Auto Racing Digest

A once-former NASCAR Cup Series team is set for new waters and new challenges, returning to racing in IMSA for select events in the 2024 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season.

StarCom, which is run by 1990 Daytona 500 winner Derrike Cope, will run its first IMSA event at Sebring in March, fielding a Hyundai Elantra, and will be working in conjunction with Nitro Motorsports to run this effort.

We are excited to announce that StarCom Racing is going to run a limited schedule in the Michelin Pilot Challenge Series in 2024! (Details in photos attached). #starcomracing #imsa #imsaracing pic.twitter.com/Ao5sc1zSqF

— StarCom Racing (@StarcomRacing) February 1, 2024

This new venture for the team will be a TCR-classified entry, and while both driver and future schedule have yet to be announced, the return of StarCom Racing came as a surprise to some, having not posted any new entries on their team’s social media account since 2022.

The team, which last competed in the Cup Series in NASCAR in 2021, featuring driver Quin Houff, has not been on track since then, selling their charter due to NASCAR potentially seizing it.

Since then, StarCom Racing sold its Cup car in 2022 to The Money Team Racing, whose majority owner is boxer Floyd Mayweather, and it hasn’t been seen since.

However, this may be a great opportunity for the team to bring success to a new program.

While it is unknown who may be driving the car, the team has a few options available for who may field the first entry.

Cope could potentially make the move into racing for the new program, although he's 65 years old. But Houff seems like a perfect fit to come back to the team.

While Houff has not raced since 2021, he still has that link already established with Cope, and the potential for him joining back is there.

Also, there is a chance to see one of Hyundai’s factory drivers under consideration for the entry. But only time will tell if Cope and his group at StarCom go that route.

Hopefully, this StarCom Racing IMSA program can bring success to a team that has had its trials and tribulations in NASCAR, and with them running what has been a strong Elantra, the team could make some noise even in a part-time capacity.

At the age of 39, Sir Lewis Hamilton has made yet another career change and this one might be bigger than his departure from McLaren in 2012!

It was announced Thursday that the seven-time world champion would be leaving Mercedes to join Ferrari in 2025, an end to a 17-year partnership between the two, with 11 of those years being at the Mercedes works team, which has allowed him to achieve every accolade possible in Formula One.

Scuderia Ferrari put out a statement shortly after the news broke Thursday morning: "Scuderia Ferrari is pleased to announce that Lewis Hamilton will be joining the team in 2025, on a multi-year contract".

Hamilton released his own statement on his departure from Mercedes: "I have had an amazing 11 years with this team and I'm so proud of what we have achieved together. Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13 years old.

"It's a place where I've grown up, so making the decision to leave was one of the hardest I have ever had to make. But the time is right for me to take this step and I'm excited to be taking on a new challenge. I will be forever grateful for the incredible support of my Mercedes family, especially Toto (Wolff) for his friendship and leadership and I want to finish on a high together. I am 100% committed to delivering the best performance I can this season and making my last year with the Silver Arrows one to remember".

The Hamilton and Mercedes partnership has achieved the most wins, pole positions, and podium finishes in F1 history. Hamilton will have 24 more races with Mercedes in the 2024 season before departing the team at the conclusion of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

A big piece of the success with Hamilton at Mercedes, including four titles in a row is, of course, Toto Wolff. The longtime team principal, who recently had his contract extended, said this about his driver parting ways at the conclusion of the season: "Our relationship with Lewis has become the most successful the sport has ever seen. Lewis will always be an important part of Mercedes motorsport history, however, we knew our partnership would come to a natural end at some point, and that day has now come. We accept Lewis's decision to seek a fresh challenge."

Of course, Hamilton pairing with Charles Leclerc from 2025 onwards, forced Carlos Sainz to release the following statement about his Ferrari future, "Following today's news, Scuderia Ferrari and myself will part ways at the end of 2024. We still have a long season ahead of us and, like always, I will give my absolute best for the team and for the Tifosi all around the world. News about my future will be announced in due course."

It is important to realize that Hamilton's new contract, in which full details have not been released, is a multi-year deal. This is noteworthy because of the major technical regulations that will take effect in 2026. When Hamilton left McLaren behind to join Mercedes in 2013, that was when the new regulations came into effect where we saw Mercedes lead the sport in innovation and consistency.

Now, with Lewis jumping ship again, to a fierce rival who has had their fair share of issues right before a regulation change, questions could certainly be asked about Mercedes' future.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Everyone’s eyes were fixated on what was a captivating finish in Sunday's final laps of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, seeing the #7 Porsche Penske Motorsports GTP hold on to its slim lead over the #31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac GTP.

However, many fans in attendance at Daytona International Speedway were also excited to see superstar actor Brad Pitt take part in the weekend’s festivities, filming his new unnamed F1 movie.

The movie, which is being directed by “Days of Thunder” producer Jerry Bruckheimer and produced by F1 World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton, pits Brad Pitt as “Sonny Hayes,” a washed-up 1990s F1 driver who has gone and begun racing in other disciplines after a horrible crash.

Is that really Brad Pitt behind the wheel? Photo for AutoRacingDigest.com by Dylan Spaulding.

Javier Bardem, who is a team owner and friend of Pitt’s Hayes character, has a team that is scoring towards the back of the grid, looking to score points. But, with a young phenom driver, played by Damson Idris, Pitt’s character comes in to help the group.

The filming, which has taken place all around Daytona Beach for the last few weeks, including during last weekend's Roar Before the 24 at the world-famous Speedway, saw a real-life version of the car and team come to life this weekend with the factitious “Chip Hart Racing.”

Wright Motorsports, which worked in conjunction with the film, ran the movie’s livery and graphics, featuring driver suits, cars, and even a hauler decked out in Chip Hart Racing paraphernalia.

The team for the movie is sponsored by national insurance company Geico, and Peak antifreeze coolant is on the car for the film, translating to the team’s driver suits as well for both the fictitious drivers and Wright’s drivers this weekend.

Obviously, filming is not new for the track, seeing “Days of Thunder” filmed in-part at the famed racetrack, but having a globally recognized actor such as Pitt in attendance only added to what was already a special weekend.

Will Brad Pitt do for IMSA and F1 what Tom Cruise did for NASCAR in Days of Thunder? Photo for AutoRacingDigest.com by Dylan Spaulding.

While it is unclear what the response or crowd levels were in regard to people wanting to come to Pitt, it definitely adds to IMSA’s growth in a positive manner.

Seeing celebrities involved in motorsports only adds to the growth of racing, and while Pitt’s movie is heavily motorsports-based, the origins of the story all begin in Daytona, adding to what was a hectic weekend for the track.

It is unclear if the #120 will be Wright Motorsports permanent number for the season, given that their Porsche livery was being used in conjunction with the movie, but it's likely that their full-season livery will be much different for Sebring than Daytona.

Nevertheless, having the movie try to be realistic adds additional meaning and value to the upcoming flick, and one can only wonder if we will see Chip Hart Racing merchandise on sale in the future.

In what was a wacky finish to the Rolex 24, bringing out the checkered flag with still over two minutes left on the clock, the #7 Porsche Penske Motorsports, featuring Felipe Nasr in the final stint, was able to hold off a charging Tom Blomqvist in the #31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac to take overall and GTP wins at Daytona.

Joining Nasr for his overall efforts were Dane Cameron, Matt Campbell, and reigning Indy 500 champion Josef Newgarden, all of whom are first-time overall champions in the Rolex 24.

It wasn’t the easiest road for the Porsche Penskes, doing battle against a tandem of Cadillacs. However, an early morning retirement for the #01 Cadillac Racing entry gave Porsche the strength in numbers given to win, even translating down to its customer teams with Proton and JDC-Miller.

