2021 IMSA Daytona 24 hours

WEC, Blancpain, Le Mans Series, Rolex and special events like the Le Mans 24h
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2021 IMSA Daytona 24 hours

#1

Post by erwin greven »

DAYTONA 24 HOURS 2021

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2021 IMSA/ Rolex 24 Entry List Unpicked: DPi
By Ryan Kish 14 January 2021, 8:57 AM

It’s been a tumultuous year all around and motorsport has not been spared some of the impacts from the global situation.

That has played a part in stalling growth, and indeed in seeing some retraction, in the premier Dpi class in IMSA’s Weathertech Sportscar championship for 2021.

A single Mazda, a single JDC-Miller-run Cadillac and a second Action Express Cadillac confirmed only for the Rolex 24 are offset to some degree by the good news from Chip Ganassi Racing, and a refresh of the Acura effort, Penske’s programme over, replaced by a pair of highly motivated customer teams.

It’s seven cars for the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and six for the full season as things stand.

#01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R. Kevin Magnussen, Renger Van Der Zande, Scott Dixon (Endurance)

Chip Ganassi Racing is back in IMSA and they bring the #01 from the Daytona Prototype days. The driver lineup is also a fascinating one with ex-Haas Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen pairing with Renger Van Der Zande.

For Magnussen, it’s a new world of motorsport but one that he will be very familiar with from his father Jan’s time with Corvette Racing. We’ve seen multiple Formula 1 drivers (and in many cases F1 drivers before they became F1 drivers) come over to race in IMSA but Magnussen’s stint will be different as he is set for a full-season campaign. He had expressed an interest in sports car racing in the past and he was rumoured for a Rolex 24 drive in 2017 that did not materialize. How Magnussen gets along throughout a full season of sportscar racing will be fascinating to see.

As for Van Der Zande, this program is a great place to land. After Wayne Taylor Racing elected not to bring him along for their 2021 DPi program with the Acura ARX-05c, it seemed Van Der Zande could be left without a ride. A staggering fact considering the two-time Rolex 24 winner has been amongst the top DPi drivers since the introduction of the formula. As the Chip Ganassi Racing program emerged with a Cadillac DPi-V.R., Van Der Zande was a natural choice.

Like Van Der Zande, Dixon is a refugee from the Wayne Taylor Racing operation. Given Dixon has won six NTT IndyCar Series championships with Chip Ganassi, he is a natural choice to fill in as the endurance driver. He has three Rolex 24 at Daytona wins, including two with Ganassi and one with the Cadillac DPi that he’ll drive in this year’s race.

Yet to be confirmed officially is the possible addition of 2021 Ganassi IndyCar man, and ex Sauber and Alfa Romeo F1 driver Marcus Ericsson who is known to have tested with the team.

#5 JDC-Miller Motorsports Cadillac DPi-V.R. Tristan Vautier, Loic Duval, Sebastian Bourdais (Endurance)

JDC-Miller Motorsports is back in DPi with an all-French driver lineup. This will be the second season that JDC-Miller partners with Mustang Sampling Racing to run the Cadillac DPi-V.R. JDC-Miller Motorsports’ #85 Cadillac DPi that ran last season is not slated to return.

Duval, who competed in the endurance rounds last season, steps up to a full-time driver role in 2021. A winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Audi Sport Team Joest, Duval is highly experienced in prototype racing and will be a key part of the team’s campaign. This will be his first full season of IMSA.

Vautier is back for his third season with JDC-Miller Motorsports after racing in both the #5 and #85 Cadillacs last season. Vautier, though, has not found the same level of success as his teammates, last scoring an IMSA podium at Circuit of the Americas in 2017 in a Mercedes-AMG GT3. JDC-Miller Motorsports lurked around the edges of the podium in 2020 but a one-car programme in 2021 combined with the experience of Duval might give Vautier a better chance at success.

For the endurance rounds, the team will be joined by Sebastian Bourdais. There’s not much more you can ask for when looking for a third driver. Bourdais scored a podium in 2020 at the Rolex 24 with JDC-Miller Motorsports and has plenty of experience in endurance racing from his time with the Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT programme which included a Le Mans win in 2016. His endurance campaign in IMSA will be secondary to his full-season effort in the NTT IndyCar series with A.J. Foyt Racing.

#10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-05c Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque, Alexander Rossi (Endurance), Helio Castroneves (Rolex 24)

Wayne Taylor Racing has been one of the top teams in DPi and found immediate success with the Cadillac DPi-V.R. winning the first five races of the 2017 season. Since then, they’ve won the Rolex 24 the past two years and have had high-caliber drivers like Fernando Alonso, Kamui Kobayashi, and Scott Dixon in their stable. This season, they’ll switch from the Cadillac to the Acura ARX-05c, a championship-winning car. How WTR gets on with the new chassis will be a storyline to watch.

As for the drivers, it’s an all-star lineup, starting with Ricky Taylor. Taylor rejoins his father’s team after three season and a championship with Acura Team Penske. His 2020 season included four wins and he will bring with him an extensive amount of experience in the Acura DPi to his father’s team. He has driven the Acura in every race since its debut in 2018.

Albuquerque’s 2020 season was the stuff of legends. European Le Mans Series LMP2 champion, World Endurance Championship LMP2 champion, and 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 winner. Of the 17 races Albuquerque was a part of across ELMS, WEC, and IMSA last year, he won eight of them, a staggering 47%-win percentage. He’ll enter the 2021 racing season as one of the best prototype drivers in the world. This will be his eighth Rolex 24.

Like, Taylor, Alexander Rossi slides over from the Acura Team Penske program that ended after the 2020 season. He’ll serve in the same role with Wayne Taylor Racing as he joins the squad as their endurance driver. He finished on the podium at the 2019 Rolex 24 with Taylor and Castroneves. Like Bourdais, this program will run alongside his main duties in the NTT IndyCar Series with Andretti Autosport.

Finally, Helio Castroneves will complete the team’s Rolex 24 lineup. The three-time Indy 500 winner won his first championship last season with Taylor in the #7 Acura Team Penske ARX-05c. Castroneves will only be in the team for the Rolex 24. To say the word “retirement” and Helio Castroneves in the same sentence is a tall order, but the 45-year-old is getting closer to that time. He’s a legend in the sport but it’s tough to make the case for him in a full-season entry when looking at who Wayne Taylor Racing have in the car already.

