Rolex 24 At Daytona: Introduction

The tides of time, and the Atlantic Ocean wash over the great Daytona Beach, a beach endlessly long, hard, wide, and flat, as a great slab of stone.  When the wind is right you can hear the waves crashing in the distance on a sunny day whether the air is crisp, or warm.  The big Atlantic rollers end their journey here.  Their energy fanning out across the sand and churning up foamy waves on the beach.  Memories linger in these waves, in the crystal blue Atlantic waters, of men, at the turn of the 20th century, pushing their cars to the limit on this very beach.  Ransom Olds and Alexander Winton, Henry Seagrave, Sir Malcolm Campbell (who was the fastest man ever on Daytona Beach) all raced here.  So did many of the greats of stock car racing before the fabulous high banks of the Daytona International Speedway were built in 1959.  Men such as Paul Goldsmith, Junior Johnson, Lee Petty, and more, were the new heroes of Daytona Beach before NASCAR decided to move inland and build a great speedway, designed as it was, by architect Charles Moneypenny.  

Stock cars started the tradition, with the Daytona 500, running as fast and as long as they wanted, around and around, for 500 miles, and of course, sports cars began that very same tradition on the high banks in 1962.  The late, great, Dan Gurney, the first winner of what was then called The Daytona Continental.  Four years later, in 1966, the first 24 hour endurance race was run at Daytona International Speedway and that has been a constant, coming towards it's 59th renewal, while a good part of the country is still blanketed in the snow and bitter cold of wintertime.  

Yours truly had a wonderful chance to be in Daytona last year for the race.  This year, things are oh so different, as we as fans are all prepared, most of us, in our homes, to watch this wonderful motor race on television.  The cursed virus pandemic is still with us.  But, that will not stop the most famous endurance sports car race in North America from happening.  It is time for a new season of the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship to get underway in earnest.  Yes, there was the qualifying race on the high banks, last weekend.  But, this is the reason why everyone is here.  The Rolex 24 at Daytona, a test of man, team, and machine, in pursuit of one of the greatest prizes in sports car racing, the coveted Rolex Daytona Chronograph watch, that will go to those who conquer this great speedway after 24 hours of hard driving and flat out racing.

The hour is nearly at hand for this great motor race to begin.  Who will win?  Only time, and the great speedway itself, has that answer.  Welcome to the 59th renewal of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.