Press Releases

Jewelers’ Son Wins at Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona

Published

7 years ago

February 8, 2017

INSTORE Staff

He’ll receive a very nice watch.

(Press Release) DAYTONA BEACH, FL — Nick Boulle, the 27-year-old son of Denis and Karen Boulle of de Boulle Diamond & Jewelry, an independent jewelry salon in Dallas and Houston, has claimed victory in the 55th Annual Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona for the Prototype Challenge Class.

The No. 38 Performance Tech Motorsports Oreca FLM09 finished 22 laps ahead of its closest rival in the 24-hour classic, despite the rain and cold. The car features an open-cockpit and technology such as a carbon fiber chassis, carbon brakes and sequential gearbox. Weighing in at 1990 pounds, the PC car reaches top speeds of around 190 mph with more than 450 horsepower.

Boulle drove alongside Performance Tech Motorsports drivers James French (23), Kyle Masson (19) and 17-year-old Patricio (Pato) O’Ward, one of the youngest in the history of the race. Each driver had his turn leading the PC class.

“I cannot say enough about how well the team all performed,” said Boulle, whose debut last year at the 54th Annual Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona resulted in a second-place finish in the Prototype Challenge Class.

“Taking the class win in the ROLEX 24 Hours of Daytona is a dream come true for drivers across disciplines of motorsports from NASCAR, WEC and Indy car,” Boulle said. “There’s no such thing as an easy ride at a race like this, but everyone performed flawlessly. We did take a few risks to win, but our strength was in our preparation and consistency. I can’t wait to see what else this result for de Boulle Motorsports, Clover Partners, McFadden & Miller and Palmares Energy leads to next.”

Winners of the race receive special engraved stainless steel Rolex Daytona watches. The 2017 edition of the luxury watch features both gold and stainless steel with an oyster face. The watch was designed to meet the demands of the professional racing driver.

The de Boulle location in Dallas carries Rolex timepieces.

De Boulle Motorsports has partnered with several prominent Texas companies: Clover Partners, McFadden & Miller and Palmares Energy. The race is the first major auto race of the year, and it brought some of sport’s biggest names, including Jeff Gordon, Scott Dixon, Buddy Rice and Graham Rahal.

When There’s No Succession Plan, Call Wilkerson

Bob Wesley, owner of Robert C. Wesley Jewelers in Scottsdale, Ariz., was a third-generation jeweler. When it was time to enjoy life on the other side of the counter, he weighed his options. His lease was nearing renewal time and with no succession plan, he decided it was time to call Wilkerson. There was plenty of inventory to sell and at first, says Wesley, he thought he might try to manage a sale himself. But he’s glad he didn’t. “There’s no way I could have done this as well as Wilkerson,” he says. Wilkerson took responsibility for the entire event, with every detail — from advertising to accounting — done, dusted and managed by the Wilkerson team. “It’s the complete package,” he says of the Wilkerson method of helping jewelers to easily go on to the next phase of their lives. “There’s no way any retailer can duplicate what they’ve done.”