For the #7 Porsche Penske, while minor mistakes happened, the team stayed consistent, practically clean, and drove the car smartly amongst all four stars.

For Porsche, it was the first victory at Daytona since 2003, while Ferrari won its first manufacturer Rolex 24 since 1998.

The Captain -- Mr. Penske, of course -- was also able to get his first Rolex win since 1969 himself, capping off what was a great opening start to the season for a team that found some trouble at Petit Le Mans to wrap up last season.

Obviously on a weekend such as this, history is always the talk of the town. But with so much leading up to these last two weeks (including last weekend's Roar Before the 24) such as the records that could be broken by the Brad Pitt-F1 motion flick, there has never been more excitement leading up to an IMSA opener than this.

Porsche Power

The weekend really was all about the Porsches.

All four Porsche entries (including customer teams) found some sort of success this weekend, which brought a lot of excitement for what’s to come for the German-based brand.

Both the #6 and #7 Penske Porsches picked up right where they left off in 2023 and ran consistently throughout the weekend, something that can’t be said for all three manufacturers.

Outside of the major incident with the #5 Proton Mustang Sampling Porsche happening two weeks ago at the Roar, all four Porsches stayed out of the garage for the entirety of the weekend and brought sustained durability, which explains more than meets the eye.

Being the brand that holds the most LMDh/LMh entries amongst both IMSA and WEC, Porsche has an advantage in its development and continues to grow its hybrid entries. Not to mention the support that Roger Penske has added to the Porsche Penske greatly helped make a weekend like this come about.

Both Porsche Penskes went out there and played it smart in a race that caused problems, and that translated to the drivers behind the wheel.

Felipe Nasr did an incredible wheel job to be able to avoid incoming traffic and bring The Captain his first Rolex 24 winner's watch in decades.

Now it will be about seeing more success to come for the Red, White, and Black liveried Porsche Penskes and its sister teams.

The Wayne Taylor Blues

In a weekend that saw a lot of promise for the known Daytona world champions, things didn’t go smoothly for Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti.

While the #40 Acura ARX-06 GTP was able to wheel itself to the podium in their first race, the #40, #10, and even #45 entries did not have the smoothest of journeys to get to Sunday.

For the #10 WTR Acura, a group that came inches away from a chance at taking home a 2023 season championship, the team saw decent speed leading up to the twice-around-the-clock event. However, electrical problems created challenges for the now two-car Acura pairing in the middle of the night, resulting in both cars stalling out: the #10 at the exit of the international horseshoe and the #40 at the exit to NASCAR Turn 1.

The #45 GTD entry for WTR also ended up having troubles during the race, going to paddock almost simultaneously as the #10 GTP went in. But the car would get behind in the process, finishing towards the tail end of the field.

It obviously wasn’t the team’s weekend given the troubles that happened, but for the #40 to finish on the podium was a solid showing, especially for it being a new car and having a talent-laden group of former F1 great Jenson Button, Jordan Taylor, IndyCar star Colton Herta and Louis Deletraz.

Nevertheless, there is still something that needs to be said in regards to the question: When can Wayne Taylor Racing get back to the top of the podium?

Having not won since August 2022, something is to be said for this winless slump the team has had at the top.

Obviously, the issues that came up in a race such as this happen, but it will be interesting to see if the blue on those famed Wayne Taylor glasses suddenly sees clear skies ahead.

Final Thoughts

Looking across the other class winners, in LMP2, ERA Motorsports grabbed their second LMP2 class victory in four years, getting back on the podium at Daytona for the first time since 2021, featuring Ryan Dalziel and Dwight Merriman -- both who were on the team for that previous win -- as well as Connor Zilisch, and Christian Rasmussen.

Photo for AutoRacingDigest.com: Hunter Butler

In GTD Pro, many eyes were fixated on some of the factory all-star teams, including Corvette Racing and the new Multimatic Ford Mustangs, but the two weekends provided fans with some intriguing winners, with AO Racing grabbing pole last week, while Ferrari was able to grab the class win with #62 Risi Competizione, featuring Daniel Serra, Davide Rigon, Alessandro Pier Guidi, and James Calado.

Then in GTD, Winward Racing would have a battle for the class win with another Ferrari entry in the #023 Triarsi Competizione, but an incident between the newly christened GTD Pro #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW resulted in Winward Racing holding a solid lead, although the #21 AF Corse did contest at points.

Overall, the weekend brought back the excitement of seeing the IMSA season once more. Even if the weekend may not have gone well for some, there is definitely optimism for all about what could potentially come in 2024.

Race Notes:

* The #17 AWA Corvette had troubles starting prior to the green flag, and headed into the paddock during the race's early laps.

* The #18 ERA, #11 TDS, and AO Racing LMP2s all got into an incident at the Le Mans Chicane.

* A massive wreck in Turn 1 involved the #20 High Class Racing LMP2 and the #14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus GTD Pro.

* The #11 TDS Racing had a major wreck coming out of the Le Mans chicane, causing the first fallen car of the weekend.

* Both the #10 and #40 Wayne Taylor Racing come up with problems. The #10 was in the pits working on an electrical issue. The #40 had stopped near NASCAR Turn 1.

* The #01 Cadillac Racing of Regner Van Der Zande stops on track. Brings out another caution.

* The #24 RLL BMW comes back out after issues on track.

* The #01 Cadillac Racing entry had retired. Had stopped on track around the midway point of the race.

* The defending champions for the #14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus has retired. Was in the pits for a bit. Retires with under 9 hours to go.

* #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG with Dontje and #023 Triarsi Ferarri with Triarsi driving exchange for the lead at the 4:15 marker. Traffic gave Dontje the advantage with the lead.

* The #1 Paul Miller BMW is experiencing brake problems. Car is still running.

* The #1 Paul Miller BMW’s tire wasn’t connecting to the wheel bearing properly. Tire was coming off.

* The #31 Blomqvist threaded the needle heading into Turn One and took the outside lane to pass Nasr in the #7 Porsche. Traffic caused the move.

* The #12 Vasser Sullivan catches on fire heading out of the pits. First caution comes out in over three hours. Jimmy Vasser said that they were experiencing a banging noise.

Supercross’ month in California comes to an end and early season parity remained the top storyline as Anaheim 2 saw a new overall winner in the 250 and 450 class for the fourth straight week.

Round 4 at Angel Stadium is the only repeated venue on the SMX schedule. A2 still has a different identity from A1 with a course rework and a format change. A2 is the first of three Triple Crown races, meaning that heats are eliminated from the program, and instead, the top 22 riders race in three shortened features with the overall winner having the best average finishing position.

An eventful Triple Crown program in 450 saw Aaron Plessinger narrowly hang on to the red plate. Plessinger secured the points lead last week with his first 450 win at San Diego and followed it up with an unexpected podium at A2.

Aaron Plessinger maintains his hold on the red plate, meaning he remains the points leader in 450SX. Photo: Align Media.

Copper Webb was the overall winner finishing 2-2-5; his nine-point finish was enough for his first victory on a 450 with Yamaha. Webb transitioned from Yamaha to KTM when he originally elevated into the 450 class and this season has been seen as a homecoming after Webb found himself unhappy at his former team.

This win also means that Webb is now the sole owner of the 10 spot on the all-time 450-win list with 22 wins. He is one of only two active riders on the top-10 list, joining series veteran Eli Tomac who sits second on the all-time list with 51 wins.

Copper Webb and teammate Justin Copper fist bump after Webb's win. Photo: Align Media.

Tomac finished second with a 5-7-1 finish and his victory in the final race came to the sound of applause, The Supercross community was excited to see a past champion back on top after what at the time felt like a career-ending injury sustained during Round 16 last year in his hometown of Denver.

