Auto racing: Buckler wins 24 Hours at Daytona

Richard Dunn

Kevin Buckler, who grew up in Newport Beach, captured the Rolex 24

Hours at Daytona last weekend in his Porsche GT3-RS to win the GT class

and finish seventh overall.

“I can’t believe it -- we won the Daytona 24 Hours. It’s

unbelievable,” Buckler said. “We had all three Porsche cars in the top

10.”

Buckler, owner and president of the company that builds his race car,

teamed with veteran Michael Schrom, along with Porsche factory drivers

Timo Bernhard and Jorg Bergmeister, both of Germany, to win his first

Daytona flag in the 40th annual Rolex 24 Hours, the first and most

grueling race on the Grand American Road Racing Series schedule.

Buckler, the lead driver in his Porsche No. 66, had competed at

Daytona in the GT class the previous six years.

His company’s other two Porsches, Nos. 68 and 67, finished fourth and

ninth, respectively, in the GT class and 11th and 18th overall.

Buckler started his company, the Racer’s Group, in 1992. The facility

is located at the track at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, where Buckler

also owns a winery. The label, Adobe Road, will be ready for its first

release next year.

Buckler, 42, didn’t begin racing professionally until 1995, and, while he won plenty of poles and enjoyed numerous podium finishes, he had yet

to taste victory.

The 1977 Newport Harbor High graduate, however, had much to celebrate

last weekend and is expected to compete for the North American

championship this year in the GT class.