1979 24 Hours of Daytona

The 17th Annual 24 Hour Pepsi Challenge Daytona was a 24-hour GT race held on February 3–4, 1979 at the Daytona International Speedway road course. The race served as the opening round of the 1979 World Championship for Makes, 1979 World Challenge for Endurance Drivers and the 1979 IMSA GTX, GTO and GTU Championships.

Victory overall and in the GTX class went to the No. 0 Interscope Racing run Porsche 935/79. The car was driven by team owner Ted Field and professional co-drivers Hurley Haywood and Danny Ongais. Over the 24 hours elapsed time of the race the Interscope Porsche completed 684 laps, covering 4,227 kilometres. The team dominated the race, winning by 49 laps, a distance of over 300 kilometres.

Second place was the GTO class winner, the No. 65 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 enterred by Modena Sports Cars and driven by American racers, John Morton and Tony Adamowicz. Third and 57 laps behind the winner was the No. 11 GTX Class Porsche 935 raced by another all-American team, Bruce Canepa, Rick Mears and Monte Shelton. Fourth and third in GTX was the No. 94 Whittington Brothers Racing Porsche 935/79 driven by the brothers, Bill Whittington and Don Whittington and their German co-driver Jürgen Barth. They finished 62 laps behind the winning car.

Second in the GTO class was the No. 54 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR driven by Americans Tony Garcia and Alberto Vadia, and Cuban driver Juan Montalvo, 97 laps behind the winning Porsche and 48 laps behind the class winning Ferrari. A further 12 laps behind was third in class Porsche 911 Carrera RSR of Americans Robert Overby, Ash Tisdelle and team owner Lance Van Every.

The GTU class was won by the No. 7 Mazda Technical Center, debuting the Mazda RX-7 at Daytona. The car was driven by all-Japanese crew of Yoshimi Katayama, Yojiro Terada and Takashi Yorino. The Mazda finished fifth outright and 67 laps behind the winning Porsche. Teammates finished just two laps behind in the No. 77 Mazda RX-7 driven by Americans Walt Bohren, Amos Johnson and Roger Mandeville. Third and five laps further behind was the No. 60 Porsche 911 S of Americans Rusty Bond and Ren Tilton.

Race results Class winners denoted in bold and with .