This was Tomac’s second podium of the year with the first coming in the mud at San Francisco. It appears that Tomac is riding with more comfort than he was at A1, a large part of that is due to a change in bike setup that returned the feel to what he was used to riding in 2023, a season that he was favored to win until the incident.

“I was pretty frustrated after those first two,” Tomac said of his early season performance. “I was like, ‘Okay, what am I, a fifth (to) seventh place guy right now?’ I don’t know. I just had to go do something, I had to get off the gate there. So it was good, had a good flow. I was able to get the whoop combo down, and I felt like that was important for me.”

While Jason Anderson was originally slated to be on the final step of the podium, race officials reviewed that he made a pass off the track in Race 3 and the difference of position moved him to fourth place overall and brought Plessinger onto the podium with a 6-4-3 finish. Anderson’s corrected finishes were 4-1-8 with the tiebreaker going to the better finish in the final round due to that attrition factor that riders deal with equally.

Standings Shakeup Before Detroit

Between Anderson’s pass of the field and Jett Lawrence crashing his bike on the final lap, timing and scoring had to scramble at the end of the race as everyone volleyed for position. Lawrence was running in third when he crashed, which would’ve placed him on the podium and transferred the red plate from Plessinger to Lawrence, making Jett the first rider in 450’s to carry it twice.

Instead, it stays with Plessinger and he carries his early season momentum into Detroit, a track that last year saw him heartbreakingly lose the chance of his first win on the last lap.

Defending champion Chase Sexton finished in fifth position due to a bad showing in the second race, with a 1-11-2 overall. Sexton holds onto second place in the season standings as his teammate continues to lead him.

With as close as the top of the class has been, there’s only a 13-point difference between sixth place and first place currently, meaning that every position mattered in the final moments. A2 winner Copper Webb now sits third in the standings followed by Jett Lawrence and Tomac. Anderson slipped to sixth with his loss of positions in A2.

250 Recap

Levi Kitchen went 1-2-3 in the 250 West class to secure his first victory of 2024, sharing the podium with RJ Hampshire at Nate Thrasher. It was Hampshire and Kitchen’s third podium of the season and Thrasher’s second.

Kitchen entered the third race with a sizeable buffer between him and the field and just had to watch where Hampshire was on the track to control his victory. Once Hampshire went down, Kitchen knew he could coast to his first win with Kawasaki.

With this win, Kitchen ties Jordon Smith for the series lead at 84 points apiece.

Kitchen celebrates after claiming the overall win at A2 in Anaheim this weekend. Photo: Align Media.

The 250W riders get their first rest week as Supercross heads East for the first time in the 2024 season. This cast of riders will rejoin the 450 class at Glendale, Arizona for Round 6 on February 10th, 2024.

Detroit will open up the season for the East and fans will get the chance to see what the likes of Max Ansie, Austin Forkner, Chase Hymas, and Haiden Deegan can do. 

Rolex 24 At Daytona Unofficial Race Results

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Felipe Nasr delivered the first Rolex 24 At Daytona overall win for team owner Roger Penske in 55 years and the first for Porsche in 14 years, in an exciting conclusion Sunday to the iconic endurance sports car race.

Driving the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 that he shared with co-drivers Dane Cameron, Matt Campbell and reigning Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden, Nasr crossed the finish line 2.112 seconds ahead of the No. 31 No. 31 Whelen Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R driven by Tom Blomqvist, who was aiming to become just the second driver in Rolex 24 history to be an overall winner three straight years.

Nasr took the lead for the final time when the No. 7 Porsche crew gave him a quicker pit stop than the No. 31 Cadillac crew could manage for Blomqvist under a full-course caution with 43 minutes remaining. Blomqvist hounded Nasr for the last half-hour but could never get close enough to attempt a pass for the lead.

Team owner Penske’s last win at the Rolex 24 came in 1969 when Mark Donohue and Chuck Parsons drove a Lola T-70/Chevrolet to victory. A Penske entry also claimed a class win in 1966. Porsche’s last overall win came in 2010, when the Action Express Racing Riley-Porsche driven by Joao Barbosa, Terry Borcheller, Ryan Dalziel and Mike Rockenfeller triumphed. Ironically, Action Express also entered the No. 31 Cadillac that finished second on Sunday.

Blomqvist, who won in 2022 and ’23 with Meyer Shank Racing, finished second overall and in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class with Action Express co-drivers Pipo Derani and Jack Aitken. Blomqvist will drive full-time this year for Meyer Shank in the IndyCar Series and the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup events in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac.

The No. 18 Era Motorsport took the victory in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class with co-drivers Dalziel, Dwight Merriman, Christian Rasmussen and Connor Zilisch. The No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 claimed victory in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class with drivers Daniel Serra, Davide Rigon, Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado. Winward Racing’s No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 was victorious in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class, the car shared by Russell Ward, Philip Ellis, Indy Dontje and Daniel Morad.

The next WeatherTech Championship race is the 72nd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 16 at Sebring International Raceway.

--- By Mark Robinson, IMSA Wire Service

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Risi Rejoices with Commanding Rolex 24 GTD PRO Victory; Winward Racing Takes GTD Honors for Second Time in Four Years

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – At last, Risi Competizione has some fine timepieces.

A successful competitor in sports car racing since 1998, Giuseppe Risi’s Houston-based team has claimed multiple class victories over the years at Le Mans, Sebring and Petit Le Mans. But until Sunday, it had not celebrated victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Daniel Serra, Davide Rigon, Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado teamed to drive the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 from a fifth-place start in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class to victory by a lap over the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992).

Risi Ferrari got its first-ever win in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona on Sunday. Photo courtesy IMSA.

Among the spoils for the veteran Risi foursome are the customary Rolex watches awarded to class winners at the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship opener.

“This is the race that I was missing, that I really wanted to win,” said Serra, who drove the final stint. “Today is one of the happiest days of my racing career.”

Laurin Heinrich, Seb Priaulx and Michael Christensen brought the pole-winning AO Porsche home in second place, with the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 finishing third with co-drivers Bryan Sellers, Madison Snow, Neil Verhagen and Sheldon van der Linde.

The dominance of the No. 62 Ferrari, which survived a fire in the pits in the first six hours of the race, was on display in the closing stages of the race. The car led the last 82 laps, 130 of the final 136 and 215 overall in the race.

“It’s never easy, you know?” Serra said. “You start to hear some noises in the car and you think that everything is out of control in the last few laps.”

The race tested the mettle of the GTD PRO cars and drivers almost from the start. Just minutes into the race, the 2023 GTD PRO champion was involved in a crash that relegated it to an 11th-place finish. Mike Conway was piloting the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 when Dennis Andersen’s Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) entry spun in front of him at the exit of Turn 1.

With just under two hours remaining in the race, the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW stopped for a brake change while running second behind the No. 62 Ferrari. The brake issues returned shortly after van der Linde returned to the track, and the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche moved into second in class.

In the end, the win and the Rolexes went to Risi Competizione, which started to show the strength of the Ferrari 296 GT3 in its debut last season. It was the first Rolex 24 win for Serra, Rigon and Calado, while Pier Guidi picked up his second watch following a Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) victory in a Level 5 Ferrari 10 years ago.

“Giuseppe deserves it,” Calado said of the team owner. “He’s wanted it for a long time. I’m happy for him, and I’m happy for us. It’s a great way to start the year and puts us in good stead for the rest of the year.”

--- By Jeff Olson, IMSA Wire Service

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Winward Racing Drives through Large GTD Field to Win

You’ll forgive Daniel Morad if he was a bit emotional at the end of the race. It’s not often that one wins the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Morad led a come-from-behind effort by Winward Racing and teammates Philip Ellis, Russell Ward and Indy Dontje by anchoring the final hours of the team’s Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class victory in the No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Winyard Racing roars to victory in the final lap of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. Photo courtesy IMSA.

