How Rolex 24 victory helped Ryan Dalziel leave self-doubt in the rear-view mirror

How Rolex 24 victory helped Ryan Dalziel leave self-doubt in the rear-view mirror

Perhaps no better venue exists for the continuation of Ryan Dalziel’s racing renaissance than Sebring International Raceway.

His wife, Jessica, is from Sebring. His father-in-law has attended races at the track for decades. He married into a Sebring family, people who know all the race winners and all the crazy infield stories. People who know people who know where the burned couches are buried.

After his first race at the track in 2005, Dalziel stepped out onto a balcony at what was then called the Chateau Elan (now the Seven Sebring Raceway Hotel) and gazed at the aftermath in the infield. “It was like World War III had happened,” he said with a laugh. “It’s calmed down a lot since then.”

In essence, that’s why the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts on Saturday is the fitting race for Dalziel to press forward with a comeback that began victoriously in January at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

He never really went anywhere, mind you, but the past few years weren’t up to Dalziel’s standards. He raced just twice in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2020 and six times in 2019 — all for Starworks Motorsport — after a five-year run with Tequila Patrón Extreme Speed Motorsports ended in 2018.

Not surprisingly, that’s when the self-doubt surfaced.

“I’ve been vocal with this at times,” Dalziel said. “I wouldn’t have hired me during a couple of those seasons.”

He found his way back in January with an emotional victory for Era Motorsport in the LMP2 class at Daytona. He teamed with Kyle Tilley, Paul-Loup Chatin and Dwight Merriman for a triumph that couldn’t have been more timely or necessary.

“I’ve won Daytona twice now, and both times it’s been equally special but also personally very much needed,” Dalziel said. “When I won it in 2010, I was unemployed. That was a one-off race for me. It led to a full-season program with another team after that and a second-place finish in the championship that year.”

In 2018, Dalziel, an established, multi-faceted racer with a résumé that included the 2012 LMP2 win with Starworks in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, found himself scrambling to find work. He landed a part-time gig in the GT GTD class with Starworks, but he also began to feel uncertain.

“By no means do I think I’m old in the racing world,” said Dalziel, a 38-year-old native of Glasgow, Scotland. “But when you go through droughts, it’s pretty easy to doubt yourself. On the IMSA side, for sure, it’s been a tough few years for me since the Patrón deal ended, just trying to find some security and continuity.”

He found it with Era Motorsport, the Indianapolis-based team founded and operated by Tilley. The group brought its ORECA LMP2 07 to Daytona, qualified seventh in class, then chased down six competitors over 24 hours. The win hit the refresh button on Dalziel’s career.

“It was just a very good, very needed, very well-timed result,” Dalziel said. “It was more of a personal one. Kyle put a lot of hard work into the program, and everybody needed that one. It was definitely pretty special for all of us. But selfishly, it gave me that fire in the belly for endurance racing that I was missing the last couple of years. It definitely reignited all of those feelings about the reason I do this.”

His renewal now turns to Sebring with confidence gained from a team with which he feels comfortable — and successful.

“You always swagger a little bit more going into the next one after winning,” Dalziel said. “It’s one of those teams that has so many good ingredients. That doesn’t mean to say that it always works for other teams like that, but to me it was pretty evident very early on that it did work with this team.”

The site of 15 years of racing memories and volumes of wacky stories is the proper place to bury the doubts and celebrate the renewal. Sebring, welcome a member of your family. He’s back in more ways than one.

“I don’t care what athlete you are or what person you are, it’s impossible to say you don’t start having self-doubts, and I definitely had them,” Dalziel said. “I just kept plugging away. I kept thinking, ‘It’s going to change. It’s going to change.’ And then it did change. It was perseverance.”

GQ Shops: Pre-Owned Luxury Watches

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March 2021: What’s New In Watches

Six new models and two limited editions have been combined to form Baume & Mercier ’s latest line: Baume Ocean. An off-centre crown is found at 12 o’clock (a Baume signature) and the collection’s colourful interchangeable straps feature a soft and supple cork lining for added comfort. Collectors can also take pride knowing that they’ve supported a good cause— the watchmaker will donate two per cent of Baume Ocean sales to various NGOs, including Waste Free Oceans , which collects and recycles marine plastic.

To toast its founder’s 70th birthday, Parmigiani Fleurier has unveiled a brand-new Toric Héritage timepiece. Limited to just 70 pieces, this elegant watch comes in steel, with a navy-blue guilloché dial. Javelin-shaped hands indicate the hours, minutes and seconds, while a calendar display sits at six o’clock. Reflecting founder Michel Parmigiani’s fascination with Ancient Greek art, the brand’s Toric Héritage cases replicate the fluting on Doric columns. Wear yours with an Hermès alligator strap.

