{"id":32133,"date":"2024-01-29T12:16:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-29T16:16:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=32133"},"modified":"2024-01-29T12:16:02","modified_gmt":"2024-01-29T16:16:02","slug":"the-d-at-the-d-daytona-24-hours-attracts-detroits-top-race-teams-from-ford-to-gm-to-penske","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/the-d-at-the-d-daytona-24-hours-attracts-detroits-top-race-teams-from-ford-to-gm-to-penske","title":{"rendered":"The D at the D: Daytona 24 Hours attracts Detroit’s top race teams from Ford to GM to Penske"},"content":{"rendered":"

Daytona Beach, Florida<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 The Detroit Lions have their eye on winning a Super Bowl. Detroit\u2019s biggest automotive names have their eyes on winning the Super Bowl of American sportscar racing.<\/p>\n

Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford and Penske are in Daytona Beach this weekend for the 62nd<\/sup>\u00a0running of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona \u2014 the first race on the highly-competitive IMSA Weathertech Sportscar calendar. The series has become a must for international performance brands putting their thoroughbreds against the best in the world \u2014 while testing their equipment over 24 hours at over 200 mph on Daytona\u2019s icon roval (road course combined with NASCAR oval).<\/p>\n

Like the football Super Bowl, the epic Rolex 24 attracts a who\u2019s who of drivers from IndyCar, Formula One, and even celebrity Brad Pitt, who will be capturing footage for his new racing movie.<\/p>\n

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Proton is the first private entry of the Ford Mustang GT3 at Daytona. <\/em>Wes Duenkel<\/em><\/p>\n

Cadillac\u2019s GTP hybrid prototypes swept the front row of qualifying last weekend and will be carrying the American flag against foreign rivals from Acura, BMW and Porsche. The latter is partnered with Roger \u201cThe Captain\u201d Penske, the Bloomfield Hills-based team owner seeking his second Daytona 24 win to go with his chart-topping 19 Indy 500 victories. Team Penske partners with Chevrolet in IndyCar, but for international sportscar racing, it has teamed with the most successful sportscar team in motorsport. Porsche\u2019s 23 Daytona wins is unmatched.<\/p>\n

But for all the firepower at the front of the grid, the rivalry that many in the Motor City will be watching is in the GT class as Corvette and Mustang go head-to-head for the first time in the GT class.<\/p>\n

Both brands have embraced new rules by the North American IMSA series and international World Endurance Championship that have standardized GT3 racing qualifications across the world. Manufacturers can sell their race cars to private teams in multiple international series.<\/p>\n

The Corvette Z06 GT3.R and Mustang GT3 will debut for the first time in Daytona. They will not only be racing each other but also GT3 entries from a who\u2019s who of manufacturers including Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, McLaren, Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, and Acura.<\/p>\n

\"Corvette<\/figure>\n

Corvette Racing at Daytona 24 Hour. Richard Prince Richard@rprincephoto.com<\/em><\/p>\n

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Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley \u2014 who once famously trash-talked General Motors Co. saying “I’m going to beat Chevrolet on the head with a bat, and I’m going to enjoy it\u201d \u2014 downplayed the matchup. \u201cOf course we want to beat them, but it really is chalk and cheese,\u201d he said in an interview of the production sportscars aimed at different demographics.<\/p>\n