#31 Action Express Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R. Felipe Nasr, Pipo Derani, Mike Conway (Endurance), Chase Elliot (Rolex 24)

No surprises for Action Express Racing this season… wait… Chase Elliot? Yes, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion joins the rock steady AXR stable for the Rolex 24 at Daytona in what is otherwise an unchanged lineup for the team. With so many changes elsewhere, this could be a strong season for AXR.

Felip Nasr is back for his fourth season with the team, a championship in 2018, two Rolex 24 podiums, a Sebring 12 Hours win, and a Petit Le Mans win, Nasr is well-credentialed in the Cadillac DPi-V.R. There’s not much else to say about Nasr, he’s been one of the top drivers since the introduction of DPi and will likely stay in the upper echelon this season.

It’s hard to mention Nasr without mentioning Pipo Derani — the Brazilian duo is back together for their third season. The pair fell just short of an IMSA DPi title in 2019 and Derani finished fourth in 2020. Nasr finished eighth last season after missing the second Daytona round due to COVID-19. Derani and Nasr scored four podiums last season.

Mike Conway is back with the team for his fourth Rolex 24 at Daytona. He is coming off a 2020 season that saw him finally claim the World Endurance Championship title with Toyota Gazoo Racing in the TS050. His last IMSA podium came at Sebring in 2018, since then it’s been tough finishes of seventh, sixth, seventh, and seventh again. He’s not the strongest driver in the car, but the endurance driver rarely is. For your endurance driver you’re looking for experience and a steady hand, Conway brings that to the table.

Finally, there’s Chase Elliot who will be making his sportscar racing debut at the Rolex 24. Of Elliot’s 11 wins in the NASCAR Cup Series, five of them have come on road courses, including one win at the Daytona Road Course that NASCAR used in August of last year. Elliot, though, will face the same kinds of questions that even Fernando Alonso experienced when he came to sportscar racing. How will he handle the traffic? How will he fare in the 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. stint in the could be in the rain? One thing is for sure, the roughly 2,000 citizens of Dawsonville, Georgia will have their eyes on the Daytona International Speedway a month earlier than usual this year. Will the town sirens sound to indicate an Elliot win at the end of January?

#48 Action Express Racing/Hendrick Motorsports Cadillac DPi-V.R. Jimmie Johnson, Kamui Kobayashi, Simon Pagenuad, Mike Rockenfeller

This Rolex 24-only entry from AXR and Hendrick brings what is likely the strongest lineup in DPi. In this lineup, there’s a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (Johnson), an NTT IndyCar Series champion, and Indy 500 winner (Pagenuad), an FIA WEC champion, and two-time Rolex 24 winner (Kobayashi), and a two-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner and six-time Rolex 24 podium finisher (Rockenfeller). These four men bring experience in everything from NASCAR to Formula 1 to DTM to LMP1 to Super GT.

Starting with Johnson, he’ll need a little refresher but he’s far from a rookie at the Rolex 24. This will be his eighth start at the Rolex 24 after last racing in 2011 in a Gainsco/Bob Stallings Riley DP. His best finish at the race is second, which he accomplished twice, most recently in 2008. What Johnson is doing in 2021 is similar to what Alonso did after stepping away from Formula 1. After conquering his main discipline, Johnson is now on a motorsports tour. In addition to this Rolex 24 entry, he’ll spend 2021 in the NTT IndyCar Series with a road and street course programme with Chip Ganassi Racing. Johnson is a legend in North American motorsports and if he wants to do more, he can. He’ll have no trouble finding willing sponsors or teams. If you’re a team owner and Johnson wants to drive with you, you’ll find room for him.

Kobayashi won the Rolex 24 in 2019 and 2020 with Wayne Taylor Racing, but he was not signed on for a third year with the team. Like Renger Van Der Zande was a natural full-season driver, Kobayashi is a natural Rolex 24 driver, particularly with his experience in the Cadillac DPi-V.R. that he drove to victory twice. He’s an excellent driver who finally captured his first FIA WEC LMP1 championship after he and his teammates, Mike Conway and Jose Maria Lopez, played second fiddle to the sister car in the 2018-19 WEC season.

Pagenuad was one of a number of free agents left without a ride after the conclusion of the Acura Team Penske programme. He has a Petit Le Mans podium to his name, but he has struggled at the Rolex 24 with just one top-five finish in three years. Still, he’s a talented driver with experience in sportscar racing dating back to the Peugeot LMP1 programme. Pagenuad will return to the NTT IndyCar Series in 2021 for his seventh full season with Team Penske.

The most experienced endurance driver in this lineup (and that’s saying something) is Mike Rockenfeller. A veteran of the Audi LMP1 programme he is back for his fourteenth Rolex 24 at Daytona after spending the last four years with Corvette Racing. He has one win at the Rolex 24, which came in 2010 in an Action Express Racing Riley DP. Racing teams usually don’t have team captains, but if they did, Rockenfeller would likely be the captain of this one. He brings a treasure-trove of experience to the table and he will be an invaluable asset for Johnson as he tries to relearn the ropes of endurance racing.

#55 Mazda RT-24P Oliver Jarvis, Harry Tincknell, Jonathon Bomarito (Endurance)

Mazda will enter the 2021 season with a reduced operation as they scale back from their two-car operation into a one-car programme. It’s a disappointing loss but it’s been somewhat offset by long-term developments elsewhere in the sport and even new short-term endeavours by others within DPi. Mazda claimed one of the most important victories in the programme’s history at the Sebring 12 Hours last season and they will look to expand on that this season. Their driver lineup this season is a mash-up from their two-car effort last season and the car, DSC believes, will be liveried in a variation of the white colour scheme sported by the #77 car in 2020.

Jarvis moves over from the #77 Mazda RT-24P into this year’s full-season lineup. He set the lap record at Daytona International Speedway in 2019 and nearly bested his own time in 2020. Mazda’s decision to keep him on board as they scaled down to a one-car operation clearly shows the amount of confidence they have in him. However, Jarvis’ last win with Mazda came in 2019 at Canadian Tyre Motorsports Park and he is yet to win an endurance race with the team. He has knocked on the door of success with podiums at the Rolex 24 and Sebring 12 Hours in recent years.

Tincknell was part of the Mazda lineup that scored the brand’s first victory at the 2019 Six Hours of Watkins Glen and was part of the crew that drove to victory at the Sebring 12 Hours last year. He has two Le Mans wins, including one last year with Aston Martin Racing. He’s a top tier driver and the full season pairing of him and Jarvis will be interesting to watch. You could easily make the argument that Mazda took the best of their two lineups from 2020 and combined them into this one for 2021.