From Rolex’s limited-edition watch to Van Cleef & Arpels' new additions to its iconic Poetic Complications collection, these are the best watch releases for March 2021

Franck Muller

Vanguard Skeleton Grande Date Chronograph by Franck Muller

Sturdy and sporty, Franck Muller’s Vanguard Skeleton Grande Date Chronograph is an outstanding example of horology. An eye-catching seconds counter takes centre stage, while a minutes counter sits at 3 o’clock. Appliqué indexes are luxuriously handpainted and perfectly pop against the movement’s inner workings, which can be viewed through an open-worked dial.

Roger Dubuis

Excalibur Huracán STO by Roger Dubuis

Lamborghini and Roger Dubuis have teamed up once again and, this time, the duo has taken inspiration from the former’s Huracán STO supercar. Lamborghini’s Blue Laufey and California Orange pigments feature prominently across the watch’s dial, bezel and strap—not unlike the Huracán STO itself. A lightweight titanium bezel sits on top of a skeletonised carbon case with rubber inlays, which is strapped onto the wrist by a calfskin leather and rubber strap. See also: Roger Dubuis' Gregory Bruttin On The Future of Watchmaking

Vacheron Constantin

Traditionnelle Tourbillon Qilin by Vacheron Constantin

A limited edition of Vacheron Constantin’s flagship 14-day tourbillon, the Traditionnelle Tourbillon Qilin is an exceedingly ornate watch. Based on a fabled winged equine creature with scales of a dragon or a fish called a qilin, only 18 of these bad boys will be available for purchase. The 42 mm pink gold case is engraved entirely by hand and houses a complicated tourbillon manual-winding movement: Calibre 2260. Measuring over 12 mm high, this Traditionnelle Tourbillon is a bold choice for even the most extravagant collectors. See also: Vacheron Constantin’s Very First Chronograph Pocket Watch Comes To Hong Kong

Corum

Golden Bridge Rectangle 40th Anniversary by Corum

A pair of limited-edition Golden Bridge models have been unveiled by Corum in celebration of two anniversaries: it has been 65 years since the Swiss company was founded in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and 40 years since the launch of the first Golden Bridge. Only three white gold models will be released, each of which comes with the elaborately engraved floral motif etched into the calibres of previous Golden Bridge releases since 1980. A more accessible rose gold version will be limited to 40 pieces. Mounted on a plush chocolate-brown alligator strap, the watch champions Corum’s hallmark key symbol, which is repeatedly printed on the case back window. The resulting pattern is dazzling and sets the scene for this timepiece’s visually stunning movement.

Hermès

Arceau Petite Lune Jeté De Diamants et Saphirs by Hermès

This majestic timepiece by Hermès offers the dazzling sense of escapism we all need right now. The Arceau collection was created by Henri d’Origny in 1978 and is easily recognised by its sloping Arabic numerals and asymmetrical stirrup-shaped lugs. This latest edition is set with 87 sparkling sapphires and 68 diamonds scattered across the 38 mm steel case and a dreamy mother-of-pearl dial designed by Franco-German artist Edouard Baribeaud. Inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Baribeaud positioned a mischievous moon to peek out from behind the starry night sky. See also: Hermès Launches The Lignes Sensibles High Jewellery Collection

MB&F

Legacy Machine FlyingT by MB&F (Photo: Alex Teuscher)

Last year, three new references were added to MB&F’s Legacy Machine FlyingT line, which was launched in 2019 as the watchmaker’s first ladies’ watch. These limited editions came in red gold or platinum and showcased glistening guilloché dial plates. Now, a white gold version set with diamonds has been unveiled. A new dial made using lapis lazuli is a mesmerising inky blue that beautifully complements an emerald-green strap.

