Duncan Dayton

Duncan Dayton is an American businessman, racing driver, and team owner best known for founding Highcroft Racing, one of the most successful teams in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS).

Born in Minneapolis in 1959, Dayton came to racing later in life, first competing in his early 30s. He quickly made a name for himself in vintage motorsport, particularly at the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique, where he earned 11 class wins between 1997 and 2010 driving historic Formula 1 machinery.

Dayton also competed in modern racing, entering SCCA Formula Ford 2000 in the 1990s before moving to sports cars. In 2002, he drove for Intersport Racing in ALMS, scoring two class wins and finishing runner-up in the LMP675 championship.

In 2006, Dayton founded Highcroft Racing in Connecticut. The team entered ALMS with a MG-Lola LMP675 class prototype and quickly caught the attention of Acura, becoming one of its factory-supported teams.

With Tequila Patron as title sponsor, Highcroft claimed back-to-back ALMS championships in 2009 and 2010, with drivers like David Brabham and Simon Pagenaud. The team also ran at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and was known for its technical excellence and clean, disciplined operations.

In 2012, Highcroft partnered with Nissan to run the innovative DeltaWing prototype at Le Mans and Petit Le Mans.

Outside of racing, Dayton holds degrees from Connecticut College and Harvard’s Graduate School of Design – going on to become an award-winning real estate developer..

Dayton’s legacy lies in combining passion, precision, and professionalism—both as a driver and a team builder at the highest levels of sports car racing.