The 24 Hours of Daytona, currently known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on a 3.56-mile (5.73 km) combined road course, utilising portions of the NASCAR tri-oval and an infield road course. Since its inception, it has been held on the last weekend of January or the first weekend of February as part of Speedweeks, and it is the first major automobile race of the year in the United States. It is also the first race of the season for the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Wikipedia says.
In 2006, the race moved one week earlier into January to prevent a clash with the Super Bowl, which had in turn moved one week later into February a few years earlier.
The race has been known historically as a leg of the informal Triple Crown of endurance racing,[1] although it suffers from an increasing isolation from international Sports Car racing regulations, which have been eased in recent years.
Unlike the 24-hour Le Mans race, the Daytona race is conducted entirely over a closed course within the speedway arena without the use of any public streets. Most parts of the steep banking are included, interrupted with a chicane on the back straight and a sweeping, fast infield section which includes two hairpins. Unlike Le Mans, the race is held in wintertime, when nights are at their longest. There are lights installed around the circuit for night racing, although the infield section is still not as well-lit as the main oval. However, the stadium lights are turned on only to a level of 20%, similar to the stadium lighting setup at Le Mans, with brighter lights around the pit straight, and decent lighting similar to street lights around the circuit.
In the past, a car had to cross the finish line after 24 hours to be classified, which led to dramatic scenes where damaged cars waited in the pits or on the edge of the track close to the finish line for hours, then restarted their engines and crawled across the finish line one last time in order to finish after the 24 hours and be listed with a finishing distance, rather than dismissed with DNF (Did Not Finish). This was the case in the initial 1962 Daytona Continental (then 3 hours), in which Dan Gurney’s Lotus 19 had established a lengthy lead when the engine failed with just minutes remaining. Gurney stopped the car at the top of the banking, just short of the finish line. When the three hours had elapsed, Gurney simply cranked the steering wheel to the left (toward the bottom of the banking) and let gravity pull the car across the line, to not only salvage a finishing position, but actually win the race.[1] This led to the international rule requiring a car to cross the line under its own power in order to be classified.
F1: Hamilton in one-season deal
Race fans will now turn to Formula 1 Championship 2021 season, beginning in Australia in March. Last year was an unprecedented year for Formula 1 in which the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a revised 2020 calendar of 17 races, as F1 became the first international race to resume its season.
“The plans for 2021 have involved extensive dialogue with all promoters and their local and national authorities at a time of ongoing fluidity related to the global pandemic,” read an F1 statement. ”Formula 1 and the FIA put in place robust health and safety measures to allow the revised 2020 season to restart and run effectively.
Louis Hamilton, the champ, is already making headlines after he signed the deal with Mercedes for only the 2021 season. The contract got delayed as Hamilton tested COVID positive late in 2020 after the Bahrain GP. This is the first time when Hamilton has not signed a multi-year commitment. He is targeting an unprecedented eighth world championship – and what would be a seventh in eight years.
Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013 from McLaren. The switch-over led to a streak of excellent performances, which saw him winning six of the last seventh world titles while playing a key role in Mercedes winning all seven of the constructors’ championships since the hybrid turbo era began in 2014.
Alessio Iacovelli Named Deputy Director Replacement Sales West Europe At Linglong Tire
- By TT News
- October 10, 2025
Linglong Tire has announced the promotion of Alessio Iacovelli to Deputy Director of Replacement Sales for Western Europe, effective 1 September 2025. In this elevated role, Iacovelli will take on leadership of the regional sales team with a mandate to accelerate business development. His key objectives will include forging strategic alliances and implementing programmes to strengthen customer loyalty. Iacovelli will report directly to Lisa Zhao, the Director of Replacement Sales for Western Europe, and will collaborate with her to manage key markets, including Germany, the UK, Italy and Spain.
Iacovelli, who began his career with Goodyear and Nexen, first joined Linglong Tire at the end of 2022 as a Sales Manager. In that capacity, he demonstrated significant success in developing the Southern European aftermarket, where he expanded the brand's footprint, defined effective growth strategies and secured robust partnerships with distributors. This strategic appointment and the restructuring of the sales leadership underscore Linglong Tire's intensified focus on achieving its ambitious growth targets across the European continent.
