IMSA: Rolex 24 at Daytona preview
With new cars, new teams and new GT regulations, not to mention a new series name, this weekend's 54th Rolex 24 at Daytona ushers in a new era for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, in one of the most highly anticipated endurance races of the year.
A total of 54 cars are set to take the green flag Saturday (2 p.m. ET, LIVE FS1), with plenty of storylines to follow throughout the twice-around-the-clock Florida endurance classic.
Defending overall winners Ford Chip Ganassi Racing return with its pair of Riley-Ford DPs, as part of a four-car effort at Daytona that includes the global competition debut of the new Ford GT in the GT Le Mans category.
Reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon and fellow open-wheel ace Tony Kanaan, as well as Ganassi's NASCAR stars Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson, will be looking to make it two-in-a-row at Daytona, in likely the team's final outing with its DPs.
Ganassi's second P class entry features 2015 FIA World Endurance Champion Brendon Hartley, triple World Touring Car champ Andy Priaulx, ex-F1 and sports car star Alex Wurz and 17-year-old Lance Stroll, who is making his sports car racing debut.
Defending P class champions Action Express Racing roll into Daytona with star-studded lineups in both of its Corvette DPs as well, with Scott Pruett - seeking a record sixth overall Rolex 24 win - joining Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi and Audi factory driver Filipe Albuquerque in the No. 5 entry and IndyCar ace Simon Pagenaud among the driving strength in the No. 31 car.
Wayne Taylor Racing - which won this race 11 years ago -” and Visit Florida Racing are also expected to be contenders in the 13-car class, which is comprised of six DPs, six P2s and the DeltaWing, which showed impressive pace at the Roar Before the Rolex 24.
Quickest at the Roar were the pair of Ligier JS P2 Hondas from Tequila Patron ESM and Michael Shank Racing, with both Pipo Derani (ESM) and Ozz Negri (MSR) showing the strength of the Onroak Automotive-built prototypes, which are expected to play an outcome in the factor of the race.
The two Mazda prototypes have also shown improved pace, thanks to a switch from diesel to gasoline power for 2016, while the BR Engineering BR01 Nissan from Russian squad SMP Racing shouldn't be completely counted out, either, especially after receiving a weight break for the car's U.S. debut.
Eight spec Oreca FLM09s will do battle for top honors in Prototype Challenge, led by five-time and defending class champions CORE autosport, which sees Colin Braun, Jon Bennett, Mark Wilkins and Martin Plowman aboard its No. 54 entry.
Their toughest competition will likely come from the pair of Starworks Motorsport entries, featuring drivers such as Jack IndyCar driver Jack Hawksworth, reigning FIA GT World Cup Champion Maro Engel and Dutch ace Renger van der Zande.
Defending class winners PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports -- which swept all three major enduros last year -- return to Daytona with nearly an all-new lineup, with only Tom-Kimber Smith returning to the wheel of its Oreca, to be shared by three Rolex 24 rookies.
Arguably the biggest change for 2016 comes in the production-based ranks, with new technical regulations in GT Le Mans and GT Daytona, which sees the competition debuts of numerous new cars, including the Ford GT.
Joey Hand, Dirk Mueller, Sebastien Bourdais, Ryan Briscoe, Richard Westbrook and Stefan Muecke will have the honors of driving the two Multimatic-built, Ganassi-run Ford GTs in its maiden race, which kicks off a busy globe-trotting year across the WeatherTech Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship for the organizations.
The Ford GT isn't the only new car in GTLM, as the BMW M6 GTLM breaks cover with Team RLL, while three factory-supported teams debut the Ferrari 488 GTE, the third new turbocharged car in the class.
They'll go up against the tried-and-trusted factory Porsche 911 RSRs, which return for a third season but in upgraded form, as well as defending Rolex 24 class winners Corvette Racing with the latest evolution of its Corvette C7.R.
Defending GTLM drivers' champion Patrick Pilet, as well as 24 Hours of Le Mans winner and fellow Petit Le Mans overall winner Nick Tandy are back with Porsche, while Corvette's full-season lineup remains unchanged, but with the addition of Audi factory drivers on-loan Mike Rockenfeller and Marcel Fassler for Daytona.
GTD is all-new with the switch to FIA GT3-spec machinery, which has welcomed one new manufacturer, as well as a handful of new teams and drivers to the highly competitive Pro-Am class.
A total of 22 cars, representing seven different manufacturers, are entered in the class.
Lamborghini makes a grand entrance into top-level competition, with five of its Huracan GT3s set for the car's U.S. debut and Italian manufacturer's first-ever Rolex 24.
Veteran GTD squad Paul Miller Racing makes the switch from Audi, while defending class champions Townsend Bell and Bill Sweedler move to O'Gara Motorsport, one of two Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo North America teams stepping up to GTD for 2016.
Porsche will have five of its new 911 GT3 Rs in the race, fielded by Alex Job Racing, Black Swan Racing, Park Place Motorsports and Frikadelli Racing, while the new BMW M6 GT3 also makes its competition debut in the hands of Turner Motorsport.
Three of the new Audi R8 LMS cars are entered for Stevenson Motorsports and Magnus Racing, which switches from Porsche, with a previous-generation R8 LMS ultra also set to make an appearance as a joint effort from Flying Lizard Motorsports and Krohn Racing.
Defending Rolex 24 class winner Riley Motorsports return with its two Dodge Viper GT3-Rs, with the No. 33 car carrying an eye-catching Gas Monkey Garage livery, which is sure to bring some attention this weekend.
TRG-AMR could also be in the headlines, with Force India's Sergio Perez listed in the team's No. 007 Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3, although the Mexican F1 ace is not expected to drive and instead support the team from the pit box.
The FOX Sports family of networks will carry live coverage of the Rolex 24, beginning Saturday at 2 p.m. on FS1. Overnight hours will be carried live on IMSA.com.