runs Friday, January 21 to Sunday, January 23.
  • This three-day preview event will culminate in a 100-minute qualifying race to determine the starting grid for next week’s Rolex 24 At DAYTONA.
  • Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson returns to the all-star #48 Ally Cadillac Dpi-V.R., alongside reigning FIA World Endurance Champion Kamui Kobayashi and 24 Hours of Le Mans winners Jose Maria Lopez and Mike Rockenfeller. 
  • Chip Ganassi Racing recently confirmed its pair of Cadillacs, with the #01 car featuring multiple race winners Renger van der Zande, Sébastien Bourdais and Scott Dixon, with current IndyCar champion Alex Palou completing the line-up. 
  • The Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class will see IndyCar’s young frontrunners Pato O’Ward and Colton Herta join last year’s podium drivers Devlin DeFrancesco and Eric Lux aboard the #81 DragonSpeed ORECA 07-Gibson. 
  • Along with the prestige of winning the race, the drivers who complete the greatest number of laps in 24 hours will receive an engraved Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona. 
     
  • Speaking about how it feels to triumph over 24 hours, Rolex Testimonee, endurance racing legend and nine-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, Tom Kristensen, says: 

    “In design and presence, the watch is more than just a name; it’s an identity that reflects a successful race and a successful time in a driver’s life. When you get to the top step of a podium, you see your teammates for the first time in the 24 hours and, together, you are full of the happiness, joy and relief. It’s a really important moment and the watch means a lot to the winners of these races.”

 

 

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Adam Sinclair
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