Next 2 Weekends of IMSA at Daytona for Rolex 24 Hour Race

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No. 3 Corvette C8.R begins another full-season championship challenge in GTD PRO
Also keep watch of the new LMDh Caddy hybrid for its first ever race

Corvette Racing is back where it all started a quarter-century ago as the team returns to Daytona International Speedway for its two-week, season-opening event in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

First up is the Roar Before the 24 – three days of official testing that culminates in qualifying for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
The Roar runs from Friday through Sunday, with practice starting for the Rolex 24 on Thursday, January 26.

This season marks the second for Corvette Racing in the GT Daytona (GTD) PRO category. This year’s lineup features the two-time IMSA championship-winning pair of Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor challenging for another full-season title, and fellow Corvette Racing veteran Tommy Milner in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R.

While this is the first race together for the trio, one has shared the cockpit of a Corvette with the other on multiple occasions.
While Garcia and Taylor are full-season teammates, Milner was a full-time Corvette driver in 2011 with Garcia as his long-distance teammate.
Coincidently, they went on to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans that year.

Fast-forward to 2015 and Taylor was the third driver at Le Mans with Milner and Oliver Gavin as the trio won their class in a storybook ending for Corvette Racing.
Daytona was the site of Corvette Racing’s first event in 1999. In its 12 Rolex starts since then, the program has won the race four times, the most recent coming in 2021 when Garcia, Taylor and Nicky Catsburg led a 1-2 Corvette Racing finish in the final Rolex 24 for the GT Le Mans (GTLM) category.

There are eight entries from seven manufacturers in GTD PRO for this year’s Rolex 24. Combined with the regular GTD field, Corvette Racing will be in a fight among 23 production-based cars around the 3.56-mile, eight-turn circuit that combines Daytona’s super-speedway oval with its infield road course.

The Roar Before the 24 is set for Friday-Sunday with GTD qualifying for the Rolex 24 scheduled for 1:25 p.m. on Sunday.
The session will stream live around the world on IMSA.com.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:

“Going for the second time in GTD PRO at Daytona will be a little bit different. We have a year of experience now. A year ago, it was hard for us and hard for IMSA to know what to expect from the performance of our car. I hope we are in a better position this time around, especially at Daytona.
We were lacking a ton of performance, and we were not competitive and couldn’t fight for wins.
I hope things change. The team has one year of experience in this category. We know our weaknesses and where we are strong.
I hope we have a chance to win.”

“For Corvette Racing, Daytona is a key part of our season. We’ve been lucky enough to win it a few times. Last year wasn’t a great year for us, but I hope we have a chance to be up there, work for it and maybe win the Rolex again.”

“It’s great to have Tommy back. I was still a third driver when he joined the team, and I was able to be in the car with him for a year. We won Le Mans together, so I think it’s a good moment to get together again and win all the other big races we can win. I haven’t won Daytona or Sebring with him, so this is a good chance to try for that.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:

“Heading into the season, the motivation is to win as much as we can. That starts with the Rolex 24.


Last year we had a tough race in our first event in GTD. Getting an understanding about what the car needs and what the drivers need is a lot to learn. Having done the whole season a year ago, we can take what we learned into practice, and hopefully we can hit the ground running strong at Daytona.” “With the GTD PRO class growing as much as it has, Daytona will be such an important event for us.
We’ve got so many manufacturers from around the world, and it’s a big deal to represent Corvette and Chevrolet on our home turf. We won the race in 2021, and hopefully we can come back with a strong car in GTD after learning what we did a year ago.

Furthermore, we’re definitely hoping for another watch this year.” “It was kind of sad not having Tommy in the IMSA field last year. He’s been a staple in this sport for so many years. I know he enjoyed WEC and exploring the different tracks. For us, it’s nice to have him back home.

The last time we drove the same car, we won Le Mans back in 2015, so we have a lot of good history and good memories. We had a good battle back in 2021 around Daytona. He’s one guy you’d rather have in your car than racing against. Hopefully we can go win some more races together.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:

“The team had a pretty tough year last year. They won at Sebring and were competitive at some places, but for the most part, the first year bringing a GTLM car down to GTD was challenging, for sure. I would say expectations for Daytona, we go there to win. That’s why we race
. Last year was a big challenge for us. We were very slow in a straight line, hopefully that will be better. The goal is to win the race and win a championship.

