Endurance automobile racing began at Daytona International Raceway in Florida shortly after the course opened in April of 1959, beginning with a six hour sports car race. Following a series of expansions to the race the first 24 Hours of Daytona took place in 1966 and was won by Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby driving a Ford GT40 Mk. II. The race was dominated by American and European cars for decades until this day in 1992 when Japanese racers Masahiro Hasemi, Kazuyoshi Hoshino and Toshio Suzuki took home the gold driving a Nissan R91CP and sponsored by Nissan Motorsports Intl. They covered 2,712.720 miles (4,365.700 km) during their monumental victory, bringing the trophy to Japan for the first time. Nissan R91CK, similar to the vehicle used to win the 1992 24 Hours of Daytona. By Oli R – LeMans, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2437393Outline of the road course used for 24 Hours of Daytona
The best way to support This Day in Automotive History is to become a monthly subscriber on Facebook.
Subscriber benefits include:
- Most importantly, you’re supporting great content about Automotive History
- Early access to content on Facebook
- Discounts on our store
- Special live videos
If you learned something today, please buy me a beer!
POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE

February 09, 1846 – Wilhelm Maybach is born
February 9, 2017

Getting to Know Bogi, the Newest Member of Garage Squad
October 12, 2021


December 11, 1978 – Mafia men use Ford Econoline to steal $5.8m in heist
December 11, 2022
RECENT POSTS



May 27, 1937 – The Golden Gate Bridge opens
May 27, 2025

What are the Essential Parts of a Car?
May 27, 2025

This Day in Automotive History - the book!

This Day In Automotive History
By Brian Corey
This book tells fascinating tales, bringing individual days to life with short stories, photographs and illustrations.

This Day in Automotive History
This Day in Automotive History is a transportation history, car history and general automotive history website dedicated to providing informative and entertaining content.
We encourage you to share our page and connect with us on Facebook or sign up for our automotive history newsletter. If you’d like your car featured, reach out to us!
We encourage you to share our page and connect with us on Facebook or sign up for our automotive history newsletter. If you’d like your car featured, reach out to us!
Related Posts



May 27, 1937 – The Golden Gate Bridge opens
May 27, 2025

What are the Essential Parts of a Car?
May 27, 2025
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER!
Connect with us on Facebook or sign up for our automotive history newsletter to keep in touch.