“I’ve won it before sitting on the sidelines and now I’ve won it in the seat of the car,” Morad said. “I almost crashed on the in-lap (after the checkered flag), I was crying so much. My voice is gone. I think I hurt myself as well.”

There’s a reason for the emotion. The No. 57 Mercedes started 17th among the 23 GTD entries, yet soldiered through the field to victory, ending a run of bad luck that clouded Winward’s 2023 WeatherTech Championship season.

While 12 different GTD cars led throughout the race, the No. 57 Mercedes rose to the top toward the end, leading 123 of the final 134 laps and a class-high 383 in all. Morad’s previous Rolex 24 victory came in GTD seven years ago. Ward, Ellis and Dontje were all with the class-winning Winward team in 2021.

Ferrari claimed second through fourth places Sunday in GTD. The No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 co-driven by Simon Mann, Francois Heriau, Miguel Molina and Kei Cozzolino finished second, 2.731 seconds behind the winners. The No. 34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 co-driven by Manny Franco, Albert Costa Balboa, Alessandro Balzan and Cedric Sbirrazzuoli was third, with the No. 023 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 and drivers Onofrio Triarsi, Charles Scardina, Riccardo Agostini and Alessio Rovera taking fourth.

In the final hour, the pole-winning No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 stopped with smoke pouring from beneath its hood. Parker Thompson emerged safely and tried to extinguish the fire, but the car was retired and finished 15th in class.

The ensuing caution brought the field back together for the final minutes, but Morad turned his extended stint in the car to a 2.731-second class victory.

“Incredible team, perfect car today,” Morad said.

The WeatherTech Championship season resumes March 16 with the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway.

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Porsche, Penske End Rolex 24 At Daytona Droughts; Era Motorsport Returns to Daytona Victory Lane in LMP2

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The 62nd running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona boiled down to a two-car race for overall and Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class honors between the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R and the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963.

The Porsche seized the advantage a little more than 19 hours into the 24-hour endurance contest that served as the season opener for the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and Matt Campbell and Felipe Nasr combined to build a 10-second lead. But Pipo Derani and Tom Blomqvist fought back in the Cadillac, culminating in Blomqvist making a daring pass for the lead on Nasr into Turn 1 with an hour and 20 minutes remaining.

Team Penske celebrates its win in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. Photo courtesy IMSA.

A full-course caution that flew with 52 minutes remaining eliminated Blomqvist’s 2.2-second advantage and reset the race for a final sprint. When the pits opened eight minutes later, the Porsche crew got Nasr out ahead for the green flag that flew with 32 minutes to go.

That clean air at the head of the field was all the Brazilian needed. He kept the No. 7 Porsche that he shared with Dane Cameron, Matt Campbell and Josef Newgarden in front through the final stages, crossing the line 2.112 seconds ahead of the No. 31 Cadillac, which was driven by Blomqvist, Pipo Derani and Jack Aitken. Jordan Taylor, Louis Deletraz, Colton Herta and Jenson Button finished third in the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06.

“It’s incredible to think we pulled that one off,” Nasr exclaimed before being mobbed by Porsche personnel in the postrace celebration.

It was the 23rd time Porsche claimed overall honors in the Rolex 24, the last coming in 2010 using a Riley chassis in the Daytona Prototype (DP) class fielded by Action Express Racing – the same team that now fields the Whelen Cadillac.

Team Penske owns two prior sports car victories at Daytona – a 1966 GT/GTO class win and the overall prize in 1969, when Mark Donohue and Chuck Parsons enjoyed a 30-lap cushion at the finish in a Lola T-70/Chevrolet.

“When you think about 1969, when we won here with a Lola, things were a lot different in those days,” Penske said. “Just to see the competitiveness, where six or seven tenths of a second was the difference after 24 hours of racing, it’s unbelievable.

“I’ll tell you, this goes down as one of the biggest wins we’ve had.”

The victory was equally as satisfying for Porsche, which entered IMSA’s new GTP era featuring a hybrid-electrified platform in 2023 in a highly publicized resumption of the German marque’s relationship with the Penske organization, which produced major sports car victories in several different time periods since the early 1970s. But the Penske-Porsche partnership fell short of the WeatherTech Championship crown last season, losing out to the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac.

Porsche targeted increased reliability in the five IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup events for 2024. That goal was achieved at Daytona International Speedway, as all four Porsche 963 hybrids in the field (two with Penske, one with JDC-Miller MotorSports and one with Proton Competition) finished in the top six.

Cameron competed for the Penske-Porsche program in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2023, and the American sports car ace was delighted to transfer to the North American-based IMSA program for ’24. He was in tears in Victory Lane.

“Fifteen years – that’s a long time,” Cameron said. “I’m so proud of these guys. We had so many issues in the long races last year, and so much work to tune this thing up.”

Campbell and Nasr teamed to score a GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class victory at the 2022 Rolex 24 driving a Porsche, but this was the first overall win for each.

“Incredible the way this race ebbs and flows and the way we took it to the Cadillacs today,” said Campbell. “Hats off to them – they really gave it to us. To finally get our first big victory in the world with this car is phenomenal. What a team! We finally got it done.”

Era Motorsport Returns to Daytona Victory Lane in LMP2

The fight for Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class honors in the Rolex 24 was a good one, with five cars remaining in contention to the finish.

The No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA LMP2 07 and the No. 18 Era Motorsport ORECA were the main contenders, until the No. 18 with drivers Dwight Merriman, Ryan Dalziel, Connor Zilisch and Christian Rasmussen took control over the final four hours. The No. 18 drivers led 132 of the final 136 laps, with Rasmussen taking the checkered flag with a 6.8-second advantage over Malthe Jakobsen in the No. 04, which was co-piloted by George Kurtz, Colin Braun and Toby Sowery.

“It’s awesome; it’s a huge bucket list item for me,” said Rasmussen, the team’s IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup driver about to embark on his first full season of IndyCar Series competition. “We were just strong all race. We kept improving, we knew we had the pace and we had the strategy just right. Then just cruised to the finish. I’m over the moon.”

Merriman and Dalziel were also half of the Era lineup in 2021 that won the Rolex 24 LMP2 race.

The No. 74 Riley ORECA with drivers Gar Robinson, Felipe Fraga, Josh Burdon and Felipe Massa finished third in LMP2.

The WeatherTech Championship resumes March 13-16 with the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring at Sebring International Raceway in Central Florida.

--- By John Oreowicz, IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Now that the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona has passed into Sunday morning, the race begins to shy away from its typical endurance viewpoint to more of a sprint to the finish as teams look to stay on track and be in a good position to have a shot at winning in their respective classes.

The wee morning hours were cluttered with GTP drama that began during the evening, with Acura and BMW especially running into problems with both of their entries on the grid.

The #10 Acura for Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti became the first domino to fall, dealing with an electric problem that resulted in lengthy work on the car in the team’s paddock.

This resulted from an incident the team had when the car got stuck on the exit of the international horseshoe, getting a tow back to the pits.

This practically put the #10 out of contention for not only a class win but also an overall win, being down well over 50 laps in the race and taking away one of Wayne’s chances to get another Rolex watch.

Things wouldn’t get better for the three-car tandem, with the #40 WTR Acura, which is one of the new additions to the team, stalling out heading into NASCAR Turn 1, and the #45 GTD Lamborghini for the team needing to go to the paddock as well for work on the car.

All three cars would have off-and-on troubles throughout the night, adding to what has been a soiled weekend for the new era of WTR.

The BMWs would also have their fair share of issues working through the morning hours, seeing both the #24 and #25 RLL BMWs needing service at different points in the paddock, including the #24 stopped near Turn 2.

Good morning, sunshine! As the sun begins to rise, so too are the temperatures and tempers as cars pilot toward this afternoon's finish of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. Photo: Logan Butler for AutoRacingDigest.com.