For the endurance rounds, Mazda has tapped Bomarito, who steps away from his full-time role in the #55 Mazda to this role as the team’s third driver. Bomarito is one of the longest-tenured Mazda drivers having been a part of the programme since the beginning of its DPi efforts with SpeedSource in 2015. It’s interesting to see that Mazda has chosen Bomarito for this seat as opposed to Tristan Nunez.

#60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-05c Dane Cameron, Olivier Pla, Juan Pablo-Montoya (Endurance), A.J. Allmendinger (Rolex 24)

After two GT Daytona championships with the Acura NSX GT3, Meyer Shank Racing moves up to DPi with the Acura ARX-05c. In GTD, they were often the class of the field, but in DPi with top-tier teams will they be able to find the same success? They’re a proven team with experience in prototype racing as recently as the 2016 IMSA season and the Acura ARX-05c is a championship-winner as we saw last year. Meyer Shank Racing will likely be one of the top DPi teams this season.

Cameron headlines this lineup. Another refugee from the Acura Team Penske programme, he scored three wins in on his way to a DPi championship with Juan Pablo-Montoya in 2019. This will be his eighth Rolex 24 at Daytona and the American is still looking for his first podium at the race. He does have podiums at Sebring and Petit Le Mans, though. Given his experience in the Acura DPi, he was a natural choice to spearhead this new entry for Meyer Shank Racing.

After Mazda announced their scaled-back operation and that Pla would not be a part of their plans, he became one of the top free agents, though perhaps not as a full-time driver. The Frenchman has filled in as the endurance driver for Mazda for the past two seasons, but he now gets the nod for a full-season campaign. Pla has a previous connection with Meyer Shank Racing team owner Michael Shank, he raced with Shank in IMSA in 2016 and won Petit Le Mans that year in a Ligier JS P2. With Shank back in prototype racing, he has called on Pla again.

Montoya steps back from his fulltime role with Acura Team Penske into this new role as Meyer Shank Racing’s endurance driver. Montoya has driven everything from Formula 1 to NASCAR to Le Mans. The only thing between Montoya and the Triple Crown is a win at the Le Mans 24 after his 2000 and 2015 wins at the Indy 500 and his win at the 2003 Monaco Grand Prix.

Finally, there’s Allmendinger who is back for his fifteenth Rolex 24 at Daytona with Michael Shank. He won the race overall in 2012 and has two podium finishes since then. This will be Allmendinger’s first time in a prototype since 2016 in the Ligier JS P2. Allmendinger’s 2020 racing season was perhaps more notable for his oval ventures. Always known as a road course ringer in NASCAR, he finally broke through for his first win on an oval at the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He had eight top-ten finishes in twelve starts in the 2020 Xfinity Series including a second win at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL.
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#2

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2021 IMSA/ Rolex 24 Entry List Unpicked: Part 2, GTLM
By Ryan Kish 17 January 2021, 12:08 PM

It’s a time of uncertainty for GTLM – the not-too-distant promise of LMDh looks set to leave factories and well-funded privates with the option of continuing with the hefty price-tag of GTLM/ GTE Pro, or opting for 2023 and beyond for a not-so-ver-different level of commitment but adding the appeal of contesting overall blue riband race and Championship victories.

Porsche had already announced their pull-out for 2021 some time ago with BMW leaving it late, very, very late to confirm their reduced programme.

The arrival of a Proton Competition prepped Weathertech Racing Porsche is good news for a season that needs it – the effort though means that the earlier planned Proton entry for the Rolex 24 will not happen

#3 Corvette Racing C8.R Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor, Nicky Catsburg (Endurance)

The championship-winning pairing of Garcia and Taylor is back again for the 2021 season. Corvette Racing was unstoppable last year in what turned out to be a dream debut for their C8.R. The GTLM class looks set to be slim this season with the loss of Porsche and likely loss too of BMW’s full-season programmes.

There’s not much to say about Garcia, his name is synonyms with Corvette Racing having driven for the team since 2009. In recent years, we have seen a changing of the guard at Corvette. Taylor has replaced Jan Magnussen and Oliver Gavin has stepped away. Garcia is still in the team’s full-time roster, though, and shows no obvious signs of slowing down. He will be looking for his second Rolex 24 at Daytona win after his first triumph in 2015.

One of IMSA’s most likable drivers, Jordan Taylor is back again. After spending many years as Corvette’s third driver for races like the Le Mans 24 Hours, Taylor got the promotion to the full-time seat and did not disappoint. Five wins, three podiums, a driver’s, team’s and manufacturer’s championship in his first season led to one of the most impressive seasons for Taylor. He’s one of the most charismatic drivers in the paddock and his social media channels are well worth a follow.

Catsburg moved over from BMW to Corvette last season and was the team’s endurance driver. The highlight of his season was a second-place finish at Petit Le Mans. With one year under his belt and a reduced GTLM field, the odds of success are higher for Catsburg. Like Taylor and Nick Tandy, Catsburg has been a part of Corvette’s new generation of drivers. A promotion to a full-time role could be in the cards for Catsburg if Garcia or Tommy Milner steps away.

#4 Corvette Racing C8.R Nick Tandy, Tommy Milner, Alexander Sims (Endurance)

The Milner-Gavin era in the #4 Corvette comes to a close this season as ex-Porsche man Nick Tandy slides into the fulltime seat in the C8.R. The #4 Corvette played second-fiddle to the #3 Corvette last season, just one win to their teammates’ five. In a reduced GTLM class, their sure to have more success and will look to put up a fight against their teammates for the title.

Tandy had been synonymous with Porsche, driving for the German-marquee in their Le Mans factory teams in both the 919 Hybird and the 911 RSR. With the Porsche GTLM factory effort ending, he needed a new home. After Gavin announced he would step away from full-time racing, Tandy became an obvious candidate to fill the role. Aside from his racing ability, Tandy’s personality makes him a nice fit for Corvette who does not shy away from letting their drivers show their character.

What’s there to say about Milner, he’s an excellent racing driver who has been with Corvette for a decade now. Two Le Mans wins, a GTLM championship in 2016, two wins at the Sebring 12 Hours, and a win at the 2016 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Perhaps the most notable thing about Milner is who’s no longer with him, that being Gavin. The two had been teammates for a record nine seasons. Milner likely won’t admit that there’s any difficulty in adapting to a new teammate, but it will be interesting to see how he gets along with Tandy this year.

