Timing Daytona With Rolex, A 24 Hour Experience

There are very few races as iconic as the 24 Hours of Daytona. Since 1962, this 24-hour-long endurance race has attracted drivers from all walks of life including; F1, IndyCar, Sports Cars, NASCAR, and more. The race ranks right up there with Indianapolis, Monaco, and Le Mans.
 

On a single weekend in January, Daytona Speedway’s 2.5-mile-long tri-oval is transformed into a 3.56-mile, 12 turn road course. Blistering speeds matched with a wide array of car and driver combinations make for an exhilarating experience. Which we quickly found out was all about “the watch.”
 

Perhaps none more famous than Sir Malcolm Campbell's world record-setting run in 1935 aboard the famous ‘Bluebird.’ Achieving a 276-mph land speed record. On Campbell’s wrist that fateful day? A Rolex Oyster. The first recorded Rolex wristwatch used during an auto race. Suffice to say, Rolex has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Daytona, which now manifests itself through title sponsorship of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
 

If you’ve ever watched or attended an F1 or endurance race, you’ve no doubt spotted the iconic Rolex logo emblazoned across the racetrack. This is no accident. Rolex has formed strategic alliances with key organizations like the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) and races such as the 24 Hours Of Le Mans and the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Additionally, Rolex is the official timepiece of Formula 1.
 

So when Rolex invites you to attend one of the world's most important endurance races, you jump at the chance. I've been to a few races in my time, but never an endurance race. So I strapped on my trusty Rolex Explorer I and headed to Daytona.
 

It was clear the moment we pulled up to the iconic track that Daytona is a Rolex town. Upon arriving at the Speedway, you're greeted by a giant sign emblazoned with the Rolex 24 at Daytona logo. Once inside, massive Rolex billboards are planted from one end of the track to the other. In the International horseshoe (the apex of Turn 3) and through the bus stop (turns 8 through 11) Rolex branding throughout covers the Daytona Speedway.
 

When asked about his relationship with Daytona, Pruett explained how special the track was to him, "You call that one special track, and this is that one special track for me. For people that don't know it, I call this place "my house!" for all the races I've won here. There's just so many great memories here for me."
 

We had so many incredible storylines at the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Perhaps more than any other race, the Rolex 24 attracts the most wide assortment of drivers and teams. This year saw 52 year old IndyCar/CART legend (and double amputee) Alex Zanardi get back behind the wheel with BMW’s factory team. Two-time F1 World Champion and Triple Crown seeker Fernando Alonso partnered with Wayne Taylor Racing for his shot at the Rolex 24. And while Scott Pruett retired after last year’s 24, four-time winner Christian Fittipaldi was giving it one last go in 2019.
 

For the start of the race, we had a comfortable vantage point just overlooking the start/finish line with panoramic views of the infield course, affectionately named the “international horseshoe.” With drivers from nearly every major country, this was truly an international event.
 

Around 4am, the rain began to fall on Daytona Speedway. A slight drizzle at first which led to a monstrous downpour. There are very few racing leagues that compete in the rain and to see these cars lap Daytona with huge rooster tails behind them was quite a sight. After hours of racing in the rain, IMSA officials red flagged (stopped) the race, which brought all of the cars to the pit lane.
 

During the soaked morning racing, Fernando Alonso and his squad at Wayne Taylor racing absolutely dominated in the rain. Alsonso, a 17 year veteran of Formula 1, was no stranger to the rain, and during one particularly notable stretch, he brought the #10 car through the back of the field to lead just before the stoppage. Dominance and mistake free driving are certainly key to winning the Rolex 24, but luck also has to play in your favor. In this case, the mechanical failures of Mazda’s DPi team, a fire and a turbo failure, helped the leaders remain at the top of the pack.
 

After hours of red flag conditions, a brief restart occurred around 9am. Cars returned to the track but found the conditions treacherous, heavy rain coupled with standing water on the track made for hydroplaning conditions and because of this, multiple accidents. While the cars only raced for 45 mins before the red flag was dropped again, we saw an intense battle between Alonso and fellow F1 veteran Felipe Nasr. In the end, Nasr ran wide at Turn 1 which helped Alonso take the lead and never relinquish it. 
 

After another red flag period, the race was officially called at 23hrs 50 mins. The overall winning team was the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R. Driven by Fernando Alonso, Jordan Taylor, Renger van Der Zande and Kamui Kobayashi. In victory lane, the drivers received their specially engraved Rolex Daytona’s by newly appointed US CEO Luca Bernasconi. In all, four teams and 16 drivers received Daytonas in victory lane. The most touching scene was seeing 19-year-old Colin Herta receive his watch for BMW’s GTLM win. He jokingly quipped, “I still live with my parents! This is now the most expensive thing I own.”
 

The Rolex 24 at Daytona was an extraordinary experience. The pairing of Rolex and endurance racing felt absolutely natural throughout the weekend. Rolex’s commitment to endurance racing will see the brand visit Sebring and Le Mans later this year. We’ll end this piece with a quote from Scott Pruett, "The race, over the last 24 hours, demanded the highest level of commitment, focus and dedication and the drivers have been inspirational. It is so amazing to see these drivers on the podium because so many of them are my friends, whether it’s Alonso and the Wayne Taylor team or the BMW squad – they all deserved victory.”