In GTP, it really has been the battle of Porsche vs. Cadillac.

However, Cadillac would go down in strength in numbers on an electrical problem that came from one of the strongest teams of the weekend, the #01 Cadillac Racing Chip Ganassi entry.

The car would be attempted to be worked on by the team, but the group felt that there was no way the car could go back out on track.

Other notable incidents include the #66 Gradient Racing and the #14 Vasser Sullivan retiring from the race in both GTD and GTD Pro, potentially being class-winning contenders heading into the weekend given their performances coming out of last weekend's Roar Before the 24 and the practices.

The #99 “Spike” LMP2 for AO Racing had a bit of an issue that brought out a caution later in the morning entering the international horseshoe, but the big note is the aggressiveness coming out of that Full Course Yellow.

Seeing three wide at points going back to green, the battle for GTP got intense, even with over 7.5 hours left in the race.

Although there is time, there really isn’t.

With the clock crunching, the decisions and situations that will take place going forward will play a huge part in the outcome of the rest of the Rolex 24, which is due to conclude around 1:40 p.m. ET..

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The opening eight hours of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race have been quite chaotic, featuring a multitude of full-course yellows. But it creates what may be one of the more intriguing nights as we approach Midnight ET.

The early beginnings of the race were kind of predicate to how the evening has played out, featuring the #13 AWA Corvette having troubles getting off the grid, leading to later issues that resulted in the car going into the paddock.

Obviously, with the Corvettes being new cars, reliability was one of the keys to the weekend, and with a race such as the 24 Hours of Daytona, we knew there could be potential for issues and bugs to occur.

In regards to other incidents of note, the #78 Forte Racing got into trouble at the Le Mans Chicane, resulting in the car being hauled back to the paddock on a truck. Fortunately, Forte Racing did not suffer any major chassis damage and was able to merge back into the field, but the team has been behind the ball due to the incident.

Beyond the GTD in-race situations, the class that has seen the most drama early on this weekend has been the LMP2 class.

Four teams have been plagued with problems throughout the first few hours of the event, most notably Sean Creech Motorsports, which has had a few stoppages on track towards NASCAR Turn 1.

While they have been able to continue to get back on track, the prototype regulars have not been able to recover due to the constant ins and outs that have occurred.

Photo: Logan Butler for AutoRacingDigest.com.

So far, three cars have officially retired, with the #11 TDS Racing slamming hard into the wall coming out of the chicane and the #88 Richard Mille AF Corse having some sort of mechanical issue.

The big loss of the three comes from #22 United Autosport’s LMP2, one of two entries for the team.

According to the report, the team lost some length on its side, which made it impossible for them to fix, resulting in the team closing up shop on one of their entries.

While there are still many good LMP2 teams remaining, the loss of one of the United entries is definitely a key domino to fall as teams head into the late night.

At this point in the race, most teams have found their rhythm, just trying to keep pace and not get behind the eight ball. But when night hits, this is when the real test begins.

While I would usually say that there may not be as much chaos to happen, with the way these opening hours have been, there is no telling what could happen.

Keep up to date with occasional update reports throughout the night on Twitter/X @AutoRaceDigest.

Our next full report will come at the 20-hour mark, roughly around 9:40 a.m. ET.

The race is expected to conclude around 1:40 p.m. ET. Weather appears like it will not be a problem going forward through the night or during the morning all the way until the checkered flag waves.

The Rolex 24 at Daytona is finally here and the chance for immortality for four class winners and an overall winner is in the grasp for 59 of the best drivers and teams in the world.

Many drivers know what it takes to win this event, while others are looking to seize the opportunity for a chance at a watch, but all the drivers had comments to say about the twice-around-the-clock event.

Jordan Taylor & Ricky Taylor

The Taylors are no stranger to finding success at this famed 3.56 mile circuit.

A team that has four Rolex 24 victories, including three straight spanning from 2019-2021, both Jordan and Ricky bring the pedigree and culture that the team may need to get its fifth Rolex 24 victory.

“Yeah, it's really exciting,” says Ricky Taylor. “Daytona is always such a special weekend because you see all the new cars, all the new teams, all the new deliveries, new drivers. Everybody's looking clean and there's a lot of optimism about the season.”

One person who has a lot of optimism is Ricky’s brother Jordan, who returns to Wayne Taylor Racing after four seasons at Corvette Racing, looking forward to the opportunity to rekindle old relationships with his father’s team.

“It’s been nice to be back,” says Jordan. “Most of the core group of guys that were there from 2013 to 2019 when I was there are still on the team, so it was nice to see a lot of familiar faces, but with joining Andretti, you know there's a lot of new faces, a lot of new people that we have to meet, especially with the second car. So yeah, learning a lot of new names, getting to know a lot of new people, and then on top of that is understanding how to drive this new race car. It's been a big challenge. The offseason kind of flew by. We did a little test at Sebring and a test at Daytona. I think everyone in our car especially is looking forward to getting some more comfortable.”

For Jordan, mentioning about the new experience, it has been a reawakening for him getting back to the top class.

With the car being a fresh, complex machine in the GTP class, it has given “Rodney Sandstorm” a new perspective.

“The GTP class is definitely complex, “says Jordan. “I think when I was outside and in the GTD, I don't think you get an understanding of how complex it really is inside the team and so many meetings to kind of understand the systems and the updates of what the team's doing to make the car a little bit more efficient, so understanding the team side was one thing and then understanding the steering wheel and the adjustability and what each little thing can do, you know, not just from a technical point of view from the drivers perspective where I'm struggling with this thing, I need to turn this knob or this knob. So, it's been complicated but you know, I've done a lot of studying in the last couple of months of the steering wheel guides.”

Nevertheless, the goal is still the same for the Taylors and that is to win a watch at Daytona once more, but they will have to do in a team battle with the now two car tandem the team is fielding.

Felix Rosenqvist

There's no denying that Rosenqvist is ready for the upcoming season.

The now Meyer Shank Racing IndyCar driver is looking forward to being back into the car for the first time since 2018, were he ran for Jackie Chan DC Racing.

“Super, super excited,” said Rosenqvist. “Honestly, it's something I really wanted to do for a long time and haven't really been able to find the right opportunity since I came to IndyCar. I mean, the IndyCar season is very hectic, so it's kind of hard to pair it up with something else, but it's something I tried to do and finally it came together.”

For Rosenqvist, who will be teaming up with United for this weekend’s race has all the makings of a potential great weekend, starting on pole with the team in their first IMSA start back, but looking ahead, he is ready to take on the challenge with his new team.

“I think getting off the ground, you know, running smoothly,” says Felix. “We had a tough season last year. We weren't really where we wanted to be. So, I think the important thing is kind of gained the confidence back a little bit. Kind of finding our direction on the car. You know, see. How we work between each other. We still haven't done a lap. So, on Monday I'll be in the car, which is very exciting so. Yeah, I think to start we just kind of you know, getting back up, running properly again and I'm sure we'll have opportunities at some tracks to do really well. But I think our expectations are realistic at this point. You just kind of want to get back into the top 10s and solid results.

Jenson Button

The 2009 Formula 1 World Champion returns back to IMSA, but this time in a different look, transitioning over to Wayne Taylor Racing for the only race on his calendar this season in IMSA.

The JOTA Porsche WEC driver now comes back to look for greater success, searching for his first Rolex 24 crown in try number one.

“Amazing,” said Button happily. “It's already been a busy year of testing, which has been good, so, just getting to grips with the LMDh powers. You know the to be fair, in terms of, they all do the same thing/ And they all have the same systems, but they just work in a very different way. And you know, it's learning those systems, so yes, I'm enjoying it. I'm enjoying the process, you know.

