DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The field is set to launch the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, first with the release of the entry list for next week’s Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway.
As this test is mandatory for all teams participating in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the entry list for the Roar should look substantially the same as the entry list for the race when it is released next week.
As ever, the Roar and the Rolex 24 combines a range of IMSA champions, past and potentially future Formula 1 drivers, IndyCar race winners and NASCAR stars.
Most of the driver lineups are confirmed with only a handful of updates and additions from the mid-December Rolex 24 entry list release. With the withdrawal of Team Tonis’ entry, a field of 60 cars is now set to compete – split 11 Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), 13 Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), 15 Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and 21 Grand Touring Daytona (GTD).
The Roar test features seven total sessions over three days. All four classes are active over two sessions Friday, January 16, three sessions Saturday, January 17 and a morning session Sunday, January 18. The seventh and final session of the weekend on Sunday afternoon is reserved for Bronze-rated drivers only.
That leads into the Rolex 24 race week itself, with two practice sessions Thursday, January 22 sandwiching qualifying, a final practice on Friday, January 23 and the race start on Saturday, January 24 at 1:40 p.m. ET with live coverage starting on network NBC at 1:30 p.m. ET and streaming flag-to-flag on Peacock.
Things To Know
- As usual at the Rolex 24, a wide range of drivers from across Formula 1, NASCAR and IndyCar join the wealth of international sports car stars that race in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship full-time. Among the extras to watch this year: Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Connor Zilisch, A.J. Allmendinger, Kevin Magnussen and Colton Herta in the GTP class; Logan Sargeant (LMP2); James Hinchcliffe, Kyle Kirkwood, Will Power and Chaz Mostert (GTD PRO); and Romain Grosjean, Scott McLaughlin and Marcus Ericsson (GTD).
- Proving the “international” is true in the International Motor Sports Association and the flags flying above Daytona’s famed “International Horseshoe,” at least 30 countries will be represented in the race.
- Porsche Penske Motorsport kicks off its run to attempt winning both a third straight Rolex 24 overall and its third straight IMSA GTP championship. Winward Racing, meanwhile, seeks its third straight GTD title and a third Rolex 24 win to add to its 2021 and 2024 triumphs.
- Twelve of IMSA’s 18 automotive manufacturers race in the Rolex 24, with others sprinkled in additional IMSA-sanctioned championships at Daytona. The dozen present in Daytona include Porsche with a race-high nine cars, along with Ferrari, Chevrolet, Mercedes-AMG, BMW, Aston Martin, Ford, Acura, Cadillac, Lamborghini, Lexus and McLaren. All LMP2 entries utilize ORECA chassis powered by Gibson engines.
- A mix of new teams, new drivers and one new car – the Aston Martin Valkyrie makes its Rolex 24 debut – will look to impress in their first outings in this race. With BMW M Team WRT taking over the BMW GTP program, RLL Team McLaren shifts to GTD PRO and brings the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo back to IMSA after a year’s absence. There’s also new Michelin GTP and GT tires and multiple evo kits across both the GTP and GT ranks.
- With Toyota’s new GR GT3 car on the way, the 10th try for the Lexus RC F GT3 may be Vasser Sullivan Racing’s last with this model to gain its elusive first Rolex 24 win. Additionally, the three-time Rolex 24-winning Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 may be set for its final Rolex run as well, with the new Temerario GT3 readying for its race debut in March’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
- There are multiple sets of brothers and family connections in the field. In GTP, Jordan and Ricky Taylor and Dries and Laurens Vanthoor will go head-to-head. In LMP2, brothers Enzo and Pietro Fittipaldi share the same car. And in GTD, a father-son pairing of Dave Musial Sr. and Dave Musial II share a car.
