As Historic Sportscar Racing’s Classic 24 Hour at Daytona presented by IMSA, gets ready to roll at Daytona International Speedway next weekend, November 12-15, two sports car racing greats—Derek Bell and Brian Redman—have been added to the lineup of legends taking part in the event.
Bell and Redman are both three-time winners of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the former victorious in 1986, ’87 and ’89, all in Holbert Racing Porsche 962s, while the latter won in 1970 with a Porsche 917, 1976 with a BMW CSL and 1981 with a Porsche 935. Bell also has five victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, while Redman was IMSA’s first GTP champion in 1981, after securing a hat trick of SCCA Formula 5000 championships between 1974 and 1976. The 962 Bell will drive carries the same iconic Lowenbrau livery (above) in which he won in ’86 and ’87, while Redman will drive a CSL similar to the one he co-drove to victory in 1976, sharing with the car’s owner, Scott Hughes.
Before the weekend’s on-track activity kicks off, a tribute to the late John Greenwood, and the Corvette racecars that made him famous will take place, and it has picked up some notable support in recent weeks. Both the National Corvette Museum and the Registry of Corvette Race Cars have joined the celebration, with the Museum displaying a Greenwood Corvette from its collection. A panel discussion centering on Greenwood and his career is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday November 12.
Many other legendary motorsports figures will also be attending or racing in the Classic 24, and they will gather at the Shores Resort and Spa in Daytona Beach on the Friday night, where Jochen Mass and friends will host a fundraising dinner and celebration. For the second-consecutive year, the event will benefit Racing for Kids, the official charity of the Classic 24 Hour at Daytona. For further information please visit www.classic24hour.com.