A race car is a race car, but it's all the systems you need to learn, which takes the time. But no, what a great place to start the season here at Daytona with Wayne Taylor Racing and having two cars this year of drivers from all different categories and backgrounds with so many championships under one roof that have been won, it's pretty cool. I know Jordan very well because he was our sort of fourth driver for Le Mans. It’s nice to be team teammates with him and this is a race I've wanted for years and I've been talking to Wayne for years but just hasn't come off for one reason or another. But finally, we've made it happen and I can't wait to get out and track it.”

For Button this may not be his first rodeo behind the wheel of a prototype, competing with JDC-Miller last season at Petit Le Mans, but he is ready to hopefully bring Wayne Taylor Racing its first GTP win.

“I mean, having two cars in a team doesn't just suddenly give you twice the chances of victory. Yeah, it's a little bit more difficult than that. I mean, there's a lot that needs to come together and growing a team is never easy. They had such a good thing going last year, but I think they have the right people within the team, they have the right drivers that will work together to help the team grow. And yeah, I think we'll 100% be ready for the. Race, you know. I think the rule will be interesting for us to get more. Experience of where the cars are at and make sure that we're all up to speed nicely and understand what the aim is.”

Other Interview Quotes

While these are just some of the drivers that are ready for the Rolex 24, many others had thoughts to say as well for the weekend.

Some interesting comments came from Ryan Dalziel, Le Mans winner, who discussed about his work with ERA and the potential of the team running two cars, while PJ Hyett, owner of AO Racing, talked about the future potential expansion of the team.

Obviously, they aren’t Rolex 24 related news but those were some of the notable news piece to talk about coming out of media.

One thing no matter what is that all these drivers have one thing in common and that is that they are ready for the challenge of a chance to win a Rolex by the end of the weekend.

******************************

Here are audio interviews with several drivers who are competing in this weekend's Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona:

Josef Newgarden

James Hinchcliffe

Robert Wickens

Jordan and Ricky Taylor

Jenson Button

Devlin DeFrancesco

Conor Zilisch

Ryan Dalziel

PJ Hyett

Michelle Gatting

Harry Ticknell and Mike Rockenfeller

Gar Robinson

Felix Rosenqvist

Felipe Massa

Elliott Skeer

Daniel Juncadella

Two of the biggest classes that will compete in IMSA racing in 2024 will be the GTP and LMP2 divisions.

Here's a breakdown of what fans can expect from each series:

***************************

Class-By-Class: Previewing The GTP Class for 2024

A class that was the talk of the year last season comes into 2024 with even greater expectations, featuring a double-digit entry list for the season.

Now with the addition of both of the customer-Porsches with Proton and JDC-Miller taking control and the addition of the Iron Lynx Lamborghini, the field will be as exciting as it was last season, with still many answers that will need to be answered.

While 2023 saw a wide-open chase for the championship, 2024 will be interesting to see play out with how the manufacturers and teams iron out and if the season will be more dispersed compared to last season.

AutoRacingDigest.com's GTP Predictions

1. #6 Porsche Penske Motorsports: Mathieu Jaminet and Nick Tandy (season); Kevin Estre (IMEC); Laurens Vanthoor (Rolex 24)

2. #40 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura: Louis Deletraz and Jordan Taylor (season); Colton Herta (IMEC); Jenson Button (Rolex 24)

3. #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura: Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor (season); Brendon Hartley (IMEC); Marcus Ericsson (Rolex 24)

4. #31 Whelen AER Cadillac: Pipo Derani and Jack Aitken (season); Tom Blomqvist (IMEC)

5. #25 RLL BMW: Connor De Phillippi, Nick Yelloly, Maxime Martin, fourth driver TBA (drivers have not yet been designated as season or endurance)

6. #01 CGR Cadillac: Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande (season); Scott Dixon (IMEC)

7. #7 Porsche Penske Motorsports: Dane Cameron and Felipe Nasr (season); Josef Newgarden (IMEC); Matt Campbell (Rolex 24)

8. #24 RLL BMW: Augusto Farfus, Jesse Krohn, Dries Vanthoor, fourth driver TBA (drivers have not yet been designated as season or endurance)

9. #85 JDC-Miller Porsche: Tijmen van der Helm and Richard Westbrook (season); Phil Hanson (IMEC); Ben Keating (Rolex 24)

10. #63 Iron Lynx Lamborghini: Andrea Caldarelli, Matteo Cairoli and Romain Grosjean (all IMEC races except Rolex 24)

11. #5 Proton Competition Porsche: Gianmaria Bruni and Neel Jani (season); others TBD

Prediction Overview

After the season Jaminet and Tandy had in Year One in the Porsche Penske #6 entry, it is hard not to put them back at the top for the upcoming season.

While Porsche Penske hasn’t shown to be the strongest in the opening race, it seems like this year the group has improved and is showing signs of being a contender once again this season.

Following last weekend's Roar Before the 24, Wayne Taylor Racing struggled a bit at a track the team has had great success at. However, with the team hungry for their first win since August 2022 at Road America, WTR looks to be a team that could get back to their winning ways.

One move that may surprise you is Iron Lynx being above Proton. While Proton is running the full season, Iron Lynx early on seems to have a lot of high heading into their first of four endurance races this season, coming off a December test that put them at the top of the unofficial timing charts.

Proton should still bring some competitiveness given their podium finish at Road Atlanta last season, but they are still a team that has some uncertainty to them in a technically full Year One.

*********************************

Class-By-Class: Previewing The LMP2 Class for 2024

The LMP2 class may not get the same exposure as its higher counterparts, but this season’s lineup has the surefire makings of what will be quite a competitive class in 2024.

Looking at the class, it’s a mix of newcomers and veteran teams, featuring the two new WEC invaders in United Autosports and Inter Europol, who are teaming with PR1 Mathiasen this season to field the entry.

Not to mention some of the veteran teams such as Crowdstrike Racing, TDS Racing, and ERA Motorsports, the LMP2 class is a great mix of old and new that should create quite a dynamic.

AutoRacingDigest.com's 2024 LMP2 Predictions

1. #04 CrowdStrike Racing: Colin Braun and George Kurtz (season); Malthe Jakobsen and Toby Sowery (Rolex 24)

2. #74 Riley: Gar Robinson and Felipe Fraga (season); Josh Burdon (IMEC); Felipe Massa (Rolex 24)

3. #8 Tower Motorsports: John Farano (season) and Charlie Eastwood (season except Rolex 24); Michael Dinan (IMEC); Ferdinand Habsburg and Scott McLaughlin (Rolex 24)

4. #2 United Autosports: Ben Hanley and Ben Keating (season); Nico Pino (IMEC); Pato O’Ward (Rolex 24)

5. #11 TDS Racing: Mikkel Jensen and Steven Thomas (season); Hunter McElrea (IMEC); TBA (Rolex 24)

6. #18 ERA: Ryan Dalziel and Dwight Merriman (season); other drivers TBA

7. #22 United Autosports: Paul di Resta and Daniel Goldburg (season); Bijoy Garg (IMEC); Felix Rosenqvist (Rolex 24)

8. #52 Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen: Jakub Smiechowski (IMEC); other drivers TBA

9. #81 DragonSpeed Racing: TBD

10. #33 Sean Creech Motorsports: Joao Barbosa and Lance Willsey (season); other drivers TBA

11. #99 AO Racing: Paul-Loup Chatin and PJ Hyett (season); Matthew Brabham (IMEC); Alex Quinn (Rolex 24)

12. #20 High Class Racing: Dennis Andersen and Seth Lucas (season); Laurents Hoerr (IMEC); TBA (Rolex 24)

13. #88 AF Corse: Luis Perez Companc, Niklas Nielsen, Lilou Wadoux and TBA

(Driver List Not Updated)

Prediction Overview

It will be hard to deny Crowdstrike Racing from the top spot for the season.

