Rolex 24 At DAYTONA Legends Andretti, Haywood, Pruett, Rahal, Roush and Taylor to Serve as Grand Marshals for North America’s Most Prestigious Sports Car Race
Daytona International Speedway Plays Host to 60th Anniversary of Iconic Around-the-Clock Race on Jan. 29-30
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 21, 2022) – Six of the greatest, most iconic drivers in the history of the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, will serve as Grand Marshals of the 60th Anniversary of the storied, around-the clock classic on Saturday, Jan. 29.
Mario Andretti, Hurley Haywood, Scott Pruett, Bobby Rahal, Jack Roush and Wayne Taylor – all of whom tasted victory in the Rolex 24 during different eras over the last six decades, will give the 61-car field the command to “start engines” to open the 2022 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
The sensational six, a “who’s who” in motorsports, have a grand total of 20 overall Rolex 24 victories as drivers and owners, having written many chapters of the record book of North America’s most prestigious sports car race. Haywood and Pruett lead the way with five overall Rolex 24 victories from behind the wheel while Roush reeled off 10 straight triumphs as an owner. Taylor, a two-time winner as a driver in the Rolex 24, will go for an unprecedented, record fourth consecutive triumph and fifth overall as an owner in next weekend’s race. Andretti and Rahal both recorded an overall Rolex 24 win as a driver.
“What a privilege it is to have these six racing legends with us for our 60th Anniversary Rolex 24 At DAYTONA,” said Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher. “Our fans will be able to see them up close and relive their incredible success here. It’s going to be a celebration of 60 years of memorable, iconic moments, and the then once the green flag falls, a continuation of a rich legacy at The World Center of Racing.”
The legends will be recognized in pre-race ceremonies and will also participate in Saturday morning’s driver autograph session inside the UNOH Fanzone. Below showcases their highlights in the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA and overall career success.
Mario Andretti – 1972 Rolex 24 Champion (6-hour race). 1967 DAYTONA 500 winner. 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner. Three-time Twelve Hours of Sebring winner (1967, 1970, 1972). Four-time IndyCar Champion (1965, 1966, 1969, 1984). 1978 Formula 1 World Champion.
Hurley Haywood – Five-time overall Rolex 24 Champion (1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1991). Three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner (1977, 1983, 1994). Two-time Twelve Hours of Sebring winner (1973, 1981). Two-time IMSA GT Champion (1971, 1972). 1988 Trans-Am Champion.
Scott Pruett – Five-time overall Rolex 24 Champion (1994, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013). Ten-time Rolex 24 class Champion (1987, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013). 60 career IMSA victories. Six-time IMSA Champion (1986, 1988, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012). 2014 Twelve Hours of Sebring overall winner. 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner. Three-time Trans-Am Champion (1987, 1994, 2003).
Bobby Rahal – 1981 overall Rolex 24 Champion as driver. 1987 Twelve Hours of Sebring-winning driver. Two-time Rolex 24 Champion team owner (2019, 2020). Three-time IndyCar Champion driver (1986, 1987, 1992). 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner. Two-time Indianapolis 500-winning team owner (2004, 2020). Two-time IMSA Champion team owner (2010, 2011).
Jack Roush – Winningest owner in Rolex 24 history (10 consecutive victories). 24 Championships and 119 victories in IMSA and SCCA competition. Eight-time NASCAR Championship-winning team owner. NASCAR Hall of Famer.
Wayne Taylor – Two-time Rolex 24 Champion driver (1996 and 2005). Four-time Rolex 24 Champion team owner (2017, 2019, 2020, 2021). Three-time sports car Champion (1994, 1996, 2005). 1996 Twelve Hours of Sebring winner. 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans winner. Two-time IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship-winning team owner (2013, 2017).
Editor’s Note:
To download photos and cutlines of the six iconic Grand Marshals, click here.
To download the new Roar Before the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA Presented by INX, as well as the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA logos, click here. Click Entry list and Weekend schedule.
The Rolex 24 At DAYTONA will feature competition in five classes: the headlining Daytona Prototype International (DPi), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP2), the new GTD PRO class making its world debut with factory teams and drivers, and GT Daytona (GTD) for customer racing programs.
This weekend (Jan. 21-23), The Roar Before the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA Presented by INX will consist of practices today and Saturday before Sunday’s 100-minute qualifying race at 2:05 p.m., which will determine the lineup for the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA.
Tickets are available for both The Roar Before the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA Presented by INX and the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA. Single-day tickets for this Friday and Sunday are just $15 for adults and kids 12-and-under are FREE. Single-day tickets on Saturday are $20 while kids 12-and-under are FREE. To be a part of The Roar Before the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA Presented by INX or the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, log onto www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.
In addition to cars on track this weekend during The Roar Before the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA Presented by INX, Daytona International Speedway will host Scout Days at DAYTONA, where thousands of scouts from across the nation take part in garage tours, track walks, and STEMWERX activities. STEMWERX inspires and equips bright young minds to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Their mission is to inspire students to choose careers in STEM fields and become the next generation of innovators.
Once the checkered flag falls on the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, the World Center of Racing will begin its focus on DAYTONA Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth (Feb. 15-20) and the 64th Annual DAYTONA 500. The week will feature six days of incredible on-track action with practices, qualifying and a total of six races among four different series. It will allow fans several possibilities to see the NASCAR Cup Series’ Next Gen car, plus some of the greatest drivers in the world in the NASCAR Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series, as well as the ARCA Menards Series.
For ticket information on Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth events, log onto www.DAYTONA500.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP. If fans are looking to buy or sell reserved seats for the DAYTONA 500, please visit SeatGeek, the Preferred Ticket Exchange of the DAYTONA 500 and Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth.
Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as the all-new NASCAR Tracks App, for the latest speedway news.
About Daytona International Speedway Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training. The iconic venue will be the site of a host of motorsports events early in 2022, beginning with AHRMA Classic Motofest and the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA in January, and the 64th DAYTONA 500, which will debut the first points race for NASCAR’s ‘Next Gen’ car as part of Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth in February. The tradition-rich 81st Annual Bike Week At DAYTONA returns in March, featuring DAYTONA Supercross and the DAYTONA 200, and in May with the Heroes Honor Festival. Later in the summer during Independence Day weekend, the track, in association with Torneos, will host Soccer Fest before the NASCAR Cup Series returns for the final race of the regular season with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Aug. 27.
Contact: Russell Branham DIS/NASCAR Communications rbranham@nascar.com
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