Iacovelli said, "I am very pleased to have been promoted to Deputy Director Replacement Sales West Europe at Linglong Tire. We have fantastic products such as the Sport Master 4S and the Sport Master Winter, both successfully tested in the recently published tyre tests. We have a state-of-the-art development centre in Germany and a new tyre plant in Europe and are successful in original equipment – ideal conditions for achieving our ambitious goals together with my team and the colleagues in Hannover and continuing to grow, especially in Europe."
ARLANXEO To Close French Plant As Chemicals Sector Struggles
- By TT News
- October 10, 2025
German synthetic rubber maker ARLANXEO has launched consultations with worker representatives over the potential closure of its Port Jerome facility in France, citing persistent weak demand and declining competitiveness in the European chemicals industry.
The company, which is majority-owned by Saudi Aramco, had begun an information and consultation period with the Works Council at the site, located in northern France. A final decision on the closure will be taken after the mandatory consultation process concludes and approval is obtained from the French labour authorities, DREETS.
“The European chemical industry continues to face persistent weak demand and declining competitiveness driven by rising costs, unbalanced global markets, and increased regulatory pressure,” said Stephan van Santbrink, ARLANXEO chief executive.
“These conditions have generated a significant burden on the sector across the regional value chain. ARLANXEO has not been an exception to these challenges. The Port Jerome site has remained in a structurally loss-making position. Despite numerous improvement efforts, we do not foresee a viable path to a sustained structural improvement.”
The company did not disclose how many jobs would be affected by a potential closure, nor did it provide details on the facility’s production capacity or annual output.
Van Santbrink acknowledged the impact on workers, saying: “We recognise the impact a potential closure may have on our employees, and we regret the need to consider these steps. We will continue to treat all employees with respect. If we decide to cease operations at the site, we will do our utmost to assist in finding alternative solutions for all impacted employees. In addition, we intend to provide impacted employees with a social plan which reflects their valued contribution to ARLANXEO.”
The announcement adds to a growing list of European chemical producers struggling with high energy costs, sluggish demand and competition from lower-cost producers in Asia and the United States.
ARLANXEO said it would work closely with all affected internal and external stakeholders to minimise the impact of the intended closure.
Continental Appoints Managers For Global Purchasing And Original Equipment Business
- By TT News
- October 07, 2025
Continental's Tires group sector has strengthened its leadership team with two key internal appointments, effective 1 September 2025. Jana Striezel has been named the new head of global purchasing for Continental Tires, while Dennis Bellmund has assumed leadership of the global original equipment business for both passenger and commercial vehicles. Both executives will report directly to Christian Kötz, the member of Continental AG's Executive Board who leads the Tires group sector.
In her new capacity, Striezel will oversee worldwide strategic and operational purchasing. She brings extensive experience from the automotive industry, having previously held several procurement management roles at Renault, where she led purchasing for the Renault brand and its alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi in Europe. Her career began at Volkswagen in 2014.
Bellmund, who has a 25-year tenure with Continental, steps into his role following the departure of his predecessor, Manja Greimeier, to the ContiTech sector. His extensive background within the company includes recent responsibility for Continental’s tyre retail operations, alongside prior leadership roles in EMEA supply chain management and sales direction for the European replacement tyre business. These appointments signal a strategic reinforcement of Continental's tyre division leadership.
Kötz said, “We’re delighted to welcome Jana Striezel, a highly skilled manager, to our team. She brings extensive expertise in international procurement and will focus on driving forward our purchasing strategy. In Dennis Bellmund, our global original equipment business has gained a highly experienced leader. Thanks to his many years at Continental, he is familiar with our company and our customers’ needs from many different angles. On behalf of the entire management team, I wish both of them every success in their new roles and look forward to working together.”
“On behalf of the entire team, I would like to thank Manja Greimeier for her successful leadership of our original equipment business and wish her all the best and continued success,” added Kötz.
In a significant leadership update, LD Carbon (LDC) has announced a restructuring of the chief executive office at the company. The company confirmed that Seong-Moon Baek will now serve as the sole CEO. This move follows the departure of former co-CEO Yong-Kyung Hwang from the executive position.
The change is effective immediately as the company continues to advance its initiatives in the sustainable materials sector. Chief Commercial Officer Bumseek Kim (BK) formally communicated the development in a statement, saying, “Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at any time.”
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