A Record-Breaking Weekend Under Perfect Conditions

Records tumbled at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the 58th edition of North America’s most prestigious endurance race. The defending No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R. clinched victory, completing an unprecedented 833 laps, equivalent to 2,965.48 miles (4,772.48 km), as the twice-around-the-clock challenge played out under clear skies. The conditions guaranteed that this test of durability, perseverance and endeavour was also a sprint race as the drivers pushed themselves and their machinery to the limit.

2020 Rolex 24 at Daytona Trophy and the engraved Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona presented to winners of the race

Renger van der Zande, Ryan Briscoe, Scott Dixon and Kamui Kobayashi shared driving duties for Wayne Taylor Racing’s No. 10 Cadillac and following victory van der Zande relished in his team’s success, saying: “It was fantastic, the best car I have ever driven at Daytona, you could push every lap and that made it very special. It is an honour to race and work with some of the finest drivers in the world, including Scott Dixon this year and Fernando Alonso in 2019. A Rolex watch is the best trophy you can receive, and to take it home to my family makes me especially proud. I now have two watches to pass on to my two children, I’m extremely happy.”

In recognition of Rolex’s enduring relationship with Daytona Beach – dating back almost 90 years to Sir Malcolm Campbell’s land speed records – as well as its commitment to excellence, the Swiss watch brand awards the winning drivers with a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona.

The Rolex countdown clock marks the halfway point in the 2020 Rolex 24.

The Florida sun shone on Daytona International Speedway throughout the weekend, in stark contrast to a year ago when the race finished under the red flag after heavy rain. These perfect conditions allowed the drivers to test the boundaries of their car and their own human resilience, resulting in a relentless pace and the longest green flag period since records began (7 hours, 48 minutes and 28 seconds). The Rolex 24 At Daytona is revered for attracting the world’s best drivers as knowledge and expertise is shared across motor racing disciplines in this long- standing event.

Charlie Kimball, Scott Pruett et Memo Rojas, vainqueurs de la Rolex 24 heures, edition 2013.

Captivating, dramatic and demanding, the Rolex 24 at Daytona is one of the most famous and revered endurance races in the world. Enticing the world’s greatest drivers and continuously pushing the modern automobile beyond the established limits of reliability, the competition is the ultimate test of man and machine.

A partner of track racing in Daytona beach from its very beginnings in the late 1950s, Rolex has been title sponsor of this celebrated twice-around-the-clock motor sport challenge since 1992.

Rolex’s close ties with motor sport date back to Sir Malcolm Campbell’s World Land Speed Record successes in the 1930s, when he became the first driver to break the 300 mph barrier (483 km/h) at the wheel of his car Bluebird. Since then, Rolex’s presence in motor racing has grown steadily, its support extending to revered endurance events such as the Rolex 24 At Daytona.