Finally, there’s Alexander Sims, another new face in the Corvette stable. The former-BMW factory driver has experience in sportscar racing with his strongest season coming in 2017 when he finished runner-up in the GTLM championship in the BMW M6 GTE. He has won at Petit Le Mans and Watkins Glen and most recently drove for BMW in their Formula E team where he took one win in Saudi Arabia. After so many seasons with the likes of Marcel Fassler and Mike Rockenfeller filling the endurance driver roles, Sims represents a shift in direction for Corvette.

#62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE James Calado, Alessandro Pier Guidi, Davide Rigon, Jules Gounon

Risi Competizione is back for another run at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. They ran last year’s race and had announced plans for the Sebring 12 Hours but had to abandon those ambitions in the wake of COVID-19. As of now, there are no additional plans for the team but there are options under consideration for the Houston-based squad. Their lineup, as it always tends to be, is strong and filled with Ferrari factory drivers.

Calado will be making his sixth start at the Rolex 24 and his fifth with Risi Competizione. He has two podiums including a second-place finish in 2019 at the race. He is a well-accomplished Ferrari driver with a Le Mans 24 Hours win and an FIA World Endurance Championship title to his name.

The record of Pier Guidi is very similar to Calado’s record as the two have long been teammates. Pier Guidi drove with Calado and Daniel Serra to victory at the 2019 Le Mans 24 Hours and he partnered with Calado for their 2017 FIA WEC title campaign. The Italian is one of the strongest and most experienced drivers in the Ferrari stable. This will be his eighth Rolex 24 at Daytona. He has one victory in 2014.

Also making his eighth start at the Rolex 24 will be Davide Rigon, this will be Rigon’s sixth with Risi Competizione. Rigon has one podium apiece at the Daytona and at Le Mans. Apart from Daytona, he has sparse experience with competing in America as most of his time has been spent in the AF Corse WEC programme.

Finally, there’s Gounon who will be making his first start with Risi Competizione at the Rolex 24. He is the least experienced Ferrari driver in the team, but he has raced with Risi Competizione at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2019 and 2020. He also has experience with the Bentley Team M-Sport effort in the Intercontinental GT Challenge, including a win at the 2020 Bathurst 12 Hours.

#79 Weathertech Racing Proton Porsche 911 RSR Cooper MacNeil, Richard Leitz*, Kevin Estre*, Gianmaria Bruni*

This is perhaps the most interesting entry in the GTLM field this season. There were rumors of Weathertech Racing and Cooper MacNeil making a move up to GTLM, likely in a Ferrari 488 GTE as they raced a Ferrari 488 GT3 in GTD last season. The ending of the Porsche factory effort, however, presented the opportunity to pick up a Porsche 911 RSR, which Weathertech Racing have pounced on. The programme will be managed by Proton Racing, the highly experienced Porsche team who have run 911 RSRs in the FIA WEC in recent years. A Le Mans 24 entry is also being targeted for this operation.

The pressure will be on MacNeil to perform this season. The son of Weathertech CEO David MacNeil, Cooper has had success in racing before. He has been a frequent competitor in Ferrari Challenge and in GTD, but GTLM is a new world. Factory efforts with top tier drivers will leave MacNeil with his stiffest competition yet. If there’s a year to make the jump up, though, it’s likely this one. The reduced GTLM grid size will give the Silver-rated MacNeil the room to acclimatize to his new surroundings in what is traditionally a Pro-Pro class.

Leitz is one of the most experienced Porsche drivers in the world. He has driven in every Le Mans 24 Hours since 2007, all of them in Porsche GT machinery. He has two wins at Le Mans and three wins at the Rolex 24. He’s raced in the FIA WEC with the Porsche factory team (taking the Drivers championship in 2015) and is a great addition to this lineup.

Another FIA WEC Porsche factory driver, Kevin Estre brings yet more Porsche experience to this lineup. He won the 2018-19 WEC LMGTE Pro title with Porsche and won the 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours. Estre and Lietz were in opposite cars in the WEC but will now share a car for the Rolex 24.

Rounding out this lineup is Gianmaria Bruni. At 39-years old, Bruni is the veteran of the team. He has experience as a Ferrari factory driver and has been a part of the Porsche stable since 2017. He has three Le Mans wins and two FIA WEC titles to his name, all of them with Ferrari. He raced a part-time IMSA season in 2017 and scored a podium at the 2018 Sebring 12 Hours. This will be his fifth Rolex 24 at Daytona start and his first since 2018.

*Who will partner with MacNeil for the rest of the season is yet to be announced. We are likely to see a rotating cast of Porsche factory drivers.

#24 BMW Team RLL – BMW M8 GTE
#25 BMW Team RLL – BMW M8 GTE


Full details of the BMW Programme are still awaited – including the driver roster, though a seemingly premature social media post seemed to suggest that one car at Daytona will feature John Edwards, Kumo Wittmer, Augusto Farfus and Jesse Krohn.

Multiple sources continue to maintain that the German manufacturer has been looking carefully at reeling back the full season effort from past seasons to a reduced programme focused on the four enduro races in the IMSA calendar.

The BMWs though come to Daytona looking to complete a ‘hat trick’ of wins, the team’s car having taken class victory for the past two seasons at the season opener.
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#3

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Mazda Promoted to Qualifying Race Pole after AXR Penalty

Tech infringement hands pole for the Motul Pole Award 100 to Mazda…
Ryan Myrehn, January 23, 2021

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Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

Mazda will lead the field to green in the Motul Pole Award 100 after the qualifying-leading No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R failed tech due to coming in under weight.

It was one of three cars, joining Wayne Taylor Racing’s No. 10 Acura ARX-05 and RWR-Eurasia’s No. 51 Ligier JS P217 Gibson, to be found to be out of compliance after the session, all of which will be moved to the back of their respective classes of Sunday’s 100-minute qualifying race.

The penalties promote the No. 55 Mazda RT24-P, which will be driven by Oliver Jarvis and Harry Tincknell in the qualifying race, to the top spot, followed by the No. 5 from JDC-Miller Motorsports, the No. 01 of Chip Ganassi Racing, and the No. 48 Action Express entry.

“I just found out we’ve been promoted to pole,” said Jarvis. “I’d rather do it on the track but that pole at Daytona is always special.

“Any pole is special but this one in particular. I love this track, such an amazing race.

“You always want to start out front and try and stay out of trouble, which is working for our program now. I think we’ve got a good race car as well, so we’re hopeful for tomorrow.