With the pair of Colin Braun and George Kurtz following Braun’s departure from the GTP for the 2024 season, Crowdstrike Racing has a lineup that could surprise many this year.

Looking down the list, the #74 Riley entry may be one of the more surprising at the top of the predictions list.

A team that won the now-defunct LMP3 class has potential for this season. While they may not come into the LMP2 class with the same expectations as teams such as United or Inter Europol, Riley has always been a consistent group and can hang with the best of them.

Looking down on the predictions, Tower Motorsports, a team that featured IndyCar stars Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin last season at Daytona, has the potential to also be a serious contender for the championship.

However, following this past weekend’s Roar Before the 24 results, the #2 United Autosports entry may be the team to beat in this weekend's Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.

The Rolex 24 at Daytona is all set for this weekend, where 59 entries across four classes will be competing for one of the more coveted prizes in motorsports, which is to win a Rolex watch at Daytona by Sunday afternoon.

This is a race that people know all too well to be unpredictable, especially with the changing conditions, potential issues that can happen with the car, and the test of a driver’s energy.

Fortunately, drivers aren't expected to have to deal with any rain this weekend as the forecast appears clear -- although this is Central Florida and along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, where storms can seemingly pop up at any time -- which should make conditions perfect for the twice-around-the-clock spectacle.

Freaky Fast?

Last weekend saw the previous track record set by Oliver Jarvis in the Mazda DPi broken, with the eligible nine cars in the GTP class all setting a time under the original record.

It is quite a feat, and while the circumstances were perfect for an event like that to occur, the question will be if that speed can continue through the weekend -- or perhaps even broken once again.

However, speed isn’t the only true indicator of how good a car can be on a weekend such as the Rolex 24, where durability is more of a priority. However, seeing the times set over the Roar weekend, there is no telling what could be set during this weekend's race.

The likelihood of seeing the times we saw this past Sunday may not happen given the traffic that GTPs will have to encounter throughout the entire 24-hour event, but you truly just never know, especially for the craziness that happened in this class in last year's edition of the 24 Hours.

It will be interesting to see if the GTPs can make even more history at a track that knows how to make history all too well.

Workin’ on the fly

It sounds like a cliché, especially for a race of this magnitude. However, it differentiates the teams that will be battling for a class win from the ones that won’t.

While every team will have a set strategy in mind once the green flag waves, that strategy may get tossed out the window in an instant, given the situation.

Nevertheless, pit strategy is a big key in a race such as this, and how will teams implement their driver changes throughout the course of the 24?

The positive of having these pre-race practices is the chance for teams to be able to get a good pace in regards to driver changes and pit stop work as well.

While that is just a small component of the weekend, it may be one of the few things that teams can control heading into a race such as this.

A team that is able to work on the fly and adapt their strategy may be able to bring the best combination to win on Sunday.

Final Thoughts

It is truly hard to believe that the 2024 racing season is here, but it has come, and now it is time to settle in.

As aforementioned, with a race such as this it makes for not only a special season opener but a unique one as well, somewhat setting the predicate for the season to come.

Coming into the weekend, Cadillacs in the GTP class look to be the favorite manufacturer, while GTDs have seen a great influx of Porsches finding rhythm.

Obviously, it's hard not to leave out the heavy-hitter teams such as Vasser Sullivan and Corvette Racing, but for now, we are seeing more clearcut runs from some other manufacturers.

Indeed, it will be interesting to see how things shape up for the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship opener and what excitement may ensue.

It's been a long winter without racing!

Some of you have gone as much as three months -- or more -- since the season of your choice ended, be it NASCAR, IndyCar (which actually is at four-plus months and counting since last season ended -- and still has just under two months to go), NHRA, F1, etc.

But now racing in 2024 is B-A-C-K, baby, as this weekend marks the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race on the infield road course at Daytona International Speedway.

As has been the case since AutoRacingDigest.com began in January 2022, our schedule maker extraordinaire Jay Wells is back again with the first of what will be somewhere around 45 weekly racing schedules between now and December.

So without further adieu, here's this weekend's schedule. If you plan on watching most of the 24 straight hours of racing, a word of advice: drink lots and lots of coffee! Enjoy!

The Roar Before The 24 saw a slew of sweeps on the weekend in both the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, featuring the GTP class entirely (excluding the #5 Proton Competition Porsche) eclipsing the track record that was set prior by Oliver Jarvis in 2019 in the DPi Mazda.

Going about the weekend, the Cadillacs seemed to find a bit of a rhythm during practice sessions, while Porsche was able to squeeze its way onto the top of the timing boards in the GTP class.

Coming off a season championship with both team and manufacturer, Cadillac had the makings of being a group to contend with, especially with this being one of their better tracks as a unit.

Ben Keating, driver for #2 United Autosports LMP2 and for the Rolex 24, the #85 JDC-Miller entry, stated that conditions were perfect, something repeated by Pipo Derani in his post-qualifying press conference.

Derani, Sebastien Bourdais in the #01 Cadillac Racing GTP, and Felipe Nasr in the #7 Porsche Penske GTP, were able to clock in at under 1:33.000 on the timing sheet, showing that the GTP class is going to be even quicker from its reamplified season last year.

VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Races #1 and #2

The VP Racing SportsCar Challenge kicked off its season this weekend before the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s main event of the weekend with its two opening races of the campaign.

In Race #1, Cody Ware, who returns to sportscar racing after his NASCAR incident in 2023 with his father’s team, went into to turn one of the infield roads, locking the brakes on the car and spinning out early on.

Outside of the minor fault, the race for the most part stayed clean as battles ensued throughout the grid, especially for podium spots.

The big hitter of the season opener was Luca Mars of KOHR Motorsports, who found himself in the back of the grid to start the race, methodically picked off the field one-by-one and slowly moved up the grid.

Mars would make a late race pass on Gregory Liefooghe for Stephen Cameron Racing for the race lead and take Race One.

Steven Aghakhani for MLT Motorsports was quick all weekend long and made early noise during the two brief practice sessions, translating over to the opening race as well, where Aghakhani was able to win the opener even while losing the lead in the earlier parts of the race.

In Race #2, both battles for the top spot were polar opposites compared to Saturday for the classes, with Luca Mars winning the double on the weekend for the Daytona-based team with ease, not coming with any true battles during the weekend finale.

There would be some point battles towards the middle of the field in the GSX class, but Mars never really had any true competition to contend with.

On the other hand, Aghakhani would have to fend off Cody Ware again in the opening lap, with Ware getting very aggressive towards the hairpin in the infield, but, due to contact, Ware received a post-race penalty, which resulted in him falling down the board.

Thaze Competition, which is fielding three cars amongst two series at Daytona, saw problems late in Race #2 with Marc Miller’s #37 Mercedes-AMG, resulting in the car retiring for the race.

Thaze Competition Co-Owner Faisal Ahmad explained that the “team was working on figuring out the problem” at the time of the retirement, which looked to be something to do with the lower half of the engine.

Alex Kirby in the #7 for Performance Tech Motorsports also had troubles, getting stuck in the grass, resulting in the first and only caution of the weekend for the VP races. However, it did not change any of the finishing winners, with both Mars and Aghakhani able to hold on for the sweep.

WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Qualifying

WeatherTech SportsCar Championship qualifying brought nothing short of drama, most notably in the GTD classes and GTP classes.

In GTD Pro and GTD, the lone #92 Kellymoss with Riley entry with David Brule got into trouble right out of the pits, hitting the wall on cold tires, resulting in a red flag that delayed qualifying with a minute to go in the session.

IMSA had the right to use the previous practice times of the classes for qualifying if they chose, but the series tacked on an extra seven minutes of time, which allowed for a condensed but allocated session.