Audemars Piguet

Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked by Audemars Piguet (Photo: Diode SA/Denis Hayoun)

The Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked is now available in a seductive all-black ceramic case and bracelet, both of which are satin-brushed and polished by the manufacture’s watchmakers. An innovative dial showcases a pink gold-toned double balance wheel mechanism, which is visible from the wrist and open case back, and contrasts beautifully against the watch’s ebony structure alongside pink gold-applied hour markers and hands. See also: The Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Is Pushing Watchmaking Forward

Zenith

Pilot Type 20 “Blueprint” by Zenith

The Type 20 “Blueprint” is named after a planning document of Zenith’s historical headquarters in Switzerland. The stainless steel watch’s dial features a matt blue base adorned with the watchmaker’s technical drawings and notes, while the sapphire crystal layer is printed with the usual markers and Zenith logo. Polished and satin-brushed surfaces add a luxe feel to this otherwise industrial-style timepiece that’s limited to 250 pieces. See also: Zenith’s Julien Tornare Wants There To Be More Watches For Women

Blancpain

Fifty Fathoms Ocean Commitment III by Blancpain

Underwater biologist and photographer Laurent Ballesta has teamed up with Blancpain to research the impact Covid-19 is having on marine conservation. The study will be based in the Mediterranean and is part of a two-year project that’s partially financed by the proceeds of Fifty Fathoms Ocean Commitment III limited edition watches.

Omega

Speedmaster “Silver Snoopy Award” 50th Anniversary by Omega

Like the two limited-edition Speedmasters that came before it, Omega’s “Silver Snoopy Award” 50th Anniversary pays tribute to Nasa having presented its Silver Snoopy Award to Omega in 1970 following the sort-of successful Apollo 13 mission. Housed in a classic 42 mm case made of stainless steel, the watch’s bezel, hands, markers and strap are slick with blue. A Snoopy illustration sits in the small seconds sub-dial, as well as in a ship on the elaborately decorated case back. When the chronograph function starts, Snoopy and his ship travel along with a quote that reads, “Eyes on the Stars”, before disappearing around the far side of the moon. See also: Omega Has Dropped A Special Edition Timepiece In Honour Of The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics

Van Cleef & Arpels

Lady Arpels Ballerine Musicale Diamant by Van Cleef & Arpels

George Balanchine’s Jewels is a full-length story ballet that was first performed in April 1967. Its three acts—Emeralds, Rubies and Diamonds—were inspired by the three countries that Balanchine had called home: France, the US and Russia. Fast forward to today, and Van Cleef & Arpels has unveiled three one-of-a-kind watches that pay tribute to the late choreographer. This trio of stunning timepieces has been added to the house’s iconic Poetic Complications collection and has taken more than ten years to create. Each watch is based on one of the acts and comes set with either emeralds, rubies or diamonds. They also play music by Gabriel Fauré, Igor Stravinsky or Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, respectively. A birchwood and walnut marquetry music box uses an electronic amplifier to enrich the sound of the watch’s four gongs, while a visual animation comes to life when the music starts to play. Each watch’s dial depicts a pair of decadent opera curtains, which open to reveal ballerinas dressed in tutus.

Patek Philippe

Twenty-4 by Patek Philippe (Photo: Stefan Heinrichs)

Twenty-4 first hit boutiques in 1999. One of Patek Philippe’s bestselling collections, it’s known for its rectangular designs and cuff-style bracelets. Made exclusively for women, two new versions come with white gold-applied Arabic numerals and white gold-applied trapeze-shaped hour markers. Choose from a blue or grey sunburst dial, which is achieved by hand-painting the watch’s face so that its colour is concentrated towards the middle.

Rolex

Explorer II by Rolex (Photo: Watchfinder & Co)

Limited-edition Rolex Explorer II Ref 216570 watches don’t hit the second-hand market too often, so when one does appear in the wild, Tatler is among the first to find out. Watchfinder & Co have told us they’ve acquired one of these watches, which is one of only 48 that were produced as part of a special order made exclusively for British military personnel. It comes with a black dial, luminous hands and a comfortable stainless-steel bracelet, and was first unveiled in 2016 for the Attack Helicopter Regiment in which Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, served. An engraving on the case back depicts an Apache helicopter, as well as the name of the serviceman to whom the watch was originally given. See also: This Rolex Watch Was Worn By President Joe Biden During The Inauguration

Richard Mille

RM 71-02 Automatic Tourbillon Talisman “Diana” by Richard Mille (Photo: Fabien Nissels)

Richard Mille has been inspired by the “intense glamour” of the 1970s to design ten variations of its glitzy RM 71-02 tourbillon watches. Named after some of the most influential women of the disco era, including Bianca Jagger and Grace Jones, each variation is limited to just five pieces. We particularly love “Diana”, which is set with sapphires, rubies and diamonds, as well as sheets of lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl and turquoise. While the company did not identify the Diana in question, we’re pretty sure she was the boss. See also: Richard Mille Launches the New RM 72-01 Lifestyle In-House Chronograph

Dior Joaillerie

Grand Bal Ruban by Dior Joaillerie (Photo: Jean-Marie Binet)