Chasing History: The Veterans Still Hunting Their First Rolex 24 Victory
Daytona International Speedway has a way of staying with drivers long after they leave. You can win at Le Mans, succeed at the Nürburgring, and build a career full of major results, yet this 24‑hour race in Florida can remain the one that refuses to fall into place.
As teams prepare for the season opener, the focus isn’t only on lap times. It’s on the veterans who have been coming here for years and still don’t have a Rolex to show for it. For several accomplished drivers, the Rolex 24 is the most obvious missing achievement.
Alexander Sims: The Corvette Driver Still Chasing the One That Matters
Alexander Sims knows how painful Daytona can be. The reigning GTD PRO champion has achieved nearly everything with Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports except winning this race.
In 2021, Sims was part of a group that controlled the event for 21 hours. They avoided trouble, executed cleanly, and looked set for a dominant win. Instead, they finished second to their teammates. Now, Sims enters the weekend as the only member of the six‑driver Corvette lineup without a Rolex 24 victory.
He keeps his comments measured, pointing out that the race pays the same points as any other round. But anyone who has come this close understands the difference between a solid finish and the one that stays with you. Sims has been on the doorstep. He wants the result that has eluded him.
Earl Bamber: One Win Away From a Rare Achievement
Earl Bamber’s résumé is already impressive: two overall Le Mans victories, years of top‑level experience, and a reputation for being reliable and fast. Yet after 12 attempts at the Rolex 24, he has never won here.
He returns in the No. 31 Cadillac V‑Series.R. Bamber approaches the race with patience, saying that staying in the sport long enough should eventually produce a win. Still, twelve starts without one is a long stretch for a driver of his caliber.
A victory would mean more than a trophy. It would complete the informal endurance racing “Grand Slam”: Daytona, Le Mans, Spa‑Francorchamps, and the Nürburgring. Only a small group of drivers has done it.
His teammate Nick Tandy is one of them. Bamber is one result away from joining that list. He believes the team is prepared, but he also knows the final hours of the Rolex 24 at Daytona often depend on circumstances no one can predict.
Turner and Vasser Sullivan: Strong Teams Still Waiting for Their Breakthrough
Turner Motorsport and Vasser Sullivan have been competitive for years, yet the Rolex 24 win continues to slip away. Turner’s BMW program is one of the most recognizable in IMSA, but Robby Foley enters his tenth attempt without a victory. The team is consistently competitive, but the final result has never been in their favor.
Vasser Sullivan’s Lexus program has a similar story. Kyle Kirkwood, an IndyCar driver and former IMSA champion, has driven for the team in five of their eight Daytona appearances. They bring strong lineups and fast cars. They qualify well. But as Kirkwood notes, wanting a win doesn’t guarantee anything here.
Endurance racing rewards consistency, clean traffic management, and reliability. Surviving the night often matters more than outright pace. For these teams, the wait has become increasingly difficult.
Why the Rolex 24 Matters in 2026
The Rolex 24 has always been important, but the 2026 edition arrives at a moment when the stakes feel higher than usual. The field is deeper, the manufacturer involvement is stronger, and the competitive gap between classes has tightened.
With new machinery settling into the middle of its development cycle, this race becomes an early indicator of which programs have built a reliable foundation and which still have work to do. A win here doesn’t just provide momentum, but does establish credibility in a season where the margins are expected to be extremely small.
Teams know that leaving Daytona with a strong result can influence the entire year, especially with a schedule that rewards consistency as much as outright speed. For the drivers still searching for their first Rolex 24 win, the significance is even more personal.
Many of them have accomplished nearly everything else in their careers, yet this race remains the one that continues to slip away. With the current level of competition, opportunities are becoming harder to come by.
A victory in 2026 would not only fill a noticeable gap on their résumé but also secure their place in a rapidly evolving era of sports car racing. The Rolex 24 has always been a benchmark.
Yet, with so many veterans nearing the later stages of their peak years and so many young drivers rising quickly, the urgency is clear. This isn’t just another season opener. It’s a chance to claim a result that may not come around again soon.
What’s Next
As the Rolex 24 field prepares for the long race ahead, attention naturally turns to the No. 3 Corvette, the No. 31 Cadillac, the No. 96 BMW, and the Vasser Sullivan Lexus entries. These teams aren’t simply looking for a strong start. They are trying to close chapters that have remained open for years.
Younger drivers may be focused on gaining experience, but the veterans understand how rare these opportunities are. Daytona doesn’t guarantee anything. You have to earn it, and for Bamber, Sims, Foley, and Kirkwood, the chance to finally change their Daytona story has been a long time coming.
