24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona is an annual North American sports-car endurance race held at Daytona International Speedway in Florida.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
The 24 Hours of Daytona is one of the best-known endurance races in North America and the opening round of the IMSA SportsCar Championship. It is staged annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, usually on the last weekend of January or the first weekend of February as part of Speedweeks. The event is commonly called the Rolex 24 at Daytona because Rolex has been its title sponsor since 1992. The race is run on Daytona's 3.56-mile combined road-course layout. The circuit incorporates much of the speedway's steeply banked tri-oval together with an infield road course, chicanes, high-speed sections and tight corners. Unlike the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the race takes place entirely within a closed racing facility rather than on public roads. Teams compete continuously through daylight, darkness and changing weather, with drivers sharing the car in rotating stints. A typical entry uses three or four drivers, although the exact composition depends on the sporting regulations and class. The event developed from the Daytona Continental, which began as a three-hour sports-car race in 1962. It was expanded to 2,000 kilometers in 1964 and became a 24-hour contest in 1966. The first 24-hour edition was won by Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby in a Ford Mk. II. The race quickly became an important meeting point for manufacturers, professional drivers, private teams and North American sports-car specialists. Its results have helped establish the reputations of marques including Ford, Ferrari, Porsche, Lola, BMW, Chevrolet, Cadillac and Acura. Daytona is frequently described as part of an informal endurance-racing Triple Crown, alongside the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Its winter date, large international field and combination of prototype and GT machinery give it a distinctive position in the global racing calendar. Overall victory is contested by the fastest prototype category, while GT classes allow production-based or production-inspired cars to compete for separate class honors. The race's class structure has changed repeatedly as sanctioning bodies and technical regulations evolved. It was associated with IMSA's GT-era championships, later became closely linked with the Grand-Am program, and ultimately became part of the unified IMSA SportsCar Championship. Daytona Prototypes were introduced in the early 2000s as a cost-controlled prototype formula. Manufacturer-backed Daytona Prototype international cars followed in 2017. In 2023, the premier class adopted the LMDh-based Grand Touring Prototype specification, while Le Mans Hypercars were also eligible under the convergence of major endurance-racing regulations. Rolex's sponsorship has become part of the event's identity. Earlier title sponsors included Pepsi and SunBank. Since the Rolex partnership began, overall and class-winning drivers have traditionally received Rolex watches, continuing a broader Daytona tradition in which winners received timepieces. The association reinforces the race's themes of precision, durability and performance while also linking it to the Rolex Daytona chronograph family. The event remains active and internationally prominent. It serves as a major launch point for manufacturer programs, a showcase for new endurance-racing technology and a high-profile annual gathering for teams and drivers from multiple disciplines. Its hybrid-era prototype regulations have added an additional technology narrative, with electrified powertrains competing alongside conventional engines under controlled energy-use rules.
History
The modern 24 Hours of Daytona traces its lineage to the Daytona Continental, although a separate six-hour or 1,000-kilometer race had already been held at the newly opened Daytona circuit in 1959. That earlier contest used a different format and is generally not treated as part of the direct lineage of the later 24-hour event. The Daytona Continental began in 1962 as a three-hour sports-car race counting toward the FIA's International Championship for GT Manufacturers. Dan Gurney won the first edition in a Lotus 19. The race produced an unusual classification episode: after an engine failure shortly before the finish, Gurney allowed his Lotus to roll across the banking under gravity after the time limit expired. The incident contributed to the development of a rule requiring a car to cross the line under its own power to be classified as a finisher. In 1964, the event was lengthened to 2,000 kilometers, making it comparable with major European long-distance races and with Florida's 12 Hours of Sebring. Two years later it became a 24-hour race, aligning it more directly with Le Mans. Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby won the first 24-hour edition for Ford. The early years established Daytona as a venue where factory programs and leading international drivers could compete against American teams. Ferrari produced a celebrated 1-2-3 finish in 1967, and the victory helped inspire the unofficial Daytona nickname for the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 road car. Porsche repeated the achievement in 1968, while Lola won in 1969 with the Penske Lola T70-Chevrolet driven by Mark Donohue and Chuck Parsons. The race also became notable for its participation by women drivers. In 1966, Suzy Dietrich, Janet Guthrie and Donna Mae Mims shared a Sunbeam Alpine and finished the event, forming one of the first women's teams to complete an international-standard 24-hour race. The starting procedure and sporting rules changed during the 1970s. A standing-style start was used in 1970, while rolling starts became standard from 1971. Regulation changes in 1972 restricted engine displacement and imposed weight limits. That year's event was shortened to six hours under FIA-related rules, and the 1974 race was canceled amid the energy crisis. The Sports Car Club of America sanction was replaced by IMSA in 1975, and the race later became part of the IMSA GT Championship. Endurance racing at Daytona experienced further organizational changes as ownership and sanctioning structures shifted. During the 1990s, the event moved toward the Grand-Am framework, which emphasized controlled costs and close competition and was closely connected with NASCAR. The Daytona Prototype formula was introduced in 2002 and first appeared in the race in 2003. Its simpler aerodynamics and less expensive construction were intended to reduce development costs while retaining the visual and strategic character of prototype racing. The event's technical identity continued to evolve. Daytona Prototype international cars arrived in 2017, using LMP2-based chassis combined with manufacturer-specific engines and bodywork. The modern GT categories also changed substantially. From 2014, GT Daytona was restricted to Group GT3-based cars, while GT Le Mans used machinery derived from the international LM GTE formula. In 2022, the GT structure was reorganized into GTD and GTD PRO. Both use FIA GT3-based cars, but GTD requires an amateur-rated driver whereas GTD PRO permits more open driver lineups. The 2023 season introduced the Grand Touring Prototype era based on LMDh regulations, with Le Mans Hypercars also permitted under the broader convergence between IMSA and international endurance racing. Acura's ARX-06 became the first hybrid-powered overall winner, illustrating the event's role as a proving ground for new propulsion systems. Hybrid cars must comply with prescribed energy-use limits and monitoring systems, making control strategy as important as outright engine output. Rolex has been the title sponsor since 1992, following earlier sponsorship by SunBank and Pepsi. The sponsorship helped consolidate the Rolex 24 at Daytona name, while winner's watches continued a tradition associated with the practical use of chronographs in racing. Today, the race remains an annual centerpiece of North American motorsport, attracting factory-supported prototypes, GT competitors, established endurance specialists and prominent guest drivers. Its combination of winter conditions, long nighttime running, banking, infield corners and multi-class traffic makes it both a sporting competition and a highly visible test of vehicle reliability and team execution.
