We Are the Champions: Winning Men and Machines Reunite for 50th Anniversary of Rolex 24

When NASCAR driver A. J. Allmendinger took the checkered flag by a slim margin of 5.198 seconds on Sunday afternoon, it ended a week of festivities dedicated to celebrating the golden anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. Since 1962, drivers and manufacturers from around the world have journeyed to one of the meccas of American motorsport to compete on Daytona's storied road course. The sanctioning bodies and technical specifications may have changed over the years, but many of the names have not: Porsche, Lola, BMW, Ferrari, Ford, and Chevrolet; Gurney, Haywood, Donohue, Pruett, and Rahal. These are but a few of the celebrated marques and legendary drivers that have in one way or another made an indelible mark at Daytona in the last 50 years. To celebrate their legacy, the powers that be at Grand-Am and Daytona took upon themselves the Herculean task of assembling as many of the former winning drivers and cars as they could locate for a 50-year class reunion and a pair of ceremonial laps around the celebrated circuit.  By the time the event kicked off, nearly thirty cars and close to forty champion drivers had been gathered. Just a few hours before commencement of the Rolex 24 on Saturday, the vintage machinery took to the track, shaking out cobwebs and blowing out carbon, creating a spine-tingling sight for fans of racing history. The once-in-a-lifetime event was enjoyed by all ages, but the old timers' grins were by far the widest. Peruse the photo gallery and check out the video below, which features Bobby Rahal talking  about climbing in to his 1981 Rolex-winning Porsche 935K3 for the first time in thirty years. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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