ClassTeam / EntrantDriversCarEngine 1 GTX 0 Interscope Racing Ted Field Hurley Haywood Danny Ongais Porsche 935/79 684 Porsche Turbo Flat-6 2 GTO 65 Modena Sports Cars Tony Adamowicz John Morton Ferrari 365 GTB/4 635 Ferrari Tipo 251 4.4 L V12 3 GTX 11 Bruce Canepa Bruce Canepa Rick Mears Monte Shelton Porsche 935 627 Porsche Turbo Flat-6 4 GTX 94 Whittington Brothers Racing Jürgen Barth Bill Whittington Don Whittington Porsche 935/79 622 Porsche Turbo Flat-6 5 GTU 7 Mazda Technical Center Yoshimi Katayama Yojiro Terada Takashi Yorino Mazda RX-7 617 Mazda 13B 1.3 L Rotary 6 GTU 77 Mazda Technical Center Walt Bohren Amos Johnson Roger Mandeville Mazda RX-7 615 Mazda 13B 1.3 L Rotary 7 GTU 60 E. J. Pruitt & Sons Rusty Bond Ren Tilton Porsche 911 S 612 Porsche 2.7 L Flat-6 8 GTO 54 Montura Ranch Estates Tony Garcia Juan Montalvo Alberto Vadia Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 587 Porsche 3.0 L Flat-6 9 GTO 98 Van Every Racing Robert Overby Ash Tisdelle Lance Van Every Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 579 Porsche 3.0 L Flat-6 10 GTO 03 Lubrifilm Racing Enzo Calderari Angelo Pallavicini Marco Vanoli Porsche 934 577 Porsche 3.0 L Turbo Flat-6 11 GTU 75 Mike Ramirez Luis Gordillo Mike Ramirez Manuel Villa Porsche 911 560 Porsche Flat-6 12 GTO 37 Botero Racing Jorge Cortes Honorato Espinosa Francisco Lopez Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 551 Porsche 3.0 L Flat-6 13 GTU 33 Peter Welter Richard Aten Jack Refenning Peter Welter Porsche 911 550 Porsche Flat-6 14 GTO 58 Diego Febles Racing Phil Currin Diego Febles Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 543 Porsche 3.0 L Flat-6 15DNF GTX 5 Budweiser Racing Charles Mendez Paul Miller Johnny Rutherford Porsche 935 529 Porsche Turbo Flat-6 16DNF GTU 27 Miami Auto Racing Ray Mummery Luis Sereix Tom Sheehy Porsche 911 S 522 Porsche 2.7 L Flat-6 17DNF GTU 62 Koll Motorsports Jim Cook Bill Koll Porsche 914/6 511 Porsche 2.0 L Flat-6 18 GTO 95 Stephen E. Bond Stephen Bond Philip Dann Chevrolet Monza 509 Chevrolet 5.7 V8 19 GTO 21 Oftedahl Racing Tom Bagley Carl Shafer John Wood Chevrolet Camaro 493 Chevrolet 5.7 V8 20 GTU 42 Bullwinkele Racing Tom Ashby Bill Bean Bob Beasley Porsche 911 S 493 Porsche 2.7 L Flat-6 21 GTU 08 Southern Racing Enterprises Nort Northam Richard Weiss Terry Wolters Porsche 911 S 488 Porsche 2.7 L Flat-6 22 GTU 34 Drolsom Racing George Drolsom Mark Greb John Maffucci Porsche 911 S 482 Porsche 2.7 L Flat-6 23 GTO 64 Lenton B. McGill Russ Boykin C. C. Canada Tom Ciccone Chevrolet Camaro 458 Chevrolet 5.7 V8 24 GTU 61 Faza Squadra Taku Akaike Al Cosentino Dick Starita Mazda RX-3 444 Mazda 12A 1.1 L Rotary 25DNF GTU 8 Automobiles International Inc. Anatoly Arutunoff José Marina Danny Sullivan Lancia Stratos HF 439 Ferrari Dino 2.4 L V6 26DNF GTX 94 Dick Barbour Racing Dick Barbour Paul Newman Brian Redman Porsche 935/77A 410 Porsche Turbo Flat-6 27DNF GTO 80 Herb Adams Herb Adams Peter Frey Louis Spoerl Pontiac Firebird 408 Pontiac V8 28DNF GTU 17 Racing Beat Jeff Kline Jim Mederer Don Sherman Mazda RX-7 393 Mazda 13B 1.3 L Rotary 29DNF GTX 93 Whittington Brothers Racing Preston Henn Dale Whittington R. D. Whittington Porsche 934 389 Porsche 3.0 Turbo Flat-6 30DNF GTU 34 Bill Scott Racing Pierre Honegger Mark Hutchins Bill Scott Porsche 911 388 Porsche Flat-6 31DNF GTU 40 Performance Specialists William Koch Earl Roe Steve Southard Porsche 914/6 385 Porsche 2.0 L Flat-6 32DNF GTX 1 Gelo Racing Team Peter Gregg Jacky Ickx Bob Wollek Porsche 935/77A 342 Porsche Turbo Flat-6 33DNF GTO 69 Bytzek Automotive Rudy Bartling Klaus Bytzek Ludwig Heimrath Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 335 Porsche 3.0 L Flat-6 34DNF GTO 29 Stratagraph Inc. Billy Hagan Hoyt Overbagh Ron Reed Chevrolet Monza 331 Chevrolet 5.7 V8 35DNF GTU 89 Hamilton House Racing Herb Forrest Joseph Hamilton