DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Daytona International Speedway announced the track will enter a long-term extension with Rolex to remain as the Rolex 24 Title Sponsor and Official Timepiece of the Rolex 24.
“We are honored to be extending our partnership with Rolex, a company that has been dedicated to Daytona and racing for decades,” said Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher. “The Rolex 24 has become one of the most celebrated races and this event continues to showcase top-skilled drivers and teams while the legendary Rolex countdown clock keeps time on the contest.”
Daytona’s partnership with Rolex has continued to grow since the 1950s, with the Swiss watchmaker becoming the Title Sponsor of the famed twice-around-the-clock race in 1992, having supported the event through every era and evolution and into the future.
This year celebrates the 100th anniversary of the iconic Rolex Oyster, a watch that made motoring history along Daytona Beach. Just a few years after its inception, Sir Malcolm Campbell sported the Oyster while driving his car Bluebird to a record-breaking speed of 272mph on the beach just down the road from Daytona. This moment originated the long-standing commitment between Rolex and motor racing and inspired the making of the Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona in 1963.
Luca Bernasconi, President & CEO, Rolex Watch U.S.A., said: “Rolex is delighted to continue its long-standing association with the Rolex 24 At Daytona, a race that embodies resilience, precision and dedication on the journey to achievement. This partnership reflects our deep connection to the event and endurance racing more widely, with Daytona standing as both a famed racing venue and the spiritual home of Rolex’s nearly century-long involvement in motorsport.”
In this race against time, Rolex will continue to carry on the tradition of marking defining moments and milestones at the race track. While the company’s clocks are showcased at endurance races around the world, Rolex has formed a legacy at Daytona.
The Rolex 24 has become one of the most prestigious competitions in racing, alongside the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Some of the greatest drivers push the boundaries of machines from sunrise to sunset at these formidable circuits.
Race winners at the 24-hour endurance race will receive a specially engraved Daytona timepiece. The prestigious watch represents not only the skill, power and drive it takes to compete in the daunting race, but the dedication Rolex has to Daytona as an enduring partner of the Rolex 24.
