January 31, 1988 – Jaguar wins its first 24 Hours of Daytona

When the 1988 24 Hours of Daytona came to a close on this day in 1988, a Jaguar XJR-9 had covered the most distance, marking the first time the automaker won the race. The car, driven by Raul Boesel, Martin Brundle, John Nielsen and Jan Lammers, traveled 2,591.680 miles.

The first 24 Hours at Daytona ran in 1966. Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby won, driving a Ford GT40 Mk II. However, it would be Porsche that would prove dominant in the race. Between 1966 and 1988, the German sports car company won 16 times. Four years after this running, the trophy would go to Japan for the first time.