24 Statistics on the History of the Rolex 24 At Daytona (January 22, 2018)

The 56th annual Rolex 24 At Daytona is this Saturday and Sunday, January 27-28, at Daytona International Speedway in Florida. A total of 50 cars is expected to compete for victories in four classes of the opening-race of the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship.

With some specifics and statistics on competitors in this year’s race coming later in the week, here are 24 interesting, random tidbits that have occurred during the first 55 races.

24 Statistics, Facts and Figures Related to the Rolex 24 At Daytona

1. Dan Gurney won the first Rolex 24, then a three-hour race known as the Daytona Continental. He won in the No. 96 Lotus-Climax 19B owned by Frank Arciero. It marked one of two times a car with the No. 96 won, and only time overall.

2. A total of 10 classes competed in the 1962 Daytona Continental. Other class winners were Jim Hall, Stirling Moss, Bob Holbert and Walt Hansgen – all top names in sports car and international motorsports racing.

3. Hurley Haywood and Scott Pruett have each won the Rolex 24 At Daytona five times overall – the most of any drivers. Pruett has won the race 10 times in his class, also a record.

4. A total of 29 drivers have won the Rolex 24 overall more than once.

5. A total of 131 drivers have won the Rolex 24 overall, and 512 drivers have won the race in their class.

6. Only four drivers have won the Rolex 24 At Daytona overall and the Daytona 500 – Mario Andretti (500 in 1967 and 24 in 1972); A.J. Foyt (500 in 1972 and 24 in 1983 and 1985); Jamie McMurray (500 in 2010 and 24 in 2015); and Jeff Gordon (500 in 1997, 1999 and 2005 and 24 in 2017).

7. Twelve drivers have won the Indianapolis 500 and the Rolex 24 overall – Mark Donohue, Mario Andretti, Bobby Rahal, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, Al Unser Jr., Arie Luyendyk, Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dario Franchitti, Buddy Rice, and Tony Kanaan. Additionally, Danny Sullivan won in his class in 1998.

8. The highest average speed for the 24-hour race was set in 1982, at 114.794 mph (184.743 kph), by Rolf Stommolen and John Paul Sr. and John Paul Jr.

9. An American driver has been a co-winner the race overall every year since 2015, and a total of 37 of the 51 races that have been scheduled for 24 hours, starting in 1966.

10. Porsche has 22 overall victories in the race, the most of any engine manufacturer overall. Half of those 22 wins came during an 11-year streak between 1977 and 1987. Overall, Porsche has 77 class victories, most recently in the 2017 GTD class (with Carlos de Quesada, Michael de Quesada, Daniel Morad, Jesse Lazare and Michael Christensen).

11. Ricky and Jordan Taylor won the 2017 Rolex 24 At Daytona, becoming the only brothers to win the race overall in the same year as well as all together overall. Gary and Jim Bowsher co-won the 1976 race in the Grand Int. class.

12. Five fathers and sons have won the race overall, and only of them have won together – Mark (father) and David Donohue; Bobby (father) and Graham Rahal; John Paul Sr. (father) and John Paul Jr. (won together in 1982); Al Unser Sr. (father) and Al Unser Jr.; and Wayne (father) and Ricky/Jordan Taylor. David (father) and Larry Pearson won in 1976 in the Grand Int. class. Charles (father) and Rob Morgan shared the class win in 1996, co-winning the GTS-1 class. Joe (father) and Justin Pruskowski co-won the 2003 race in the SRPII class. Joe Policastro (father) and Joe Policastro Jr. co-won the GT class in 2004. Carlos (father) and Michael de Quesada won the race in the GTD class in 2017, the sixth and most recent father-son pairing to win in class. Peter (father) and Simon Gregg were each class winners in different years; Peter won four times overall and six times in his class. Bob (father) and Al Holbert were each class winners in different years; Al won overall in 1986 and 1987. Rod (father) and Steve Millen were each class winners in different years; Steve won overall in 1994.

13. The most drivers to win a single race overall came in 1997, when seven drivers combined to take the victory – Elliott Forbes-Robinson, John Schneider, Rob Dyson, John Paul Jr., Butch Leitzinger, Andy Wallace and James Weaver.

14. The last all-American driver lineup to win the race overall was 1993, when PJ Jones, Rocky Moran and Mark Dismore won the race in Dan Gurney’s No. 98 Eagle-Toyota Mk III.

15. Car owner Roger Penske, who is fielding a two-car team in 2018, won the 1969 Rolex 24 overall with Mark Donohue and Chuck Parsons.

16. The longest distance completed came in 1982, when John Paul Sr. and Jr., and Rolf Stommelen completed 2,760.96 miles (4,443.334 kilometers) in their Porsche 935 JLP-3.

17. Races won overall by a single country driver lineup have occurred nine times since 1966: United States (6); Germany (1); South Africa (1); and Japan (1).

18. In 1992, Japan represented the all three winning drivers (Masahiro Hasemi, Kazoyoshi Hoshino and Toshio Suzuki); the winning team (Nissan Motorsports International); and winning car (Nissan R91CP), the only time a country has swept those honors in the event.

19. A total of 21 countries have been represented in an overall victory – United States, Mexico, United Kingdom (England/Scotland), Italy, New Zealand, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Belgium, Netherlands, France, South Africa, Brazil, Denmark, Japan, Monaco, Austria, Canada, Spain, Portugal and Colombia. The United States is responsible for 78 driver victories, leading all countries.

20. Chip Ganassi Racing has six overall victories, the most of any team.

21. Goodyear has won 29 races. Other tires with victories include Continental (7), Dunlop (5), Firestone (4), Hoosier (3), Pirelli (3), Yokohama (2), BF Goodrich (1) and Michelin (1).

22. The closest finish in the history of the race came in 2009, when David Donohue – on the 40th anniversary of his father Mark’s victory – held off Juan Pablo Montoya by 0.167 seconds.

23. The largest margin of victory in the scheduled 24-hour races came in 1979, when Hurley Haywood, Ted Field and Danny Ongais won by 49 laps in their Porsche 935.

24. The track layout has been changed a number of times, leading races to be held at varied different lengths: 3.81 miles (13 races); 3.84 miles (nine races); and 3.56 miles (33 races).

Sources:
- Wikipedia: Rolex 24 At Daytona
- Daytona 24 Hours: The Definitive History of America’s Great Endurance Race – J.J. O’Malley
- Historical Documents
- The Race Site: Essex Racing, Quantum Autosports Team to Race Daytona Prototype (2004)