Five-time Rolex 24 At DAYTONA champion Scott Pruett will serve as Grand Marshal for the 57th anniversary Rolex 24 At DAYTONA on Jan. 26-27, giving the “Drivers, start your engines” command for North America’s most prestigious sports car race.
The Rolex 24, which kicks off IMSA’s season-long 50th anniversary season and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, will showcase an international field of drivers in exotic sports cars around the twists and turns of Daytona International Speedway’s 3.56-mile road course. Rolex support for this twice-around-the-clock challenge dates back to 1992, when the Swiss watchmaker became its Title Sponsor.
“It’s impossible for me to sum up, in just a few words, how honored I am to be chosen as Grand Marshal for the 57th anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona,” Pruett said. “This track is truly special to me for so many reasons. To be the Grand Marshal in itself is wonderful and to be it while ushering in the 50th Anniversary of IMSA makes it all the more special. It’s going to be an emotional weekend and start of the race for me, personally, as I’m sure I will miss suiting up and taking the wheel.”
Pruett, friend of Rolex, has raced in many forms of motorsports including NASCAR, open wheel, sports car and karting. He retired from competition following the 2018 Rolex 24 as the all-time leader in IMSA with 60 victories and nine championships.
At Daytona, he owns five Rolex 24 overall victories, an all-time record he shares with Hurley Haywood, and also holds the record for Rolex 24 class victories with 10. Other Daytona successes include two summer sports car victories and a triumph in the 1991 International Race of Champions series opening round.
Daytona Beach was the setting for another career milestone for Pruett in 2017, when he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, which resides in the speedway’s Ticket and Tours Building.
“Scott Pruett is a true American legend in road racing,” Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile said. “In a career that has spanned 50 years, Scott has experienced numerous successes and triumphs, many of them right here at Daytona International Speedway. He was a versatile driver who was always relentless and focused on track, and an engaging personality off the track. We look forward to having Scott preside as Grand Marshal for the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA.”
Tickets for the 2019 Rolex 24 At DAYTONA can be purchased online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP. Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and Snapchat, and by downloading Daytona International Speedway’s mobile app, for the latest Speedway news throughout the season.
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 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre 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 concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.
About Rolex
AN UNRIVALLED REPUTATION FOR QUALITY AND EXPERTISE
Rolex, a Swiss watch manufacture headquartered in Geneva, is recognized the world over for its expertise and the quality of its products. Its Oyster and Cellini watches, all certified as Superlative Chronometers for their precision, performance and reliability, are symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. Founded by Hans Wilsdorf in 1905, the brand pioneered the development of the wristwatch and is at the origin of numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism invented in 1931. Rolex has registered over 400 patents in the course of its history. A truly integrated and independent manufacturing company, Rolex designs, develops and produces in-house all the essential components of its watches, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Through philanthropic programmes and a broad palette of sponsorship activities, Rolex is also actively involved in supporting the arts, sports and exploration, and encourages the spirit of enterprise, as well as the conservation of natural environments.