“Daytona itself is a huge part of the IMSA championship and endurance racing around the world. It kicks off the racing season around the world. The track itself is not crazy difficult, but the race itself is challenging. You have to have a car that is good in all kinds of conditions.

It can get pretty hot in the daytime and also freezing at night. The oval itself poses its own challenges. It’s one car from each manufacturer and great driver lineups with great teams. So it’s a challenge for all of us as drivers and a team to compare ourselves to some of the best in the world. It’s a challenge that Corvette Racing is always up for. No matter what hand we’re dealt, we’ll work our magic to get our Corvette up front.”

“I enjoyed my time last year in WEC going all around the world and representing Corvette Racing. To go around the world and show off this Corvette to a lot of fans who have never seen the car before was special. As an American kid, being at home is quite nice, and the chance to race the three major races in the IMSA championship is fantastic.”

 

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Antonio Garcia is hopeful that Corvette C8.R Racing will be able to fight for the GTD Pro class win in next weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona in the second year of the Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD program.

The Pratt Miller-run squad, which celebrates its 25th year in IMSA competition this year, will again field a solo full season GTD Pro entry for Garcia and co-driver Jordan Taylor, who finished third in the championship last year with only single win at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring to their credit.
Garcia and Taylor will team up with fellow factory driver Tommy Milner for this year’s long-distance races, beginning with Daytona as well as Sebring and Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

“Going for the second time in GTD Pro at Daytona will be a little bit different,” said Garcia. We have a year of experience now.
A year ago, it was hard for us and hard for IMSA to know what to expect from the performance of our car.
I hope we are in a better position this time around, especially at Daytona. We were lacking a ton of performance, and we were not competitive and couldn’t fight for wins.
“I hope things change. The team has one year of experience in this category. We know our weaknesses and where we are strong. I hope we have a chance to win.”
Garcia, Taylor and Nicky Catsburg recorded a sixth place class result in the 2022 season opener after struggling for pace with its GTE-spec car adapted to GT3 regulations, which included the use of customer Michelin S9M tires.

It proved to be a common trend over the course of the season, with the team unable to mount a championship fight to the Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.
“Heading into the season, the motivation is winning as much as we can,” Taylor said. That starts with the Rolex 24.
Last year we had a tough race in our first event in GTD.

Getting an understanding about what the car needs and what the drivers need is a lot to learn.
“Having done the whole season a year ago, we can take what we learned into practice, and hopefully we can hit the ground running strong.”
Taylor said the increased field of GTD Pro entries at nine cars for Daytona will present an even greater challenge.

Unlike last year’s two-car effort at Daytona, only the No. 3 Corvette C8.R has been entered, with GM sports car racing program manager having cited supply chain challenges and chassis availability as the reason to focus on a single car.
The class is represented by eight manufacturers, although that number is expected to be reduced to five manufacturers and teams that are committed to the full season.
“With the GTD Pro class growing as much as it has, Daytona will be such an important event for us,” Taylor said.

We’ve got so many manufacturers from around the world, and it’s a big deal to represent Corvette and Chevrolet on our home turf.
“We won the race in 2021, and hopefully we can come back with a strong car in GTD after learning what we did a year ago. We’re definitely hoping for another watch this year.”

Garcia added: “For Corvette Racing, Daytona is a key part of our season,” he said. We’ve been lucky enough to win it a few times.
“Last year wasn’t a great year for us, but I hope we have a chance to be up there, work for it and maybe win the Rolex again.”

 

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The Roar Before the 24, the qualifying event for the 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona, runs January 20th-22nd culminating in qualifying.
This year, IMSA reverts to the traditional form of class-by-class qualifying as featured at other rounds of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, rather than the sprint race we’ve seen at the Daytona road course for the last two years.

