Making Every Second Count at the 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona

As the small hand on the  Rolex countdown clock completed its final rotation, the 64th running of the Rolex  24 At DAYTONA was decided by just 1.569 seconds. Across 24 hours, from day to  night and back again, North America’s premier endurance race demanded absolute  precision from team, driver and machine. Ultimately, it was the #7 Porsche Penske  Motorsport that prevailed to take the chequered flag and, in doing so, secured the  car’s third consecutive overall win at the race. Ever-present at Daytona International  Speedway® since the late 1950s, Rolex officially became Title Sponsor in 1992, with  the crown bearing witness to the competition’s greatest moments.  

The opening moments set the tone for an exceptional weekend for spectators and  competitors alike. Rolex Testimonee and 11-time LPGA Tour champion Lexi Thompson  traded the fairway for the racetrack to serve as Grand Marshal of the event, delivering  the iconic command, “Drivers, start your engines” to a record attendance of racing  fans. Among those watching the action was fellow member of the Rolex family 

Jenson Button. He said: “I have always loved this race and had a great experience  competing here in 2024. Fresh from retiring from full-time racing, it’s been amazing  to be back at the Rolex 24 this weekend and to witness the action as a spectator  without the pressure of racing.” 

This intensity played out on the tri-oval 5.73 kilometre (3.56 mile) track, renowned for  its dramatic 31-degree banking – designed specifically to enable vehicles to reach  higher speeds. For the 228 drivers across the 60-car field, the race quickly became a  test of determination and concentration, as thick mist covered the speedway from dusk  until dawn. After a prolonged safety car period, with 6 hours 30 minutes remaining, the  drivers and their teams were unleashed, leading to a sprint to the finish. Discussing the  race, Rolex Testimonee and five-time Rolex 24 At DAYTONA winner Scott Pruett said:  “Managing the added complication of the fog has shaped the teams’ tactics this  weekend. Even under the yellow flags, you’re still racing and there’s a tremendous  amount of strategy that plays out during cautions which can ultimately decide the race  – if you don’t prepare and execute everything perfectly, you won’t win. A victory is  shared by each and every member of a team, and that’s what is so incredibly special  about this race.” 

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making every second count at the  

2026 ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA 

Success was secured by the smallest margins across all categories, in the Le Mans  Prototype 2 (LMP2) it was the #4 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA which clinched  the win. The #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW secured first place in the Grand Touring  Daytona Pro (GTD Pro) category and it was the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG  in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class. 

The journey to Victory Lane culminated in the presentation of a specially engraved  Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona to the winning drivers. This year marks the  100th anniversary since the launch of the Oyster, a watch which accompanied Sir  Malcolm Campbell during his World Land Speed Records on Daytona Beach in the  1930s and inspired the creation of the Daytona timepiece. Designed for motor  racing professionals in 1963, and forever joined in name to this mythical place, the  chronograph has become the ultimate reward for achievement on track. In admiration  for Rolex’s partnership with Daytona, Rolex Testimonee Tom Kristensen said: “Rolex  has been a part of this event since the very beginning and the relationship is a match  made in heaven. Rolex is an institution at Daytona International Speedway, embedded  in the history and representing and rewarding the extraordinary. Winning a Daytona at  Daytona is a dream for any driver, this watch is the ultimate symbol of racing success.” 

Each year the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA marks the beginning of the global endurance  racing calendar and Rolex’s presence at the heart of the sport. As the pinnacle  moment of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the event sets the  tone for a season shaped by close competition and innovation. From Daytona, action  unfolds around the clock and the globe, with the FIA World Endurance Championship  (WEC) commencing in late March and building towards the 24 Hours of Le Mans in  June, where Rolex marks 25 years of partnership. In 2026, the Swiss watchmaker also  celebrates a decade as Official Timepiece of the WEC, affirming its commitment to the  sport’s most prestigious events, championships and governing bodies.

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2026 ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA 

ROLEX AND MOTOR SPORT 

Rolex celebrates human achievement, recognizing the journey marked by milestones  and emotions that culminates in defining moments – determined by a path followed,  not just a trophy. In motor sport, this association started in the 1930s when Sir  Malcolm Campbell set World Land Speed Records on Daytona Beach with a Rolex  Oyster on his wrist. Since then, the Swiss watchmaker’s support has grown,  extending to the sport’s most esteemed figures, revered endurance championships  and other leading events. This affiliation encompasses the FIA World Endurance  Championship (WEC), the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Championship and the contests  that together form the Triple Crown of Endurance Racing – the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA,  the Twelve Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. For almost three decades,  Rolex has also had a global appreciation for classic automotive events steeped in  elegance, beauty and tradition, including the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®  and the Goodwood Revival. Rolex welcomed motor sport legend Sir Jackie Stewart  into its family of Testimonees in 1968 and he has since been joined by fellow high  achievers, namely: Tom Kristensen, the record nine-time winner of the 24 Hours  of Le Mans; Mark Webber, the 2015 FIA World Endurance Champion and multiple  Formula 1® Grand Prix™ winner; Jenson Button, the 2009 FIA Formula 1® Drivers’  World Champion who competed in the WEC in 2024 and 2025; Jamie Chadwick, who  continues to break down barriers across the world of motor sport; and Nyck de Vries,  a leading figure in the WEC.