Closest Daytona Win Is All American-Made

An Oldsmobile Mark III driven by Wayne Taylor of South Africa and Americans Scott Sharp and Jim Pace barely held off a Ferrari 333SP on Sunday at Daytona Beach, Fla., in the closest Rolex 24 Hours in history.

Max Papis, a Ferrari Formula One test driver in his first appearance at Daytona International Speedway, gave it a big effort in the final two hours, making up a four-lap deficit and twice passing Taylor to get back on the lead lap.

However, he was forced to pit for fuel and tires with about 15 minutes remaining, ending any chance of catching the debuting Riley & Scott Mark III chassis powered by an Aurora V-8 Oldsmobile engine. It was the first all American-made winner in the 34 editions of the nation’s premier endurance event.

Taylor, the 1994 International Motor Sports Association Exxon WSC champion, drove across the finish line 1 minute, 5.518 seconds ahead of the Ferrari. The second-place car was shared by pole-winner Didier Theys of Belgium, Gianpiero Moretti and Papis, both of Italy, and Bob Wollek, a four-time Daytona winner from France.

The finish was closer that the 1:26 margin by which a Porsche 962 Prototype, shared by Wollek, Derek Bell of England and American John Andretti won in 1989.

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Mike Bliss took the lead with 35 laps remaining and went on to victory in the U.S. Auto Club Silver Crown portion of the $300,000 Skoal Bandit Racing Copper World Classic at Phoenix. . . . Stock car driver Mike Cooke, 49, died Saturday, hours after his Chevrolet Lumina hit a wall as he was about to start his qualifying attempt for a NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour event at Phoenix International Raceway. . . . Harold Brasington, the former dirt-track stock car racer who built the original Darlington Raceway in South Carolina, died Sunday. He was 86.