Two Weeks in Daytona Set to Launch 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Season
By Tony DiZinno
Entry List (Click Here)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The field is set to launch the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, first with today’s 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.
Fast Facts
64th Rolex 24 At Daytona
Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Florida
January 22-25, 2026
Race Day/Time: Saturday, January 24 – 1:40 p.m. ET (WeatherTech Championship | IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Round 1)
NBC Network Coverage: LIVE, Saturday, January 24 – 1:30-2:30 p.m. ET; Sunday, January 25, 12:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Peacock Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET in the U.S.; International feed coverage available on IMSA.tv and IMSA Official YouTube Channel (outside the U.S.)
Live Qualifying Stream: Thursday, January 22 – 2:05 p.m. ET on Peacock and IMSA.tv (in the U.S.) and IMSA Official YouTube Channel (outside the U.S.)
Circuit Type: 3.56-mile, 12-turn road course
Classes Competing: Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), Grand Touring Daytona (GTD)
Race Length: 24 hours
Track Social Media:
Event Hashtags: #IMSA, #Rolex24
WeatherTech Championship Track Records – Daytona International Speedway
GTP: Pipo Derani, Cadillac V-Series.R, 1:32.656 / 138.318 mph, January 2024
LMP2: Paul-Loup Chatin, ORECA LMP2, 1:35.532 / 134.154 mph, January 2022
GTD PRO: Seb Priaulx, Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), 1:44.382 / 122.780 mph, January 2024
GTD: Parker Thompson, Lexus RC F GT3, 1:44.494 / 122.648 mph, January 2024
2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona Motul Pole Award Winners:
GTP: Dries Vanthoor, No. 24 BMW M Team RLL BMW M Hybrid V8
LMP2: Daniel Goldburg, No. 22 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07
GTD PRO: Mike Rockenfeller, No. 64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3
GTD: Elliott Skeer, No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona Winners:
GTP: Nick Tandy/Felipe Nasr/Laurens Vanthoor, No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963
LMP2: Rasmus Lindh/James Allen/Paul Di Resta/Daniel Goldburg, No. 22 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07
GTD PRO: Christopher Mies/Frederic Vervisch/Dennis Olsen, No. 65 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3
GTD: Orey Fidani/Matthew Bell/Lars Kern/Marvin Kirchhoefer, No. 13 AWA Corvette Z06 GT3.R
Storylines
- Global All-Stars: 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, AJ 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). Dixon, Palou, Power and Ericsson are the four Indianapolis 500 winners in the race with the first three having also won IndyCar championships.
- At Least 30 Countries: 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.
Rolex 24 and IMSA Title Three-Peat Pursuits: 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. - A Dozen Manufacturers: A total of 12 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.
- What’s New to Watch: 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.
- What May be Saying Farewell: 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.
- Family Ties: 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.
With most of the field confirmed, there will be more than 60 Rolex 24 winners, more than 50 IMSA champions and more than 50 24 Hours of Le Mans winners in this year’s field, with potentially more in each category to come.