Still, it’s worth noting who the defending pole-winners are:

DPi (now GTP) – Wayne Taylor Racing Acura
LMP2 – PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports
LMP3 – Andretti Autosport
GTD Pro – TR3 Racing (Lamborghini) – not present this year
GTD – Winward Racing (Mercedes)

And it’s worth noting, too, that none of the polesitters went on to win their respective class.

The first two days of practice at The Roar, which features a total of five practice sessions, will not be broadcast, although the VP SportsCar Challenge can be watched on both IMSA.TV and on Peacock. IMSA.TV will then broadcast qualifying live on Sunday afternoon at 1.20pm ET.

Practice for the Rolex 24 starts on Thursday, January 26th, with four further practice sessions – the last on Friday evening is for GTP class only – but none of these will be broadcast. As for the race beginning Saturday afternoon, live coverage is available on Peacock for the full 24-hour cycle, while NBC will provide 10 mins build-up and then the first 50 minutes of the race, and then the final 1hr40mins and 20 mins of post-race, while the USA Network covers 13.5 hours of the race.
For details, see below:

When is the Roar Before the 24?
Friday, January 20 – Sunday, January 22

When is qualifying for the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona?
Sunday, January 22 at 1.25pm ET

How can I watch qualifying for the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona?
IMSA TV, with coverage beginning at 1.20pm ET.

How can I watch the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona?
Peacock will broadcast all 24 hours
IMSA TV will broadcast all 24 hours
Saturday, 1.30-2.30pm – NBC
Saturday, 2.30-8.00pm – USA network
Saturday, 10.00-11.59pm – USA network
Sunday, 6.00am-12.00pm – USA network
Sunday, 12.00-2.00pm – NBC

What type of track is Daytona?
The Daytona International Speedway road course is a 3.56-mile layout that incorporates all three turns of the banked tri-oval but inserts a fiddly infield section and a ‘Bus Stop’ chicane to create a total of 12 turns?

What’s the average lap speed?
Driving a Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R last year, the 2021 IndyCar champion Alex Palou set a new race lap record around the course of 1min33.724sec, an average speed of 136.74mph.

 

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First IMSA event of the year and C8.R gets BOP as always

 

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With that BOP C8.R is no better than last year :-(

1 of 2 practice sessions for today is completed, and C8.R was 1 second slower on best lap, worse brought out 1 of the red flags

Three red flags interrupted the session,
the first two for LMP3 cars stuck on track,
the third for the No. 3 GTD PRO Corvette stopped, possibly with a loose wheel or suspension problem.

 

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Second practice, even worse

The No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD of Jordan Taylor suffered steering failure in the opening session, which resulted in the GTD Pro entry slamming into the wall on the exit of the Le Mans Chicane.
It returned to action in Friday afternoon’s session, having set only the sixth-quickest time in the GTD Pro class.

Taylor said of the incident:
“We left the Bus Stop and didn’t have many options. There isn’t a lot of room for error there, and we had some contact.
It’s definitely unfortunate to kick off the week that way, but we’d rather do it now than later this week or next week during the Rolex.”

 

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One of three practice sessions for today completed and C8.R even did worse than yesterday

 

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Fourth practice completed
One more night practice today and then qualify tomorrow to see how they line up for the Rolex 24 hour race next weekend

 

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The first green flag of the 2023 racing season at Daytona International Speedway will drop this weekend, as IMSA fans will descend upon the track in preparation for the Roar Before the 24 weekend at Daytona.

The following weekend will be the Rolex 24 hours of Daytona.

Some of Sundays practice

 

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After qualify was completed, here is how the GTD-Pro cars line up for the start for the 2023 IMSA Rolex 24 hour race

 

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A new season and Corvette Racing’s 25th will see Antonio Garcia and the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R start fourth in class for next weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona.

During Sunday’s 15-minute qualifying session, Garcia posted the best lap of 1:48.077 (118.582 mph) around the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road course to slot into the top-five in the GT Daytona (GTD PRO) class and 12th among all GTD entries for the opening round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

The No. 3 Corvette with Garcia teaming with Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia completed 146 laps for nearly 520 miles across the three-day Roar Before the 24 test days. The focus now turns to adding a sixth class win at the Rolex 24, the last coming in 2021.