“I think we’ll be strong tomorrow but never underestimate the competition.”

The No. 31 car will start sixth followed by the No. 10 WTR Cadillac, which forfeited a fifth place qualifying result after it’s rear wing and rear bodywork were found to be out of compliance.

The No. 51 Ligier from RWR-Eurasia had qualified fifth in LMP2 in the hands of Salih Yoluc, but will now start at the back of the 10 car class after its rear wing failed tech.

The starting order for LMP3, GT Le Mans, and GT Daytona remain unchanged.

RESULTS: Starting Grid
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#4

Post by jimclark »

Was thinking about making a run up (240 miles) for a live racing fix at today's qually race but my car's on the blink so I don't wish to get stuck too far from home. 'Guess the 24 on TV will do next weekend.

All the sessions' results can be found: http://imsa.alkamelsystems.com/
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#5

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Rolex 24 Entry List Features 49 Entries, 50 Past Race Winners

59th Edition of the Iconic Race Shaping up as One of the Most Exciting

By Mark Robinson

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The wait may have been shorter than normal, but the anticipation is greater than ever as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship embarks on its 2021 season, beginning with its hallmark event, the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Forty-nine entries filled with international racing stars – 49 of whom have at least one Rolex 24 overall or class win – are scheduled to compete in the world-renown, twice-around-the-clock sports car extravaganza on Jan. 30-31 that draws an international array of stars in one-off appearances to compete with the series regulars who can go wheel to wheel with anyone. It will come following a compressed offseason due to the 2020 WeatherTech Championship schedule stretching into November due to the coronavirus pandemic.

NBC Sports has complete flag-to-flag coverage of the event, beginning on NBC at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday (10 minutes before the green flag), moving to NBCSN for stints running from 4:30-8 p.m. Saturday, 11 p.m. Saturday-3 a.m. Sunday and 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, before NBC picks coverage back up from 2 p.m. to the race completion. The entire event, including those few hours not airing on NBC or NBCSN, will stream live on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold and the NBC Sports App.

Rolex 24 At Daytona Entry List

New this year for the 59th Rolex 24 is a fifth competition class, Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3), which has seven entries for its debut. Changes abound throughout all the classes, with alterations in driver and manufacturer alliances among teams, new teams entering the picture and old teams returning to compete. It all adds up to an unpredictable and wildly open competitive kickoff to the global motorsports season.

The Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class features some of the same stalwart organizations, a pair of teams returning to the class with past Rolex 24 victories, an all-star entry and more.

Wayne Taylor Racing’s No. 10 Konica Minolta Racing car has won the last two Rolex 24s but has shifted gears in changing this year from a Cadillac DPi to the Acura ARX-05 DPi. Ricky Taylor, son of the team owner, has returned to the team fresh off the DPi championship he won last season in a Team Penske Acura with Helio Castroneves, who is on board the No. 10 Acura for the Rolex 24. The younger Taylor’s full-time teammate in 2021 is Filipe Albuquerque, a two-time Rolex 24 winner. Alexander Rossi, the 2016 Indy 500 winner who aided the Taylor/Castroneves run to the DPi title last year in the endurance races, is back in the same role with the No. 10.

The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac fell a point shy of the DPi championship in 2020 and returns Felipe Nasr and Pipo Derani as full-time drivers to try and make the next step up that ladder in ’21. They’re joined at the Rolex 24 by endurance-race ace Mike Conway and reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott, making his WeatherTech Championship debut.

The sister car in the Action Express Racing stable is the No. 48 Ally Racing Cadillac DPi with seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, 2019 Indy 500 winner Simon Pagenaud, two-time defending Rolex 24 winner Kamui Kobayashi and longtime sports car standout Mike Rockenfeller at the wheel.

Chip Ganassi Racing – winner of the Rolex 24 eight times, including six overall – returns to the DPi ranks after running a GT Le Mans (GTLM) program from 2016-19 and sitting out entirely last year. The No. 01 CGR Cadillac has put together a stellar lineup with Renger van der Zande (winner of the Rolex 24 the last two years with WTR) and former Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen (son of F1 and IMSA great Jan Magnussen) as the full-timers, joined by six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon.

Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian rejoins the DPi ranks with the No. 60 Acura after spending the past four seasons winning back-to-back GT Daytona (GTD) championships with an Acura NSX GT3. Dane Cameron, claimant of the 2019 DPi title in a Penske Acura, and Olivier Pla are the season-long drivers. Juan Pablo Montoya, twice the Indy 500 winner who shared the 2019 DPi crown with Cameron, is on call for the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races. And no MSR entry would be complete without AJ Allmendinger, the NASCAR driver making his 15th Rolex 24 start for the team, includes the overall and prototype winner in 2012.

Fueled by a swell of international entries, the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class boasts 10 entries for the Rolex 24 – a race that counts toward the Michelin Endurance Cup but not the overall season championship. DragonSpeed USA is the defending winner twice over and has a pair of entries this year, including the No. 81 ORECA LMP2 07 with 2020 winner Ben Hanley among the driver lineup.

Other LMP2 entries of note include: the No. 11 WIN Autosport ORECA, with drivers including former Mazda DPi driver Tristan Nunez and 2020 IMSA Prototype Challenge champion Matthew Bell; the No. 20 High Class Racing ORECA that includes F1 driver Robert Kubica; the No. 51 RWR-Eurasia Ligier LMP2 that lists 2018 NASCAR Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon among its drivers; and the No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA that won four of the six LMP2 races after the 2020 Rolex 24 and the class team title.

The new LMP3 class provides the opportunity to compete in the next-generation cars in the class that have competed most recently in the Prototype Challenge. Some teams, in fact, will race in both series this year. As in LMP2, points earned in LMP3 at the Rolex 24 count only toward the Michelin Endurance Cup standings, with a six-race championship commencing at Sebring in March.

Among the LMP3 entries to watch are: the No. 33 Sean Creech Motorsport Ligier JS P320, with four-time Rolex 24 winner Joao Barbosa in the lineup; CORE autosport’s No. 54 Ligier with two-time WeatherTech Championship champion Matt McMurry (LMP2 in 2019, GTD in 2020), as well as past Rolex 24 winners Colin Braun and Jonathan Bennett on board; a pair of Riley Motorsports Ligier entries, including the No. 74 with former Mazda DPi endurance driver Spencer Pigot and recent IndyCar rookie Oliver Askew among its quartet; and the No. 7 Forty7 Motorsports Duqueine M30-D08 which includes reigning IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Touring Car (TCR) champions Ryan Norman and Gabby Chaves as its drivers.

BMW Team RLL is back aiming for a third consecutive Rolex 24 win in GTLM. John Edwards, Jesse Krohn and Augusto Farfus were part of last year’s triumph in the No. 24 BMW M8 GTE, joined this year by Marco Wittman. The No. 25 BMW was class winner in 2019 and has Connor De Phillippi and Philipp Eng back from that win (Farfus was also part of the 2019 winner).

Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia drove away with the GTLM season championship last year and will be a force again in the No. 3 Corvette Racing Corvette C8.R, with Nicky Castburg filling out the Rolex 24 lineup. Meanwhile, the No. 4 Corvette has Tommy Milner back, with ex-Porsche standout Nick Tandy and former BMW driver Alexander Sims alongside.

Porsche’s GTLM presence remains with the No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19, driven at the Rolex 24 by Cooper MacNeil, two-time Rolex 24 winner Richard Lietz, Gianmaria Bruni and Kevin Estre. And Risi Competizione brings back its No. 62 Ferrari 488 GTE for the Rolex 24, guided by Italians Alessandro Pier Guidi and Davide Rigon, Frenchman Jules Gounon and Brit James Calado.

The competition level in GTD is at its best with 19 Rolex 24 entries, led by defending race winner Paul Miller Racing. Usually the No. 48 Lamborghini Huracan GT3, the team will run as the No. 1 for the Rolex 24 to signify its 2020 class win, but that’s the only thing that’s changed. The driver lineup returns intact with Madison Snow, Bryan Sellers, Corey Lewis and Andrea Caldarelli.

They’ll face plenty of stiff competition, however. The No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports "Plaid Porsche" includes 2019 GTLM champion Laurens Vanthoor in its lineup. His former co-driver in the GTLM Porsche, Earl Bamber, is co-owner and co-driver of the No. 88 Team Hardpoint EBM Porsche. Bamber’s team just added Katherine Legge and Christina Nielsen to its lineup for the Rolex 24.

Yet another Porsche 911 GT3R to keep an eye on is the No. 16 Wright Motorsports entry that won the 2020 season finale, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts, and finished two points shy of the GTD championship. Ryan Hardwick, Patrick Long and Jan Heylen are back from that effort, with Klaus Bachler providing assistance as the fourth driver for this year’s Rolex 24.

Vasser Sullivan Racing brings back its two-car Lexus RC F GT3 effort. Full-timers Jack Hawksworth and Aaron Telitz, in the No. 12 Lexus, are joined at the Rolex 24 by past Corvette great Oliver Gavin and newbie Kyle Kirkwood.

Magnus with Archangel takes over the Acura GTD banner following Meyer Shank’s move to DPi, with Andy Lally – the active leader in Rolex 24 victories with five – and two-time Rolex 24 winner John Potter in the full-time role, joined at the Rolex 24 by Mario Farnbacher (two-time reigning GTD champion in an MSR Acura) and Spencer Pumpelly.

And never overlook all-time IMSA wins leader Bill Auberlen, who will anchor the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 with co-drivers Robby Foley and Aidan Read.

Rolex 24 action begin with practices on Thursday (11:05 a.m., 3:20 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.) and Friday (11:20 a.m.). All the week’s action, including the race, is available on IMSA Radio on IMSA.com, RadioLeMans.com and Sirius/XM Radio.

Rolex 24 At Daytona Winners in 2021 Rolex 24 Field (50)

Andy Lally (5) – SRPII – 2001; GT – 2009, 2011, 2012; GTD – 2016

Joao Barbosa (4) – GTS – 2003; DP/Overall -2010; P/Overall – 2014; DPi/Overall – 2018

Scott Dixon (4) – DP/Overall – 2006; P/Overall – 2015; GTLM – 2018; DPi/Overall – 2020

Ryan Briscoe (3) – GTLM – 2015, 2018; DPi/Overall – 2020

Juan Pablo Montoya (3) – DP/Overall – 2007, 2008, 2013

Filipe Albuquerque (2) – GT – 2013; P/Overall – 2018

Bill Auberlen (2) – GTS-3 – 1997; GT3 – 1998

Mirko Bortolotti (2) – GTD – 2018, 2019

Sebastien Bourdais (2) – P/Overall – 2014; GTLM – 2017

Colin Braun (2) – PC – 2014; LMP2 – 2020

Augusto Farfus (2) – GTLM – 2019, 2020

Antonio Garcia (2) – DP/Overall – 2009; GTLM – 2015

Rolf Ineichen (2) – GTD – 2018, 2019

Kamui Kobayashi (2) – DPi/Overall – 2019, 2020

Richard Lietz (2) – GT – 2012; GTLM – 2014

John Potter (2) – GT – 2012; GTD – 2016

Spencer Pumpelly (2) – GT – 2006, 2011

Jordan Taylor (2) – P/Overall – 2017; DPi/Overall – 2019

Renger van der Zande (2) – DPi/Overall – 2019, 2020

AJ Allmendinger (1) – DP/Overall – 2012

Townsend Bell (1) – GTD – 2014

Jonathan Bennett (1) – PC – 2014

Jonathan Bomarito (1) – GT – 2010

Andrea Caldarelli (1) – GTD – 2020

Ryan Dalziel (1) – DP/Overall – 2010

Connor De Phillippi (1) – GTLM – 2019

Michael De Quesada (1) – GTD – 2017

Pipo Derani (1) – P/Overall – 2016

John Edwards (1) – GTLM – 2020

Philipp Eng (1) – GTLM – 2019

Oliver Gavin (1) – GTLM – 2016

Misha Goikhberg (1) – PC – 2016

Ben Hanley (1) – LMP2 – 2020

Colton Herta (1) – GTLM – 2019

Oliver Jarvis (1) – GT – 2013

Ben Keating (1) – GTD – 2015

Kenton Koch (1) – PC – 2016

Jesse Krohn (1) – GTLM – 2020

Corey Lewis (1) – GTD – 2020

Patrick Long (1) – GT – 2009

Tommy Milner (1) – GTLM – 2016

Daniel Morad (1) – GTD – 2017

Franck Perera (1) – GTD – 2018

Alessandro Pier Guidi (1) – GTD – 2014

Mike Rockenfeller (1) – DP/Overall – 2010

Bryan Sellers (1) – GTD – 2020

Madison Snow (1) – GTD – 2020

Nick Tandy (1) – GTLM – 2014

Ricky Taylor (1) – P/Overall – 2017

Richard Westbrook (1) – GTLM – 2018

IMSA Champions in 2021 Rolex 24 Field (38)

