“Bucket list.” We all have some sort of “bucket list.” Some have a list full of things they want to acquire; some aspire to visit special places. I’ve been lucky, as a geologist, to visit many spectacular places. As a life-long Mustang lover, my list includes rare, or sought-after Mustangs. But I also have had some bucket list events.
Attending the IMSA (International MotorSports Association) Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona has always been a goal. But Ford’s recent surge in participationr eally pushed me to make certain I made the event this year. Back in 2006, my dad and I drove up to VIRand attended the IMSA races. That wasthe year that the Aluminator-based 2006 GT had a fantastic year in IMSA. That was a fun day for me and my dad. If he was still with us, he would have been over the moon to go to Daytona.
Living in Sumter, South Carolina, I’m somewhat centrally located. I realized that the trip to Daytona was approximately 5 hours vs the 8-hour trip when I lived in North Carolina. I determined that Saturday,January 24th, would be the best/longest day I could attend and cover both daytime and nighttime action on the track. Not to mention the forecast for Daytona, Florida, was in the 70’s vs the 30’s and 40’s in South Carolina. For those who haven’t attended this event, all ticketing is handled by the Daytona International Speedway’s website. I left Sumter mid-afternoon on Friday, January 23rd, and made it to Daytona just before dark. I chose an older motor court-style motel, on the beach, between Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach. It was quaint and I could step out and see the beach.
On Saturday morning I quickly made my way to the Speedway,about a 20-minute drive arriving at 9:30am, all paid parking was sold out. But that wasn’t a big deal since there was free parking behind the Volusia Mall, across the street from the Speedway. One thing to keep in mind if you’ve never been to an event at Daytona... The Speedway is HUGE! And, unlike a NASCAR event, you are going to move around all day, do different viewing locations vs sitting in one seat allday.
After getting inside the Speedway, I immediately visited the busy paddock, grid wall, and garages for all the IMSA teams competing in the24-hour race. This is where you realize that this sort of event pulls the most diverse attendance imaginable. There were people from all walks of life and from all corners of the world, making interesting conversations. The photo opportunities on the grid and garage area are outstanding. I then made my way to the manufacturer and vendor midway. I was very happy to see my friends from Carroll Shelby Racing set up in the vendor midway. It was even morspecial that they had special t-shirts for sale in remembrance of Gregg Biffle,No. 60 Tribute T-Shirt “Be Like Biff,” where all profits go to the Lake Norman Humane Society. I had to grab one ofthose. Another highlight was the Ford manufacture’s setup. They brought previous Ford GT racecars, had current GT3 racecar on display, as well as a GTD and the recent Dark Horse SC.
Once the race started, I moved from several different viewing locations in the grandstands, from between Turn 4 and the Start/Finish line, move up and down the stands all the way to Turn 1. This gave amazing views from above the track. I left about 4pm and took a break. Reminder… just walking the stands from Turn 1 back to Turn 4, where I came in, took 25 minutes. The Daytona Speedway is HUGE. I went back and drove my Gen 1 Raptor out onto Daytona Beach and took some cool photos. After a good two-hour rest, I ventured back to the Speedway to catch the sun going down and racing under the lights at night. This was absolutely one of my favorite racing experiences I’ve ever seen. The lights,the sounds, are almost indescribable. I stayed until nearly 10pm and watched the 10pm fireworks display from my truck on the way back to the motel.
Ford’s Determination and Challenge at the 2026 Rolex 24Hours of Daytona
This year’s running, the 64th edition, offered a dramatic mix of close competition, historic weather conditions, and a tough day on the scoreboard for Ford’s factory efforts. Ford Racing headed into Daytona with confidence — the team was coming off a strong year that included a GTD Pro class win at the 2025 Rolex 24 with the Mustang GT3. For 2026, the Mustang GT3 program returned with multiple entries and a strong driver roster, including Christopher Mies, Frédéric Vervisch and Sebastian Priaulx, aiming to defend and build on its success.
A Tough Endurance Test
Despite the optimistic buildup, the 24-hour race proved tobe a really tough test for the Ford teams. Unlike in 2025, when Ford reached the top step of the GTD Pro class, the Mustang GT3 entries couldn’t replicate that success this year.
Of the several Mustangs that took the green flag, only one,the No. 65 Mustang GT3, managed to finish the full 24 hours. That car, driven by Mies, Vervisch and Priaulx, showed flashes of competitiveness by leading 32 laps during the race, but ultimately finished in seventh place in the GTD Pro class as the grueling pace and competition took their toll.
The other Ford entries, including the No. 64 Mustang, were unable to complete the event, falling victim to the typical attrition of endurance racing that makes Daytona such a demanding challenge.
Weather, Caution Periods, and Competition
The 64th Rolex 24 was not only tough on Ford, but it was also one of the most unusual IMSA events in recent memory. A dense fog event overnight gave way to a full course caution that lasted more than six hours, taking away large portions of the race and testing team strategy and patience.
Meanwhile, competition at the front was fierce. Porsche Penske Motorsport claimed the overall victory for the third consecutive year intheir #7 Porsche 963 prototype, underscoring the strength of the factory prototype entries in the top class.
In the GTD Pro category, the class where Ford’s Mustang GT3s competed, BMW M Motorsport came out on top with the #1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO from Paul Miller Racing, It is evident that the evolving nature of GT3 competition in IMSA for 2026 and just how tight the racing will be over the course of the year
The performance of the No. 65 Mustang GT3, leading laps and finishing on the lead lap, showed the pace and potential is there for victory. Ford’s continued investment in GT3 competition reiterates its long-term commitment to endurance racing, and the lessons from Daytona will surely feed into future development.
Final Thought
I highly recommend attending an IMSA event at the road course closest to you in 2026. It just hits “different,” and will leave you with a broader prospective of the cars we all love. Who knows, maybe you’ll get the spark to enter a road course driving event, or autocross. It is evident that Ford has worked very hard to make sure our cars are enjoyable in the twisties, not just in a straightline.