As is traditionally the case, exploring different mechanical setups and aero configurations were the most important items to cross off during the Roar.
Aside from a steering issue in Friday’s opening session, the Corvette spent minimal time in the pit lane, which helped maximize the amount of data gathering for next week.
This is the second year for Corvette Racing in the GTD PRO class, which is composed of GT3-level cars from multiple manufacturers. Corvette Racing won one race in 2022 and finished third in the GTD PRO championship.

Corvette Racing returns to the track for the first official Rolex 24 practice at 11:05 a.m. ET on Thursday.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R QUALIFIED FOURTH IN GTD PRO:

“It was a little bit messy. I didn’t know which cars had Pro drivers and which had Bronze drivers. I got caught out a few times, but that’s just the way it is. Whatever I lost behind in traffic is what I gained on the draft, so it was a trade-off.
The track changed a little bit with the rain yesterday, but it was pretty much the same in the end. The wind was pretty strong, so the car felt a little slower.
We will see what we can find in the data to try and be a little quicker next week.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:

“From a pace perspective, it’s hard to tell where we’re going to stack up next week.
For us, we’re focusing on what we can control.
We’ve made a lot of headway, especially since 2022. When we hit the ground here last year, we were guessing on what was going to work and what wasn’t going to work.
Coming in this year, I feel like we are so far ahead of where we were last year.
This weekend went smoothly other than one incident we had. Now we’re fine-tuning the car and making small changes here and there to make all three drivers happy.
It’s nice to have three guys who agree on what the car should feel like. We’re all heading in the same direction from a setup point of view.
This weekend was about doing the little things, not just in the driver side, but also on the crew side and engineering side with things like pit stop practice and driver change practice. We’re very much prepared for next week.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R:

“Last year was very different with the required changes we had to make for the GTD spec.
From a driver’s perspective, we need to be diligent with our preparation into next week. The car was really good yesterday in both the wet and dry conditions.

We made some progress there, and we’ll come up with a plan to get more speed out of it if we can.
Having had a full year on this car and tire combination, the crew has the car already in a better place than last year.
We have the knowledge and experience from last year, which is helpful.
The goal obviously is to win this race, so we’ll take whatever we can from last year’s race and last year’s season to apply it to this year’s Rolex 24.”

 

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25 years ago, no one knew what to expect when two Chevy Corvette C5-R racecars showed up at Daytona International Speedway for the Rolex 24 At Daytona the first event for the then-new factory sports car program.



The volumes of stories and successes that came after that first race are enough to fill up multiple books.
That’s what happens when a single program with the same manufacturer, the same team and the same car wins 122 races around the world including four at the Rolex 24 to go along with 15 Team championships, 14 Manufacturers and Drivers titles in North American competition and more than 350,000 racing miles covered.

Chevrolet and Corvette Racing leaders, current and past drivers offer their thoughts on this monumental achievement and what Corvette Racing has meant to them personally

JIM CAMPBELL, CHEVROLET U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, PERFORMANCE AND MOTORSPORTS:

“Twenty-five years of Corvette Racing is a remarkable achievement.
I remember being part of our first race at Daytona in 1999 and the excitement around our first race. Now 25 years later, that level of anticipation and thrill remains for everyone within our team and our Corvette owners and supporters.
This program is a benchmark in our company for technology and development transferring from racetrack to showroom. Engine technology, advanced aerodynamics and light-weighting materials are hallmarks of how Corvette Racing has influenced Chevrolet vehicles for 25 years.
I can’t thank the team members, our Corvette owners and our Corvette fans enough for their 25 years of loyalty, and we look forward to many more.”

