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Indy winner Sullivan joins United Autosports for Daytona Classic 24

Indianapolis 500 winner and former IndyCar champion Danny Sullivan will return to action next weekend as part of United Autosports' multi-car effort at the Classic 24 at Daytona.

Vintage Porsche race car

Vintage Porsche race car

United Autosports

Through the corkscrew
Vintage Roush Racing Ford Mustang
Danny Sullivan
Zak Brown
#67 United Autosports Audi R8 LMS GT3: Mark Blundell, Zak Brown, Richard Dean, Eddie Cheever
Danny Sullivan
Danny Sullivan
Danny Sullivan
Danny Sullivan
Zak Brown

Sullivan, 65, who also raced in Formula 1 with Tyrrell, will join owner Zak Brown and team lynchpin Richard Dean behind the wheel of its mouth-watering lineup of machines.

The second running of the Classic 24 Hour at Daytona will feature UA’s 1986 Porsche 962, 1981 Porsche 935 and 1985 Ford Mustang in the Historic Sportscar Racing-organised event.

“This Classic event will be a very special experience,” said Sullivan. “The cars, the incredible list of drivers heading there and, of course, Daytona itself – what a recipe for a fabulous race weekend.

“To drive with Zak, Richard and United Autosports, just adds to the experience. It’s going to be awesome and very competitive.

“I made my debut in the 24 Hours of Daytona at the wheel of a Lancia Stratos HF in 1979. I went on to race a Rondeau (1982), three Porsche 962s (1986/87/93), a Jaguar XJR-9 (1988), Porsche 911 (1994), two Riley & Scotts (1997/99) and a Porsche 911 GT1 (1998) at DIS.

“My best result was in ’98 when I won GT1 and placed second overall, having also finished second outright in ’86.

“It is never dull at Daytona, there is always traffic, and it was always the way I wanted to start my season. The banking surprises a few people at the beginning but you get used to it pretty quickly.”

Cars with rich history

United’s Porsche 962 placed second in the ’86 season-closing three-hour race at Daytona, third in the 1987 Daytona 24 Hours and ninth in the race the following year.

The ‘JLP-3’ Porsche 935 was the first racecar to ever win both the Daytona 24 and Sebring 12 Hour races overall in the same year (1982). The 750+ bhp Porsche also competed at Daytona in 1981, winning an IMSA National Championship 250-mile race from pole.

The third car is the Scott Pruett 1986 IMSA GTO Championship-winning 1985 Roush Protofab. Pruett finished seventh overall, and first in GTO, in the ’86 3Hr race at Daytona.

Brown said: "I’m really looking forward to racing my cars around the iconic track – cars that have all previously finished on the podium there.

"I’m hoping that Danny, Richard and I can continue that success in races that have attracted fantastic entries.”

About the event

The Classic 24 features six period-correct run groups rotating through a full 24 hours of racing on the 3.56-mile Daytona course. The run groups, which include various classes of similar-era racecars, each take to the track four times throughout the 24 hours.

The competitors in each class covering the most total distance in their group’s four sessions will be crowned Classic 24 at Daytona champions.

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