Rob Hoskins Porsche 911 S 329 Porsche 2.7 L Flat-6 36DNF GTO 51 Casablanca Fan Co. John Hotchkis Robert Kirby Howard Meister Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 328 Porsche 3.0 L Flat-6 37DNF GTO 15 Bavarian Motors International Alf Gebhardt Sepp Grinbold BMW 3.5 CSL 299 BMW M49 3.5 L I6 38DNF GTO 81 Performance Export Oscar Notz Francisco Romero Ernesto Soto Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 241 Porsche 3.0 L Flat-6 39DNF GTU 01 D. R. Racing John Hamilton J. Kurt Roehrig Dave White Porsche 911 S 223 Porsche 2.7 L Flat-6 40DNF GTX 13 Hal Shaw Racing Norm Ridgely Hal Shaw, Jr. Tom Spalding Porsche 935 222 Porsche Turbo Flat-6 41DNF GTU 36 Case Racing Ron Case Dave Panaccione Porsche 911 210 Porsche Flat-6 42DNF GTX 53 Guy Thomas Milton Moise Tom Nehl Guy Thomas Chevrolet Camaro 201 Chevrolet V8 43DNF GTO 06 Al Levenson Gary Baker Lanny Hester Al Levenson Chevrolet Corvette C2 197 Chevrolet V8 44DNF GTX 23 Charlie Kemp Carson Baird Charlie Kemp Kees Nierop Ford Mustang Cobra 168 Ford V8 45DNF GTX 3 Jolly Club - Sportwagen Racing Team Carlo Facetti Martino Finotto Gianpiero Moretti Porsche 935 164 Porsche Turbo Flat-6 46DNF GTX 4 LM Joest Porsche Reinhold Jöst Volkert Merl Rolf Stommelen Porsche 935/77A 162 Porsche Turbo Flat-6 47DNF GTO 90 Bob's Speed Products Rick Kump Bob Lee Sam Miller AMC AMX 156 AMC V8 48DNF GTO 12 Oftedahl Racing Tom Bagley Joe Chamberlain Gerry Wellik Chevrolet Camaro 147 Chevrolet 5.7 V8 49DNF GTO 56 Peerless Racing Craig Carter Murray Edwards Richard Valentine Chevrolet Camaro 144 Chevrolet 5.7 V8 50DNF GTX 2 Gelo Racing Team John Fitzpatrick Manfred Schurti Bob Wollek Porsche 935/77A 135 Porsche Turbo Flat-6 51DNF GTU 57 John Tremblay Bob Lapp John Tremblay Datsun 240Z 118 Datsun I6 52DNF GTX 9 Dick Barbour Racing Bob Akin Rob McFarlin Roy Woods Porsche 935 117 Porsche Turbo Flat-6 53DNF GTX 66 JMS Racing-Pozzi Jean-Claude Andruet Claude Ballot-Léna Spartaco Dini Ferrari 512 BB LM 103 Ferrari Tipo F102B 4.9 L Flat-12 54DNF GTX 67 JMS Racing-Pozzi Jean-Claude Andruet Claude Ballot-Léna Michel Leclère Ferrari 512 BB LM 101 Ferrari Tipo F102B 4.9 L Flat-12 55DNF GTX 24 Graham Shaw Graham Shaw Jerry Thompson Don Yenko Chevrolet Monza 86 Chevrolet 5.7 V8 56DNF GTO 38 Boricua Racing Bonky Fernandez Tato Ferrer Chiqui Soldevilla Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 73 Porsche 3.0 L Flat-6 57DNF GTX 68 North American Racing Team Pat Bedard Jean-Pierre Delaunay Bob Tullius Ferrari 512 BB LM 72 Ferrari Tipo F102B 4.9 L Flat-12 58DNF GTX 43 Meldeau Tire Co. Stephen Behr Bill McDill Chevrolet Camaro 59 Chevrolet V8 59DNF GTO 46 Mauricio De Narvaez Mauricio De Narvaez Pedro De Narvaez Albert Naon Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 46 Porsche 3.0 L Flat-6 60DNF GTO 07 Budweiser Racing Dave Cowart David McClain Kenper Miller Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 35 Porsche 3.0 L Flat-6 61DNF GTX 00 Interscope Racing Ted Field Preston Henn Danny Ongais Porsche 935/77A 29 Porsche Turbo Flat-6 62DNF GTX 14 Bavarian Motors International Steve Earle Steve Griswold Rick Knoop BMW 3.0 CSL 25 BMW M49 3.5 L I6 63DNF GTU 96 Gary Wonzer George Van Arsdale Robert Whitaker Gary Wonzer Triumph GT6 20 Triumph I6 64DNF GTU 48 Frank L. Leary III Steve Cook Frank Leary Casey Mollett Datsun 240Z 13 Datsun I6 65DNF GTX 18 JLP Racing Al Holbert Michael Keyser John Paul Porsche 935 JLP 12 Porsche Turbo Flat-6 66DNF GTU 79 Sports Ltd. Racing Bob Bergstrom Brad Frisselle Mazda RX-7 9 Mazda 13B 1.3 L Rotary 67DNF GTX 73 Howey Farms Clark Howey Dale Koch Tracy Wolf Chevrolet Camaro 4 Chevrolet V8 DNS GTU 63 Faza Squadra Al Cosentino Craig Fisher Mazda RX-3 Mazda 12A 1.1 L Rotary DNS GTU 78 Associated Speed & Performance Wiley Doran Neil Upchurch Ken Williams Datsun 240Z Datsun I6Source:

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