 

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ANTONIO GARCIA, CURRENT CORVETTE RACING DRIVER:
“I knew when I joined Corvette Racing that my goal was to be here long-term. I’m really happy that it worked out that way.
When I joined in 2009, I had the option to stay with another manufacturer, but I had discovered American racing a few years before that and my choice was to join what I thought was the best team, and I still think we are the best.
I’m very thankful. It’s quite unique to see a 25-year relationship at this level. I’m happy to have driven Corvettes for 14 years and going on 15. “The first time I saw Corvette Racing was watching footage of the win at Daytona in 2001. Even though I wasn’t racing in sports cars then, I still saw a lot of the Le Mans 24 Hours.
You knew those yellow cars were going around and winning races. When I moved to GT in 2006, we knew that the bigger battles would be in America with Aston Martin vs. Corvette. I was on the other side then and experienced how hard those battles were when we would race at Le Mans and Sebring. My eyes were really opened to how hard Corvette Racing competed. The relationship between the two teams was great always.
“This is part of the Corvette Racing environment: My family has always been welcomed in and it is an extended family.
During the week at home, I have my own family and on the weekends I have Corvette Racing. When I joined, I was 28 and was probably one of the youngest members of the team. Now it’s the complete opposite!
I don’t know how many people on the team are older than me now!
But I’m happy I can still provide experience and speed to the team. Consistency is big here and so is experience.”

JORDAN TAYLOR, CURRENT CORVETTE RACING DRIVER:

“It’s amazing. In motorsports, I don’t know how many relationships make it to 25 years.
For GM, Chevrolet, Pratt Miller and Corvette Racing to be this family for so long, it comes down to success.
If they weren’t successful, I don’t think this relationship would still be going on. It speaks volumes for everyone involved.
For me to be part of it for all these years is a very special feeling and something I’m very proud of.
The last few years as a full-time driver have been amazing with winning a couple of championships and winning races like Daytona and Sebring and all the special ones that everyone talks about is huge, and that’s what Corvette Racing is known for.

“I was 10 years old at Le Mans watching my dad for the first time, and we shared hospitality with Corvette Racing.
So I saw it first-hand back then, seeing all the Corvette Racing guys on the biggest stage against the biggest manufacturers.
It was always the goal back then to be in that position, so for all of that to come full circle, it’s almost impossible to believe that it’s happened. It’s hard to picture that I was once a kid watching the team back then. It’s super special and something I’m always thankful for.
I know the opportunity could have never come, and I could have been doing something way different with my life. It’s always something I’m thankful for.”
TOMMY MILNER, CURRENT CORVETTE RACING DRIVER:

“Twenty-five years is incredible for a team and car manufacturer partnership. To last that long is unheard of.
It’s a testament to how well the foundations of the program from Day One have allowed it to continue this long.
Each year, the team and Chevrolet grow that relationship and partnership with closer links to racecar and production cars.

In many ways, it starts with the commitment that Chevrolet has toward sports car racing not just in the United States but around the world.
“Car manufacturers oftentimes love to play for a little bit and then take a break or go somewhere else.
But Chevrolet and Corvette have been consistently here for 25 years. Any car manufacturer looking at going racing needs to look at what Corvette Racing has done.
The production cars have transformed from what they had been in the late 1990s when this program came about to where the eighth-generation Corvette is now.

In terms of being faster, better handling and everything you want in a car, the Corvette has improved over the years.
The racecars have gone hand-in-hand with those production cars as well in improving over the years. It’s a good mirror of having a great product for the road and a great product on the racetrack. I feel very fortunate to have been part of this program for as long as I have, and hopefully that continues on in the future.”

RON FELLOWS, CORVETTE RACING DRIVER FROM 1999-2007:

“It’s amazing. I sat down with some of the Chevy leadership in September 1997, and they talked about taking a Corvette to Le Mans.
I was dumbfounded! But they were serious about it and said they wanted me to be part of it and lead the program as a driver. I couldn’t say yes fast enough!
“It’s great to see not only the success of Corvette Racing, but also the development of generations of production Corvette. They both improved hand-in-hand. To see how both have evolved is awesome to look at.
“We certainly learned a ton at that first Rolex 24. And we continued to get better throughout 1999 and into 2000. When you look at how long development occurred, you realize how much work went into it. In 2000, we knew we had a fast car, and it was a matter of putting all the pieces together to finish it off. But the evolution of the cars and people was phenomenal. There were tough times, but everyone kept digging and we were all better for it.”

