31 January, 2021
The Rolex 24 at Daytona is once again stacked with superstars – Kevin Magnussen fresh out of Formula One, reigning IndyCar champion Scott Dixon and Chase Elliott, two months removed from his first NASCAR title.
All part of a robust field of 50 entries just a year removed from a record-low car count, even in a pandemic, the Rolex 24 is the place to be for racers.
The prestigious international sports car race began in 1962 as the three-hour Daytona Continental before Bill France Sr. expanded it four years later into a twice-around-the-clock endurance event. France wanted the top road racers in the world at his Florida facility and created the stage for them to come.
Johnson invigorated after stint in prestigious Rolex 24
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Daytona 24H: Jimmie Johnson s case of nerves ahead of stint
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By Holly Cain-IMSA Wire Service
Chase Elliott and Jimmie Johnson will both be competing in this weekend s Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. Elliott will compete in the No 31. and Johnson in the No. 48, both for Action Express Racing. Photo: IMSA Wire Service
For all intents and purposes, NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott will be starting the 2021 season where he finished the 2020 season – out front.
Elliott’s No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R team has won the pole position for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona this weekend. And one of his primary competitors for the coveted new Rolex watch will be his former Hendrick Motorsports teammate, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson.