ROLEX 24: Elford's Porsche Leads Heritage Expo

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ROLEX 24: Elford’s Porsche Leads Heritage Expo

Vic Elford will be the Grand Marshal at next weekend's Rolex 24 At Daytona. Fittingly, the Porsche 907 he drove to victory at Daytona in 1968 will also be featured.

Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series | http://www.grand-am.com/ | Posted January 25, 2010 Daytona Beach, FL

Vic Elford will be the Grand Marshal at next weekend's Rolex 24 At Daytona. Fittingly, the car that he drove to victory in the 1968 edition of the event - Porsche's first major international overall victory - will be featured in the Daytona Heritage Exhibition.

Chassis 907-005 won the 1968 Rolex 24, driven by 2010 Grand Marshal Vic Elford, Jochen Neerpasch, Jo Siffert, Hans Hermann and Rolf Stommelen. This was Porsche's first major overall endurance race victory. (Porsche)

Porsche 907-005 will be displayed throughout the weekend at the Goodyear Legends of Racing display in the Sprint FANZONE. Saturday morning, the car will be driven in the Rolex 24 Heritage Exhibition, driven by current owner Henry Payne.

Elford and the No. 54 Porsche were able to avoid problems that struck the other four team cars in the event. He started the race paired with Jochen Neerpasch, who took ill early in the event. Two of the factory Porsches were destroyed in a violent accident early in the race. Rolf Stommelen - co-driver on one of those cars - was moved to the Elford machine.

Elford took over the lead with more than three hours remaining. As a favor to Porsche racing director Huschke von Hanstein, Elford allowed factory drivers Jo Siffert and Hans Herrmann to run a few laps in the winning car to share in the victory.

Elford and his Porsche teammates cross the line together to capture the race win and the entire podium! (Porsche)

Elford and his quartet of co-drivers completed 673 laps, 2,565 miles, and averaged 106.697 mph. While he won by five laps, Porsche 907s swept the podium, and the three leading cars staged a 1-2-3 finish show similar to Ford at Le Mans in 1966 and Ferrari at Daytona in 1967.

Elford went on to finish third in the 1972 Daytona event, shortened to six hours due to an FIA ruling. He drove an Alfa Romeo, finishing behind the winning Ferraro pf Mario Andretti and Jacky Ickx. Elford's final drive in the Rolex 24 was in 1984, when he and Richard Attwood led the lineup in the 15th-place Porsche 928S, finishing fourth in IMSA Camel GTO - with Terry Labonte capturing class honors. The race was the only appearance of the 928S in American competition.

The Rolex 24 Heritage Exhibition features significant cars that played a major role in the history of America's premier sports car race. The current exhibition roster includes the 27 cars listed below. all of which are expected to take part in the exhibition race Saturday morning prior to the start of the 2010 Rolex 24 race.

1. 2000 Lola B2K-40
2. 1995 Cannibal
3. 1991 Acura Spice
4. 1966 Porsche 907 LH
5. 1991 Intrepid
6. 1968 Lola T-70
7. 1967 Chevrolet Camaro
8. 2000 Porsche 996 RSR
9. 1997 Porsche 993 RSR
10. 1997 IROC Firebird
11. 1972 Porsche 911
12. 1967 Lotus Cortina
13. 1980 Triumph TR-8
14. 1962 Jaguar E-type
15. 1995 R&S Mk III
16. 1971 Porsche 914/6 GT
17. 1971 Porsche 911 S
18. 1975 Porsche RSR
19. 1985 Porsche 962
20. 1978 Porsche 935
21. 1995 Mustang Cobra R
22. 1966 GT-350/R
23. 1970 Bud Moore Mustang
24. 1995 Ferrari 333/SP
25. 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
26. 1969 Porsche 917 K
27. 1985 Porsche 962