OLIVER GAVIN, CORVETTE RACING DRIVER FROM 2002-2020:

“When I first tested for Corvette Racing in 2001, the team was already established, and it was a force in the paddocks of the American Le Mans Series and at Le Mans.
When you get into three or four years of a program, you think that something will change and something will happen to move on to the next thing.
But it was amazing to see how Corvette Racing grew from C5-R to C6.R through the different competition we faced. The racing back then, thinking about it now, makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. It was fantastic fun and great, intense racing.

“You get to 2010, and I’d been there for nine seasons. You think how this keeps building and building every year. The competition level in any form of GT racing is so high, no matter where you go. But this team has constantly been running at the front. Part of that key is building on the foundation of the road car, and you see that from generation to generation.

You see the lessons that have been learned and how they are applied in production and with the race team. It shows how hard everyone works together and the overall effort of the individual groups. Everyone is pulling in the same direction and wanting to keep progressing and continuing the level and standard that Corvette Racing has established for so long.”

Chevrolet on Display All Around Daytona

Exciting Chevrolet products won’t be found just on the track at the Rolex 24.
Starting Friday fans, can check out a large variety of Chevy models at three locations around Daytona International Speedway. The Chevrolet Experience Center, the Chevrolet Injector and Chevrolet Motorsports Display each will be full of Chevrolet vehicles that spectators can learn more about throughout the weekend.
Each location will open at 9 a.m., Friday and Saturday; and 8 a.m., Sunday.
The Chevrolet Experience Center is located next to Victory Lane.
The main attraction for Corvette enthusiasts is the 2024 Corvette E-Ray Chevrolet’s first electrified, all-wheel drive Corvette.
In addition, multiple versions of the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 will be on display alongside Blazer RS, Corvette Stingray, Tahoe RST and Bolt EUV Premier.

The Chevrolet Motorsports Display in the Fan Midway will have a number of attractions:
• Production vehicles such as the Corvette Z06, Corvette Stingray with the Z51 package, Tahoe Z71, Colorado ZR2, Blazer EV RS, Silverado 1500 Crew ZR2, Camaro ZL1 a Corvette C8.R show car and the Garage 56 Camaro ZL1 test car.
• Samples of Chevrolet engines, performance parts and accessories available to fans for purchase from local Chevrolet dealers
• Corvette Racing t-shirts for fans who sign up with Chevrolet
At the Chevy Injector, nearly 20 different Chevrolet vehicles are on display throughout the four levels of fan access.
Models include Corvette Z06 and Stingray, Silverado ZR2, Corvette Z06, Bolt EV and EUV, Tahoe RST, Blazer Premier and RST, Camaro ZL1 and SS, Suburban Premier and multiple variants of Silverado: 1500, 2500, ZR2 and TrailBoss.
As at the Chevy Motorsports Display and Chevy Experience, Chevy product specialists will be on-hand to answer questions on each model of Chevrolet vehicle throughout the weekend.

 

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It’s not just the sophistication and technical relevance of the cars competing in the Rolex 24 At Daytona this week that has piqued interest in the 2023 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship opener to heights unseen in years.



It’s also the outstanding list of drivers from all over the world who will battle for 24 hours for the right to earn one of the most prestigious prizes in motorsport.

The 61st running of the twice-around-the-clock spectacle at Daytona International Speedway features the rebirth of the heralded Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class, but with a major state-of-the-art twist. The nine prototypes entered in GTP contain an electrified hybrid powertrain system paired with an internal combustion engine designed by each of the four global auto manufacturers.
The anticipation for the actual racing debut of these forward-thinking machines has been, well, electric.

Four other competition classes will be in the heralded race as well Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3), GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and GT Daytona (GTD) making for a jam-packed field of 61 cars (appropriate for the 61st running) eager to get started in what’s considered the traditional worldwide kickoff for the racing season. And with the list of drivers and teams involved, it’s no wonder that the Rolex 24 grabs international attention.

Of the 234 drivers on the entry list, 62 are past Rolex 24 overall or class winners. More than three dozen have conquered the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
There are three past Indianapolis 500 winners and even the reigning Daytona 500 champion from NASCAR.

