The circuit opened in 1959 and hosted a six-hour/1000-kilometre USAC-FIA sports car race that April, won by a Porsche, though this event is not considered part of the direct lineage of the 24-hour race.
In 1962, a three-hour Daytona Continental was introduced, counting toward the FIA's International Championship for GT Manufacturers. Dan Gurney won that inaugural edition in a Lotus 19. A notable moment from the race entered international rulebooks: Gurney's engine failed near the finish with time remaining; he stopped on the banking, and when the three hours elapsed, let gravity carry the car across the line to win. The resulting controversy produced the international regulation requiring all classified finishers to cross under their own power.
By 1964 the event had grown to 2,000 km, and from 1966 it was extended to the full 24-hour format, matching Le Mans in duration. The first 24-hour edition was won by Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby in a Ford Mk. II. Also in 1966, Suzy Dietrich, Janet Guthrie, and Donna Mae Mims finished 32nd, becoming the first women's team to complete an international 24-hour race.
Ferrari staged a famous 1-2-3 side-by-side formation finish on the banking in 1967, a result that informally gave the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 road car the nickname "Ferrari Daytona." Porsche responded with their own 1-2-3 result in 1968.
Each car is typically shared by three to five drivers who trade stints across the 24 hours. Teams enter across multiple prototype and GT classes. In the professional top-flight prototype and GTE classes, all drivers are usually professionals; in lower classes, the regulations mandate at least one amateur or silver/bronze-rated driver. The race is sometimes supplemented by headline invitees — drivers who have won major championships in other series such as IndyCar, Formula One, or NASCAR — competing as the fourth driver in a team.
Unlike Le Mans, the circuit is entirely within the speedway complex and uses no public roads. Night racing is enabled by lights around the circuit, though not at full brightness. The race takes place in winter, when nights are at their longest.
Rolex became the title sponsor in 1992, succeeding Sunbank, which had replaced Pepsi in 1984. Winning drivers across all classes receive a Rolex Daytona watch, a tradition dating to 1964. Chronographs were originally practical tools in the racing industry, making the watch an appropriate symbol of the event.
The race has undergone multiple prototype class evolutions. The 1970s through early 1990s featured a mix of international Group C machinery and IMSA's own prototype regulations. In 2002 the purpose-built Daytona Prototype (DP) was introduced, using less expensive materials and simplified aerodynamics to control costs. DP manufacturers included Riley, Dallara, and Lola, with engines badged under Cadillac, Ford, BMW, Porsche, and Lexus. Daytona Prototypes raced from 2003.
In 2017 the DPi (Daytona Prototype international) was introduced, built on LMP2 chassis with manufacturer-specific engines and bodywork, creating a closer link to the global endurance ecosystem. For 2023, the race adopted the LMDh specification with Le Mans Hypercars also permitted. An Acura ARX-06, the first hybrid prototype to win Daytona, took overall victory that year.
The GT Daytona (GTD) class uses cars built to FIA GT3 technical regulations. From 2014, the class was restricted exclusively to GT3 machinery. In 2022 IMSA split the class into GTD and GTD Pro: GTD requires one amateur driver, while GTD Pro is open to all professional driver pairings.
Porsche holds the most overall victories of any manufacturer, with 23, achieved across models including the 911, 935, and 996. Porsche also won 11 consecutive editions from 1977 to 1987 and claimed 18 of the 23 races held between 1968 and 1991.
The 1989 race was delayed four hours by fog, the longest such interruption in the event's history. The race has been neutralised under pace car conditions for fog multiple times, with the pace car itself requiring a fuel stop during the 2011 delay. In 2014 a severe crash involving Memo Gidley and Matteo Malucelli at dramatically mismatched speeds prompted a red flag; both drivers survived.
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