Oliver Gavin (7) – American Le Mans Series GT1 – 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009; American Le Mans Series GT – 2012; WeatherTech Championship GTLM – 2016; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2016

Joao Barbosa (6) – WeatherTech Championship Prototype – 2014, 2015; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Prototype – 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

Antonio Garcia (5) – American Le Mans Series GT – 2013; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2015; WeatherTech Championship GTLM – 2017, 2018, 2020

Andy Lally (4) – GRAND-AM SRPII – 2001; GRAND-AM SGS – 2004; GRAND-AM GT – 2006; GRAND-AM North American Endurance Cup GT – 2012

Patrick Long (4) – American Le Mans Series GT2 – 2005, 2009; American Le Mans Series GT – 2010; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2014

Jeroen Bleekemolen (4) – American Le Mans Series GTC – 2010, 2013; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2017, 2018

Bill Auberlen (3) – IMSA GTS-3 – 1997; GRAND-AM GT – 2002, 2004

Jonathan Bennett (3) – WeatherTech Championship PC – 2014, 2015; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup PC – 2014

Colin Braun (3) – WeatherTech Championship PC – 2014, 2015; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup PC – 2014

Dane Cameron (3) – WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2014; WeatherTech Championship Prototype – 2016; WeatherTech Championship DPi – 2019

Mario Farnbacher (3) – IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2017; WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2019, 2020

Ben Keating (3) – IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2017, 2018, 2019

Tommy Milner (3) – American Le Mans Series GT – 2012; WeatherTech Championship GTLM – 2016; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2016

Felipe Nasr (3) – WeatherTech Championship Prototype – 2018; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Prototype – 2018; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup DPi – 2019

Christina Nielsen (3) – WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2016, 2017; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2016

Jordan Taylor (3) – GRAND-AM DP – 2013; WeatherTech Championship Prototype – 2017; WeatherTech Championship GTLM – 2020

Townsend Bell (2) – IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2014; WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2015

Ryan Briscoe (2) – IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2019; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup DPi – 2020

John Edwards (2) – GRAND-AM North American Endurance Cup GT – 2013; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2020

Cooper MacNeil (2) – American Le Mans Series GTC – 2012, 2013

Matt McMurry (2) – WeatherTech Championship LMP2 – 2019; WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2020

Bryan Sellers (2) – WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2018; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2020

Ricky Taylor (2) – WeatherTech Championship Prototype – 2017; WeatherTech Championship DPi – 2020

Renger van der Zande (2) – WeatherTech Championship PC – 2016; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup DPi – 2020

Filipe Albuquerque (1) – IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Prototype – 2017

Earl Bamber (1) – WeatherTech Championship GTLM – 2019

Cameron Cassels (1) – IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup LMP2 – 2020

Helio Castroneves (1) – WeatherTech Championship DPi – 2020

Andrew Davis (1) – GRAND-AM GT – 2011

Pipo Derani (1) – IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup DPi – 2019

Ian James (1) – American Le Mans Series P2

Jesse Krohn (1) – IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2020

Corey Lewis (1) – IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2020

Juan Pablo Montoya (1) – WeatherTech Championship DPi – 2019

Simon Pagenaud (1) – American Le Mans Series LMP – 2010

John Potter (1) – GRAND-AM North American Endurance Cup GT – 2012

Madison Snow (1) – WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2018

Laurens Vanthoor (1) – WeatherTech Championship GTLM – 2019

24 Hours of Le Mans Winners in 2021 Rolex 24 Field (22)

Oliver Gavin (5) – GTE Pro – 2015; GT1 – 2006, 2005; GTS – 2004, 2002

Earl Bamber (2) – LMP1/Overall – 2015, 2017

Patrick Long (2) – GT2 – 2007, GT1 – 2004

Tommy Milner (2) – GTE Pro – 2015, 2011

Mike Rockenfeller (2) – LMP1/Overall – 2010; GT2 – 2005

Daniel Serra (2) – GTE Pro – 2017, 2019

Harry Tincknell (2) – LMP2 – 2014; GTE Pro – 2020

Townsend Bell (1) – GTE Am – 2016

Jeroen Bleekemolen (1) – LMP2 – 2008

Sebastien Bourdais (1) – GTE Pro – 2016

James Calado (1) – GTE Pro – 2019

Matt Campbell (1) – GTE Am – 2018

Ryan Dalziel (1) – LMP2 – 2012

Loic Duval (1) – LMP1/Overall – 2013

Antonio Garcia (1) – GTE Pro – 2011

Oliver Jarvis (1) – LMP2 – 2017

Alessandro Pier Guidi (1) – GTE Pro – 2019

Olivier Pla (1) – LMP2 – 2013

Nick Tandy (1) – LMP1/Overall – 2015

Jordan Taylor (1) – GTE Pro – 2015

Laurens Vanthoor (1) – GTE Pro – 2018

Salih Yoluc (1) – GTE Am – 2020

IndyCar Champions in 2021 Rolex 24 Field (4)

Scott Dixon (6) – 2003, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2020

Sebastien Bourdais (4) – 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

Juan Pablo Montoya (1) – 1999

Simon Pagenaud (1) – 2016

Indianapolis 500 Winners in 2021 Rolex 24 Field (5)

Helio Castroneves (3) – 2001, 2002, 2009

Juan Pablo Montoya (2) – 2000, 2015

Scott Dixon (1) – 2008

Simon Pagenaud (1) – 2019

Alexander Rossi (1) – 2016

Formula 1 Grand Prix Winners in 2021 Rolex 24 Field (2)

Juan Pablo Montoya – 7

Robert Kubica – 1

NASCAR Cup Series Race Winners in 2021 Rolex 24 Field (5)

Jimmie Johnson – 83

Chase Elliott – 11

Austin Dillon – 3

Juan Pablo Montoya – 2

AJ Allmendinger – 1

NASCAR Cup Series Champions in 2021 Rolex 24 Field (2)

Jimmie Johnson – 7

Chase Elliott – 1
https://www.imsa.com/news/2021/01/26/ro ... e-winners/
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#6

Post by acerogers58 »

Exactly how did this car get approval to race
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Post by Everso Biggyballies »

WHAT. THE. FU.....>>>>>.
They are kidding right?

