Famed Manufacturer Looks To Continue Heritage In 50th Anniversary of Rolex 24 At Daytona
Ferrari is back on the high banks.
Returning to Daytona International Speedway, site of so many past sport car glories for the famed manufacturer, Ferrari will debut its version of the F458 Italia specifically built for the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series on Tuesday and Wednesday. Several of the new cars are expected to compete in the 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 28-29, 2012.
Factory driver Jamie Melo is expected to be the lead driver in the test, slated to beginning at 9 a.m. both days.“This test is highly significant and obviously exciting, not only for the present but also the future of GRAND-AM,” said Mark Raffauf, GRAND-AM’s managing director of competition. “A major Ferrari presence at the Rolex 24 in January … what a showcase for the new car and the Rolex Series. This is indicative of a burgeoning European manufacturer interest in GRAND-AM.”
Ferrari’s presence at Daytona dates back to the inaugural Daytona Continental in 1962 – the precursor to the Rolex 24 – which had nine Ferraris among the 50 starters. Ferraris have raced in 47 of the 49 editions of the endurance classic, winning overall five times among 15 class victories.
Phil Hill, who became the first American to win the Formula One World Championship in 1961, joined Ricardo Rodriguez in a Ferrari Dino 246SP to finish second overall behind Dan Gurney in the 1962 Daytona Continental. Four Ferraris finished in the top 10, including the class-winning Ferrari 250GT of Stirling Moss and the Ferrari 250TR of George Constantine. The Ferrari entry also included NASCAR superstar Fireball Roberts, who finished 12th in a 250GT.
Ferrari came back to finish 1-2 in the 1963 event – with Pedro Rodriguez winning over Roger Penske – and 1-2-3 in 1964, when Pedro Rodriguez and Hill led a 1-2-3 sweep
Ferrari’s biggest factory effort at Daytona was in 1967, at the height of the Ferrari vs. Ford battle for international sports car supremacy. With Ford scoring podium finishes at both Daytona and Le Mans in 1966, Ferrari rebounded with a 1-2-3 sweep at Daytona, led by Lorenzo Bandini and Chris Amon in a Ferraro 330P4.
Other milestones for Ferrari include Mario Andretti and Jacky Ickx winning overall in 1972 in a Ferrari 312PB, and Gianpiero Moretti, Arie Luyendyk, Mauro Baldi and Didier Theys winning in 1998 in a Kevin Doran-prepared Ferrari 333SP.
Ferraris have competed annually in the Rolex 24 At Daytona since GRAND-AM began sanctioning the event in 2000 in addition to participating in additional events. Ferrari of Washington won the Rolex Series team and drivers championships in the production-based GT class in both 2002 and 2003. Bill Auberlen and Cort Wagner – who co-drove the team’s Ferrari 360GT – shared the 2002 title, winning five races. Wagner repeated as champion the following year, winning eight races with co-driver and co-champion Brent Martini.
Ferrari Highlights in Rolex 24 At Daytona
1962: Phil Hill and Ricardo Rodriguez finish second overall in a Ferrari Dino 246SDP fielded by Ferrari’s North American importer Luigi Chinetti Sr. Stirling Moss finishes fourth in NART Ferraro 250GT and wins S+5000 class. NASCAR star Fireball Roberts finishes 12th in a NART Ferrari 250GT.1963: Pedro Rodriguez wins overall in the three-hour Daytona Continental in a Ferrari 250 GTO, fielded by Chinetti’s North America Racing Team (NART). Roger Penske finished second in a similar car fielded by John Mecom.1964: Rodriguez and Hill win overall in a NART Ferrari 250 GTO as the Daytona Continental is expanded to 2,000 kilometers (approximately 12 hours, 30 minutes.) Ferraris finish 1-2-3.1966: Rodriguez and Mario Andretti finish fourth overall in a NART Ferrari 365P2/3 as the Daytona event is expanded to 24 hours.1967: Bouncing back to setbacks at Daytona and Le Mans, Ferrari orchestrates a 1-2-3 photo finish, led by Lorenzo Bandini and Chris Amon in a factory-fielded Ferrari 330P4.1970: Andretti, Jacky Ickx and Arturo Merzario finish third overall in a factory Ferrari 512S.1971: Ronnie Bucknum, Tony Adamowicz, Alain De Cadenet are second overall in NART Ferrari 512S.1972: Andretti and Ickx win overall in factory Ferrari 312PB in a one-time event at the six-hour distance.1973: In a return to 24 hours, Francois Migualt and Milt Minter place second overall and win the GT+2000 class in a NART Ferrari 365GTB/4 Daytona.1977: Budding racer-actor Paul Newman joins Minter and Elliott Forbes-Robinson in finishing fifth overall in a Ferrari 365GTB/4 Daytona.1979: John Morton and Adamowicz finish second overall and win the IMSA GTO class in a Ferrari 365GTB/4 entered by Otto Zipper, who passed away suddenly on the morning of the event. The team raced in his memory and won.1996: Gianpiero Moretti fields a Ferrari 333SP prepared by Kevin Doran and finishes second overall, co-driving with Wollek, Didier Theys and Massimiliano Papis. A late-race change by Papis falls short in the closest finish in the Rolex 24 to that time, earning him the nickname “Mad Max.”1997: A Ferrari 333SP finishes second overall for the second straight year, with entrant Andy Evans joined by Fermin Velez and Charles and Rob Morgan.1998: After years of trying, Moretti achieves his dream of winning the Rolex 24 in his 15th attempt, joined by Theys, Mauro Baldi and Arie Luyendyk in a Ferrari 333SP.1999: Wayne Taylor finishes second overall in a Doyle/Risi-entered Ferrari 333SP, co-driving with Max Angelelli, Allan McNish and Didier de Radigues.2003: Ralf Kelleners, Anthony Lazzaro and John Mowlem finish second overall in a Ferrari 360 Modena entered by Risi Competizione.
