Barnicoat, Pedersen, Bell, Zilisch, Schiller, Goetz Attend NBC Sports’ First Race Broadcast of 2026
By Tony DiZinno
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Several drivers competing in the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona later this month made a voyage to the other side of the country for another motorsports curtain-raiser.
The first SuperMotocross World Championship round last Saturday night at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California had a distinct IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship presence of both broadcasters and drivers set to compete at Daytona International Speedway. Brought together by shared television partner NBC Sports for its first race broadcast of the new year, the opportunity for sports car stars to take in the season-opener was a fun one.
Connor Zilisch got his motorsports season off and running too with a trip to Anaheim. Zilisch, the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series (renamed O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for 2026) runner-up and rookie-of-the-year with a series-high 10 victories, is set to graduate to the NASCAR Cup Series with Trackhouse Racing and Chevrolet. But before that, his January includes this Anaheim visit and then his third straight Rolex 24 appearance. He’ll be part of the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R in Grand Touring Prototype (GTP); the 2024 Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class winner goes for his second Rolex 24 win with Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber and Frederik Vesti.
Speaking to NBC’s Will Christien, Zilisch described his outlook for the month: “It’s so exciting. It’s one of my favorite events as a driver; it’s such a cool event with all the friends there. Super excited to be there with Cadillac. It’ll be my first time in the GTP car, so super excited for A1. It’s so much fun out here!”
Keep an eye on Aitken next week for his visit to Detroit along with fellow GM driver and 2025 Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class champion Alexander Sims of Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports to help promote the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, as part of the Detroit Auto Show’s 2026 annual “Racing Day.”
Vasser Sullivan Racing’s Ben Barnicoat and Benjamin Pedersen and longtime Vasser Sullivan driver, Lexus brand ambassador, past IMSA champion and Rolex 24 class winner Townsend Bell were also among those in attendance. Bell, also an NBC Sports motorsports analyst who’s called IMSA on NBC broadcasts off-and-on since 2019, was part of the commentary team alongside NBC Sports’ lead motorsports broadcaster Leigh Diffey to share thoughts on bikes before the Rolex 24.
“It’s so fun to come to Anaheim every year,” Bell told the Peacock broadcast. “As you know, I ride myself. I absolutely love coming to see the skill, bravery and technical focus of the riders optimizing their performance; that’s exactly what we do as drivers in IMSA, and we’ll be there for the big show at the end of this month.”
Asked by Diffey about the difference in an endurance racing mindset vs. a motorcycle riding one, especially over a 31-round schedule, Bell noted: “I think it’s decision making. You see it in every single turn, every single jump, run over the woops. There’s a micro focus on every moment. Every decision affects glory and absolute disaster like no other sport in sports, thankfully. I watch those closely. It’s just like what we do in racing. In sports car racing, at least, we can chill on the straightaways. Make a setting adjustment. There is no chilling (in Supercross). You have to be laser focused all the time.”
Additionally, two drivers slated to compete only in the Rolex 24 At Daytona also headed to Anaheim. Mercedes-AMG stars Fabian Schiller and Maxi Goetz made a voyage out there; they’ll share the No. 69 Bartone Bros. Racing by GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Anthony Bartone and Jules Gounon. Bartone’s debut entry at the Rolex 24 in 2025 featured a fifth-place finish in GTD PRO, and the team seeks to improve upon that for its sophomore run.
Riding a KTM, Eli Tomac won the Monster Energy AMA Supercross 450 Main Event opener in Anaheim over Ken Roczen’s Suzuki.
You can watch the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona on Saturday, January 24. The race broadcast starts at 1:30 p.m. ET on network NBC with flag-to-flag streaming on Peacock.