Rolex extends 23-year sponsor role of Rolex 24 at Daytona - MotorSportsTalk

After 23 years as primary sponsor of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Rolex will continue in that role after the watch company and Daytona International Speedway announced they are extending their relationship.

The deal also extends the relationship where Rolex is the official timepiece for Daytona.

Terms of the new deal or the length of the new agreement were not announced.

Rolex will also receive naming rights for the new front stretch lounge that is part of the racetrack’s $400 million Daytona Rising facelift, which will be completed in Feb. 2016, as well as additional branding around the track.

Rolex has been giving its vaunted Cosmograph Daytona watches to winners at Daytona events since 1963, and began sponsoring the Rolex 24 in 1992.

“Rolex and Daytona International Speedway remain committed to innovation and excellence,” Rolex Watch USA President and CEO Stewart Wicht said in a statement. “Expanding our partnership to include the Daytona Rising project provides us with an unprecedented platform to showcase our brand.”

Added DIS president Joie Chitwood, “We’re so proud of our history with Rolex and look forward to creating more memorable experiences in the years ahead. We’ll continue to push the boundaries and elevate the overall experience for our guests through Daytona Rising.”

Follow me @JerryBonkowski

Benny Bloss will race for the factory Beta Motorcycles team in 2024 as that manufacturer joins SuperMotocross as the ninth brand to compete in the series. Beta Motorcycles will make their debut in the Monster Energy Supercross opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California in January.

*Benny Bloss finished among the top 10 twice in Pro Motocross, in 2016 and 2018. – Beta Motorcycles*

“The wait is over and we can finally share everything we have been working towards,” said Carlen Gardner, Race Team Manager in a press release. “It has been a great experience being a part of this development and seeing the progression. The only missing part was finding a rider that would mesh well with our Beta Family.

“After a one phone call with Benny, we knew it would be a good fit for him, and for us. We are happy to have him on board for the next two years and can’t wait to see everyone at Anaheim in January.”

Bloss debuted in the 450 class in 2015 with a 15th-place finish overall at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

Bloss has a pair of top-10 rankings in the division with a sixth-place finish in the Pro Motocross Championship in 2016 and a seventh in 2018. His best Supercross season ended 15th in the standings in 2018.

“I’m extremely excited to join the Beta Factory Racing team,” Bloss said. “It’s cool to see a brand with such a rich history in off-road racing to come into the US Supercross and Motocross space. I know this team will be capable of great things as we build and go racing in 2024.”

Bloss is currently 22nd in the SuperMotocross rankings and has not raced in the first two rounds of the Motocross season.

Testing for Beta Motorcycles is scheduled to begin in August and the team expects to announce a second rider at that time.

The family-owned brand adds to the international flare of the sport. The company was founded in Florence, Italy in 1905 as Società Giuseppe Bianchi as they built handmade bicycles, The transition to motorcycle production in the late 1940s.

Beta Motorcycles competed and won in motocross competition in the late 1970s and early 1980s with Jim Pomeroy and other riders.

Beta will join Triumph Motorcycles as a second historic brand to join the sport in 2024. First established in 1902, Triumph has won in nearly every division they have competed in, dating back to their first victory in the 1908 Isle of Man TT. Triumph will debut in the 250 class in 2024 and plans to expand into 450s in 2025.

Read more about SuperMotocross