Ahead of us is a true motorsport feast and without a doubt one of the biggest races in the world – the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. The 64th running of this iconic event will open the IMSA championship season this weekend.
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| Photo: Brandon Badraoui |
The race is so significant that it even features two major tests ahead of the event itself. The first takes place in mid-November, while the second, known as the “Roar Before the 24,” is held one week before the race. The grid features around sixty entries, including some of the biggest stars of sports car racing such as DTM champion René Rast, Sheldon van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor, and Robin Frijns. These drivers will share the BMW M Hybrid V8 #24. The second BMW, car #25, will be driven by equally well-known names including Marco Wittmann, familiar from DTM, and former Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen.
We also must not forget the highly experienced Kévin Estre, who will once again race the Porsche 963, sharing the car with Laurens Vanthoor (brother of Dries Vanthoor, who is driving for BMW) and Matt Campbell. Although Porsche has withdrawn from the FIA WEC, it continues its program in IMSA.
Many other famous names appear on the entry list as well. In the Cadillac lineup we will see Frederik Vesti, who is also a Mercedes Formula 1 reserve driver. He will share the car with Jack Aitken, a DTM driver and last year’s Petit Le Mans winner. Another familiar face from Formula 1 will appear in the LMP2 category, where former Williams driver Logan Sargeant will drive for Era Motorsport. Of course, we must also mention Alex Palou, IndyCar champion and Indy 500 winner, who will be behind the wheel of the Acura #93. From IndyCar, Colton Herta will also be in action, driving the Cadillac V-Series.R #3.
This will also be the first time this season that we see Hypercar-class cars racing, and as this is a multi-class event, they will share the track with LMP2 prototypes and, of course, GT3 cars. The GT3 field is split into two categories: GTD, where professional drivers race alongside amateurs, and GTD Pro, which is reserved exclusively for professional drivers.
One of the major highlights at Daytona will be the debut of Aston Martin’s V12 Valkyrie. The car competed for the first time last year in both WEC and IMSA, and through steady progress it managed to finish second at last year’s Petit Le Mans. Its beautiful Cosworth-built V12 engine sound is something you certainly won’t miss, even through your screens.
As for the starting grid, Jack Aitken initially secured pole position in the Cadillac, but following post-qualifying technical inspections he was disqualified from qualifying. As a result, the Acura #93 will start from pole position, with the second Cadillac, car #3, right alongside. Porsche #7 will line up third. In LMP2, Inter Europol Competition #43 claimed pole position. In the GT categories, Corvette #3 with Alexander Sims was fastest in GTD Pro, while in GTD the quickest driver was Zacharie Robichon from Heart of Racing.
It promises to be a thrilling 24 hours full of drama and unexpected twists, so make sure not to miss it. The entire race will be available live on the IMSA YouTube channel.