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Post by erwin greven »

Everso Biggyballies wrote: 3 years ago WHAT. THE. FU.....>>>>>.
They are kidding right?
yes. it raced yesterday and today :happy:

MIATA = Marxism Is Always The Answer. :haha:
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#9

Post by jimclark »

In all my years I never, ever, even entertained the notion that there'd be a grid sheet for a sportscar race that didn't have qualifying times........Saturday night short tracks with their heat races, yeah........

For shame, for shame......... :(

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#10

Post by MonteCristo »

acerogers58 wrote: 3 years ago Exactly how did this car get approval to race
THIS IS BIDEN'S AMERICA! FOX NEWS WAS RIGHT!

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Post by erwin greven »

Daytona Friday Notebook

Sportscar365’s Friday notebook on the eve of Rolex 24 at Daytona…

by John Dagys, January 29, 2021

***Trenton Estep has replaced Charles Finelli in the No. 7 Forty7 Motorsports Duqueine D08 Nissan, in a driver change to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debutant entry in LMP3. The car will start from second on the class grid, thanks to a runner-up finish in last weekend’s qualifying race.

***IMSA has announced that it will conduct pre-race aerodynamic inspections on all DPi cars tomorrow at 12:45 p.m. “Upon completion of inspection, cars will proceed directly to the designated area for pre-grid activities,” a statement from the sanctioning body read.

***It comes amid a clarification made to the Cadillac DPi-V.R’s aero configuration, which now states the mandatory use of the car’s homologated standard front fender inserts.

***Click Here for the provisional grid for the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

***History was made on Friday, with Augusto Farfus turning the first-ever laps in an all-electric race car on the Daytona International Speedway road course (pictured above). The Brazilian was at the wheel of the new Hyundai Veloster N ETCR car, which also made its North American public debut.

***The demonstration was part of IMSA’s evaluation of the platform for a potential new electric race series. “We’re thrilled to be part of this today,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “This is the kind of monumental, historic moments we want to be part of both in the IMSA and NASCAR family.”

***The car was fitted with Michelin tires for the first time due to IMSA’s partnership with the French tire giant, with the bulk of the car development having been on Goodyear rubber, the official tire of Pure ETCR and the FIA WTCR World Touring Car Cup.

***WSC chairman Marcello Lotti was on hand for the achievement as well. Lotti told Sportscar365 that additional manufacturers beyond the four already committed automakers have been in discussions and working group meetings. So far, Hyundai and Alfa Romeo are the only two IMSA automotive partners with car offerings.

***Chip Ganassi revealed that its Cadillac DPi-V.R program is currently a single-year contract and is “not looking that far out” into the future in regards to potential LMDh prospects for the team once the regulations debut in 2023.

***Ganassi said the DPi program, which will see Kevin Magnussen and Renger van der Zande as full-season drivers, has been a little bit of a ”fire drill” of a program so far, with Friday’s running marking its 7th day of running. “We have a little bit to learn still,” he told reporters Friday during a Zoom call.

***Sports car racing rookie Magnussen said that his email inbox has been “full of notes” from his father Jan, a former class winner in the Florida endurance classic.

“I think he’s had some kind of nightmare about me crashing on the exit of the pit lane because he’s been constantly talking about that,” said Kevin. “He’s told me 50 times how slippery the pit exit is. The first time I drove out of the pits I was scared and nervous. But it wasn’t so bad!”

***Jimmie Johnson, who also set for his first DPi start, said he feels like he’s now “in the window” in terms of speed. The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion’s best lap of the weekend is a 1:35.555, which is 1.4 seconds slower than van der Zande, whose time from Practice 3 has so far set the pace heading into tomorrow’s race.

***Richard Lietz is an Austrian again, following a quick fix by Stand 21 on his driver’s suit, which had the Australian flag next to his name during the Roar weekend.

***The driver lineup for the No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Porsche 911 RSR-19 hasn’t been determined for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring or 24 Hours of Le Mans according to Cooper MacNeil, who confirmed he will be driving alongside a rotation of Mathieu Jaminet and Matt Campbell for the sprint races this year.

***NBC Sports’ will utilize a 14-person on-air crew for its coverage of the Rolex 24, led by Leigh Diffey and Dave Burns in the booth alongside analysts Dale Earnhardt Jr., Townsend Bell, Calvin Fish, Steve Letarte, Kyle Petty, A.J. Allmendinger, Brian Till. Marty Snider, Kelli Stavast, Kevin Lee, Dillon Welch and Parker Kligerman will be reporting from pit road, meanwhile.

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#12

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Im trying to clarify what time the race starts.... I have found reference to 2:25 pm Saturday. Is that right? Seems a bit of a random start time thats all. Maybe that is the pre race ceremonies?

If it is thats 5:25am Sunday in Melbourne Aus. Hmmm.

Also seen reference to race start 3:40 pm Saturday, which I tend to think is right as that was on the Daytona website. 6:40am for me

The IMSA countdown clock seems to suggest it is later than that with over 5 hours still to go, which equates after 7:30 am for me.

Edit: OK think the problem was with me adding on the wrong number of hours to get to my local time. :blush: :nuts:
3:40pm Daytona time IS 7:40 am Sunday my time.

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#13

Post by Antonov »

Start times:

3.40 PM Daytona
8.40 PM UK
9.40 PM Europe
7.40 AM Melbourne
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#14

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Im not able to get the stream on imsa.com/tvlive/ . I just get the home screen. I though maybe it was rain delayed but live timing is running so it isnt that.
Any other live feeds anywhere?
Anyone else having troubles? (I have disabled all adblockers)

* I started life with nothing, and still have most of it left


“Good drivers have dead flies on the side windows!” (Walter Röhrl)

* I married Miss Right. Just didn't know her first name was Always
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Everso Biggyballies
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Joined: 18 years ago
Real Name: Chris
Favourite Motorsport: Anything that goes left and right.
Favourite Racing Car: Too Many to mention
Favourite Driver: Kimi,Niki,Jim(none called Michael)
Favourite Circuit: Nordschleife, Spa, Mt Panorama.
Car(s) Currently Owned: Audi SQ5 3.0L V6 TwinTurbo
Location: Just moved 3 klms further away so now 11 klms from Albert Park, Melbourne.

#15

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Yay.... 2 hours in and the feed decides to suddenly work after constant refreshing. So the race literally as it went live flagged yellow. Ive obviously upset someone today.....

* I started life with nothing, and still have most of it left


“Good drivers have dead flies on the side windows!” (Walter Röhrl)

* I married Miss Right. Just didn't know her first name was Always
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