- 2023
LMDh-era prototypes and first hybrid overall win
[1]The race adopted the new top-class prototype regulations, and an Acura ARX-06 became the first hybrid overall winner.
- 2022
GTD and GTD PRO structure adopted
[1]IMSA separated the former GT Daytona concept into GTD and GTD PRO categories using FIA GT3-based cars.
- 2017
DPi prototype era begins
[1]Manufacturer-styled Daytona Prototype international cars were introduced.
- 2003
Daytona Prototype debut
[1]The cost-controlled Daytona Prototype category entered the race.
- 1992
Rolex title sponsorship begins
[1]Rolex replaced SunBank as the event's title sponsor.
- 1975
IMSA becomes sanctioning body
[1]The event's sanctioning structure moved from the Sports Car Club of America to the International Motor Sports Association.
- 1966
First 24-hour edition
[1]Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby won the inaugural 24-hour race in a Ford Mk. II.
- 1964
Distance expanded to 2,000 kilometers
[1]The race was lengthened to a major long-distance format.
- 1962
Daytona Continental begins
[1]The three-hour Daytona Continental was introduced as an international sports-car race.
- 1959
First sports-car race at the new Daytona circuit
[1]A separate six-hour or 1,000-kilometer USAC-FIA race was held soon after the track opened. It is a predecessor venue event rather than part of the direct 24-hour lineage.
Products and positioning
A premier North American endurance-racing event positioned around speed, technical innovation, team strategy, driver endurance and international manufacturer competition.
Endurance race · 1966
Rolex 24 at Daytona
The event's current sponsored identity and principal offering. It is a 24-hour multi-class sports-car race held on Daytona International Speedway's combined road course. Teams contest overall and class victories while managing driver rotations, fuel, tires, traffic, weather and mechanical reliability.
Prototype racing class · 2023
Grand Touring Prototype
The premier modern prototype category at Daytona. It is based on the LMDh technical framework and allows manufacturer-branded bodywork and hybrid powertrains, with Le Mans Hypercars also eligible under the converged regulations.
GT racing classes · 2022
GTD and GTD PRO
Production-based GT categories using cars built to FIA GT3-derived rules. GTD requires an amateur-rated driver, while GTD PRO has a more open driver lineup and is intended for professional manufacturer and team competition.
Marketing campaigns
- 1992Rolex title sponsorship
United States · International motorsport audience
Rolex assumed title sponsorship and helped establish the Rolex 24 at Daytona identity. The partnership connects the race with precision timekeeping and the tradition of awarding watches to winners.
Outcome. The sponsored name remains the event's best-known commercial identity.
Brand decisions
2023
Introduce the LMDh-era prototype specificationGeneration changeBackground
IMSA and international endurance-racing bodies converged around new prototype regulations intended to support manufacturer participation and technical relevance.
Action taken
Grand Touring Prototype regulations based on LMDh were adopted, with Le Mans Hypercars also permitted.
Aftermath
The Acura ARX-06 delivered the first hybrid overall victory in the event, making electrified propulsion part of Daytona's top-class history.
2022
Split the GT Daytona structure into GTD and GTD PROStrategyBackground
IMSA revised its GT class organization to distinguish amateur-inclusive competition from professional manufacturer-oriented competition.
Action taken
GTD and GTD PRO were established using the same FIA GT3-based car rules but different driver eligibility requirements.
Aftermath
The two-class structure remains part of the modern WeatherTech SportsCar Championship format.
2014
Restrict GT Daytona to GT3-based carsStrategyBackground
IMSA and the event needed a more internationally recognizable and cost-relevant GT framework.
Action taken
The GT Daytona category was restricted to Group GT3-derived cars, alongside the LM GTE-based GT Le Mans class.
Aftermath
The change aligned the GT field more closely with global GT3 competition and preceded the later GTD/GTD PRO split.
2002
Adopt cost-controlled Daytona Prototype rulesStrategyBackground
The Grand-Am environment sought to make prototype sports-car racing less expensive and to encourage close competition.
Action taken
A simpler, lower-cost prototype formula was introduced, with reduced aerodynamic and materials complexity.
Aftermath
Daytona Prototype cars first appeared in the race in 2003 and shaped the event's Grand-Am-era identity.
1966
Expand the event to 24 hoursGeneration changeBackground
The earlier Daytona Continental had been run over shorter distances and durations, while the organizers sought a race comparable with the world's leading endurance events.
Action taken
The event became a full 24-hour contest, creating the format that defines the modern race.
Aftermath
Daytona became a major international endurance event and an important counterpart to Le Mans and Sebring.
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