NBC Sports has complete race coverage beginning on NBC network at 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday. Stints will follow on the USA Network (2:30-8 p.m. Saturday; 10-11:59 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m.-noon Sunday) before returning to NBC for the dramatic conclusion from noon-2 p.m. Sunday. Peacock, IMSA’s livestream home, has flag-to-flag coverage of all 24 hours in the U.S.
The international livestream is available in most countries outside the U.S. at IMSA.com/TVLive. IMSA Radio also has complete coverage.

Four of the five winning teams from the 2022 Rolex 24 return in their classes, though each has gone through some change and the competition level has been raised across the board:

Grand Touring Prototype (nine cars entered): Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian used the win last year in the discontinued Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class as a springboard to the season championship.
Now the No. 60 starts anew with the new hybrid-based car, the No. 60 Acura ARX-06, and things appear promising. Tom Blomqvist converted a last-lap dash to win the Motul Pole Award in qualifying on Sunday; that after the No. 60 sat atop the speed chart for most of the Roar Before the Rolex 24 test sessions.

Blomqvist, Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud return to defend the 2022 victory, with Colin Braun filling out the lineup as Blomqvist’s season-long co-driver. Competition will be stiff, however, as Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport races its own Acura ARX-06, Porsche Penske Motorsport enters a pair of Porsche 963s, BMW M Team RLL has two BMW M Hybrid V8s, and Cadillac enters three cars – two from Chip Ganassi Racing and a third from Action Express Racing.

Le Mans Prototype 2 (10 cars entered): The winning team from a year ago (DragonSpeed USA) isn’t back, but two of the winning drivers are. Eric Lux and Devlin DeFrancesco have moved to the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing ORECA LMP2 07, where they’re joined by Formula 1 driver Pietro Fittipaldi and Austin Cindric, the 2022 Daytona 500 winner.

Le Mans Prototype 3 (nine cars entered): Riley Motorsports is seeking a Rolex 24 three-peat in this class, as is driver Gar Robinson in the No. 74 Ligier JS P320. Felipe Fraga joined Robinson in last year’s win, and they’ll have a pair of new co-drivers this year in Glenn van Berlo (younger brother of Kay, who was part of the No. 74 winner in 2022) and Josh Burdon.

GT Daytona Pro (10 cars entered): Variety is the spice in this GT3-specification class, with eight manufacturers represented. The race-winning Pfaff Motorsports team returns, but with a completely new driver lineup (Klaus Bachler, Patrick Pilet and Laurens Vanthoor) and a new 992 generation version of the Porsche 911 GT3 R. A late entry list change finds the No. 53 MDK Motorsports Porsche, whose lineup includes sports car great Jan Magnussen, moving from the GTD class
to GTD PRO.

GT Daytona (23 cars entered): The largest class in the field returns the defending winner in Wright Motorsports and three drivers from that No. 16 Porsche Ryan Hardwick, Jan Heylen and Zacharie Robichon. Dennis Olsen fills out the four-driver roster.

But with so many entries and eight manufacturers involved, it’s a crapshoot determining who may be the favorite.
Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini each have new or updated cars making their racing debuts. How will they fare over the grueling 24 hours?

 

[teamzr1]

Rolex 24 at Daytona January 26-29, 2023
Has started !

Daytona International Speedway
Circuit Length: 3.56 miles

Entry by Class:
GTP-9LMP2 - 10
LMP3 - 9
GTD PRO - 8
GTD - 25

Television/Online Broadcast: (ROLEX 24)

SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2023 (All times ET)

USA:

1:40 pm ET- 11:59 pm ET Peacock TV
1:30 pm ET -2:30 pm ET NBC
2:30 pm ET- 8:00 pm ET USA
10:00 pm ET-11:59 am ET USA

International:
1:35 pm ET- 11:59 pm ET IMSA TV

SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2023 (All times ET)

USA:

12:00 am ET- 1:40 pm ET Peacock TV
6:00 am ET-12:00 pm ET USA
12:00 pm ET -2:00 pm ET NBC

International:
12:00 am ET- 1:40 pm ET IMSA TV

LIVE TIMING: Scoring | IMSA

Live Timing for mobile device: http://scoring.imsa.com/mobile.html