Marcel Fässler’s double victory at Daytona Classic

Three-time Le Mans winner Marcel Fässler starred at the ninth running of Classic Daytona by claiming the growing event’s first double victory in two separate groups since 2014.

The Florida speedbowl’s celebration of its blue-riband 24 Hours follows a similar format to Le Mans Classic. Run by Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR), seven groups divided by eras compete four times over a 24-hour duration to decide class winners – for whom BRM chronographs offer a fine alternative to the contemporary race’s prized Rolex Daytonas.

Ex-Audi ace Fässler joined Gérard Lopez, first in Iconic Racing’s 1969 Lola T70 Mark III, to win all four Group A encounters in a field that included Adrian Newey in his 1965 Ford GT40. The Red Bull design maestro finished third sharing with Jim Farley.

Fässler and Lopez then switched to Group F for prototypes only recently retired from contemporary motor sport to score further success in an ex-JDC Motorsports Cadillac DPi.

Lars Erik Nielsen took Group C honours in his 1990 Porsche 962C, coming back from a puncture that briefly allowed father-and-son duo Mike and Andrew Jordan to lead a race shared with Group D, in their ex-Wolf Henzler Porsche 996 GT3 Supercup. Nielsen inevitably overhauled them, but the ex-BTCC racers kept the British end up for a class win and second overall. Meanwhile former Toyota GT-One ace Ralf Kelleners proved a crowd pleaser in his 1979 De Tomaso Pantera to claim Group B.

From Daytona, HSR moved straight on to another Florida venue for the Classic Sebring 12 Hours, due to run on November 29-December 3. More on that next month.