Daytona Beach, Fla. ? Nobody had won the Rolex 24 from the pole in nine years, but Didier Theys just had a feeling the time was right.

Theys led an international quartet of drivers to victory Sunday in the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway.

“We had an unproven car and an engine that had never finished a 24-hour race, but I had the same feeling when I came here this year that I did when we won in 1998,” he said.

The Belgian driver, along with car-owner Fredy Lienhard of Switzerland and Italians Mauro Baldi and Max Papis, drove a Judd-powered Dallara from seven laps down in the early morning hours to a six-lap victory in the sports car endurance event.

It is the first time a pole-winning car won since 1993 and the second Daytona victory for both Theys and Baldi, teammates on the winning Ferrari in 1998.

SportsRacng Prototypes took the top two positions in the 40th anniversary 24-hour event, just a year after the top finishing SRP car in the five-division race finished 11th.

“I was very nervous, very emotional the last hour,” said Lienhard, who drove the last half hour in the winning car. “I’m the first Swiss who ever has won a 24-hour race in Daytona. Unbelievable. I was almost driving like it was a dream at the end.”

The winners completed 716 laps and 2,548.96 miles at an average speed of 106.142 mph.