The big surprise came from the GTD Pro class, with the #77 “Rexy” Porsche of AO Racing taking the top spot in class, leading the field in the GTDs for the 2024 Rolex 24.

In a class that features many heavy hitters, AO Racing being at the top of the pole was a bit of a surprise given the uncertainty the team brings going up from GTD, but there is no denying the level that they can bring to the grid.

In GTD, the #12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus with Parker Thompson wheeling the car found great times late in the condensed session and was able to get up to third overall.

While it was short, one thing to note coming from the timing sheet is the fact that six GTD cars finished above the third-best GTD Pro of Antonio Garcia with Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller.

In LMP2, it was the pole of WEC invaders in regard to United and Inter Europol finding their way into the top two spots heading into next weekend, with no real surprises coming out of the class.

The big story, however, comes in GTP.

With Cadillac toping and breaking the track record by a mile, the qualifying for the GTPs fluctuated greatly, with BMW with Connor De Phillipi, Felipe Nasr with Porsche, and even Tijmen van der Helm for the customer JDC-Miller finding the top of the board.

Again, as mentioned, with drivers saying the track conditions were perfect, GTPs saw a great increase in time and could bring what may be the fastest Rolex 24 to date.

450SX Class podium (racers left to right) Cooper Webb, Aaron Plessinger, and Justin Barcia. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

San Diego, Calif., (January 21, 2024) Red Bull KTM's Aaron Plessinger earned a hard-fought and emotional win at Round 3 the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship inside a muddy Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. With the win, Plessinger took over the lead in the championship points.

Two-time champion Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing's Cooper Webb battled forward on the deep-rutted track to take second place and his first podium of the year. Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing's Justin Barcia took the runner-up spot under clear skies on the rain-soaked track at the 50th Anniversary Race which commemorates the sport’s 50th year. In the Western Regional 250SX Class, Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing's Nate Thrasher earned the win after a thrilling battle that had the top three close and trading positions for the entire race.

First place 450SX Class - Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

“It feels really, really good. I guess it feels like it should. I got off to a good start and just rode a good race. Kenny [Roczen] was in front and then I just applied a little pressure and he ended up going down. Cooper [Webb] was just right there behind me keeping me on my toes, and so was Eli [Tomac, who was a lap down]. Yeah, it was a really good race, I just got a good lead and rode my own race, and stayed up. It seemed like we were lapping a lot of people, so it feels good and I’m ready to do it again next weekend.” – Aaron Plessinger

Second place 450SX Class - Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

"I think I’ve had a great season so far, but on paper it hasn’t [looked that way]. Anaheim 1 was great but last weekend was not, so like we say, we’re hoping that’s the battle and I can charge on from here. And tonight was great to get those points back, get it back in the mix. I felt great on the track. I felt great all day. I was really wanting that win but it was overall a really good bounce back, and for me just to know that I’m in this thing for sure." – Cooper Webb

Third place 450SX Class - Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

"The rebound this weekend was absolutely awesome. I felt really good, just staying in my lane. I didn’t feel the greatest but I ride well in those conditions… I was just sitting back thinking about this table [with the three of us sitting here at the post race conference]. This is a really cool table. We all kind of grew up riding together, [in our] professional career we’ve all trained [together], we’ve all been teammates together on different teams, so this is a really cool podium and I’m super proud to be on this podium tonight. And yeah, I’ll just keep plugging along, getting stronger and hopefully [there will be] a lot more podiums with these boys." – Justin Barcia

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250SX Class podium (racers left to right) Jordon Smith, Nate Thrasher, and Garrett Marchbanks. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

In the Western Regional 250SX Class Nate Thrasher took his fifth career win and his first podium of the year in a Yamaha podium sweep. After fighting into the lead, Muc-Off FXR ClubMX Yamaha's Garrett Marchbanks settled for second but kept Thrasher close right to the checkered flag. Rounding out the podium was Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing's Jordon Smith, who stretched out his championship points lead on his nearest competitor.

First place 250SX Class - Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

"[The track] was kinda coming around throughout the night; the dirt was starting to grip back up… I was just trying to do everything, like, ride it like it was dry. That was kinda of my goal going into the main event. It was tougher to ride cautious than it was to go out there and ride all-out. So that was my goal for the night: in the main, just go out there and ride all-out and whatever happens, happens, and it was good." – Nate Thrasher

Second place 250SX Class - Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

"Once I passed RJ [Hampshire] for the lead, I’d say for the first lap I was kinda like, ‘Holy crap, I’m actually leading.’ It’s been a really long time since Daytona that I’ve led some laps. I’d say after that it was more putting my head down, just acting like I was at the practice track, just doing some normal laps at ClubMX. Yeah, it is what it is, I got caught up with some lappers, I tried to change some lines up and it wasn’t the best I could do, and [Thrasher] got around me. Nate was riding good and yeah, it is what it is." – Garrett Marchbanks

Third place 250SX Class - Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

"I got off to a pretty good start, I think I was in third in the first couple laps with RJ [Hampshire] and Levi [Kitchen] right in front of me. We were still taking it pretty easy on the track, I would say. The lines weren’t cut in and I was just trying to be smart where I was. [It was a] long race, a lot could happen, and then I made a few mistakes and Nate [Thrasher] and Garrett [Marchbanks] both got around me and I just really – not that I tightened up but I was just making a lot of mistakes. I was not putting the track together… I kinda re-focused and then Jo [Shimoda] and Levi were right behind me and we actually were pushing really hard at the end. I think the last five laps were probably the best of the race for me. It was not really any kind of holding back at the end of the race there, it was trying to keep those guys behind me and push forward." – Jordon Smith

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The series now takes a short trip north for the second 2024 race inside Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Saturday, January 27th. The Anaheim 2 Supercross continues the season’s earlier start times with opening ceremonies beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST (5:00 p.m. local time). The race represents both Round 4 of the 17-round Monster Energy AMA Supercross series and also the fourth round of the 31-round SuperMotocross World Championship. The SuperMotocross League is in its second year and draws points from the complete Supercross season and the 11-round AMA Pro Motocross season. In September, points are reset and the top racers are seeded into two Playoff rounds and one Final to crown the SMX champions.

All Supercross, Pro Motocross, and SuperMotocross rounds are available live on PeacockTV. Select rounds are also broadcast or streamed on NBC, USA Network, CNBC, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sport app domestically. Audio coverage is broadcast live on Sirius XM - CH 85. International coverage is available live with the SuperMotocross Video Pass (supermotocross.tv), where commentary is available in both English and Spanish.

Tickets are available now to catch a Supercross when it comes to a city near you. You can also catch up on the racing, see the track maps, get info on FanFest, and more. For all this, and for ticket purchases, please go to SupercrossLIVE.com. 

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Check out some of the top video highlights of the entire evening:

2024 Truly Begins With The Roar Before The 24

IMSA’s season-opening spectacle, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, is only a handful of days away from the green flag dropping.

However, prior to the once-around-the clock event, Sunday's Roar Before the 24 is to be the precursor to the kickoff of the season, setting the grid for next weekend’s race.

While the Rolex 24 is going to be the star event amongst the two weeks given the magnitude of what is at stake for these drivers, the qualifiers this weekend will be just as important given the chance to grab the pole and also earn season points.

There are quite a number of storylines among all the classes heading into this weekend’s Roar, which will be setting the grid for the Rolex 24, with teams all looking for different reasons to get the pole position in their class.

Wayne Taylor Slump?

It is hard to imagine Wayne Taylor Racing, who has now teamed up with Andretti Global, not winning a race in the new GTP era.

WTR, a team that has always found success at Daytona, has a chance to add to that narrative -- and if their lineups indicate anything, it is that they are going all out not only to win races but potentially a season championship.

Featuring former F1 talents in Jenson Button and current IndyCar driver (and 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner) Marcus Ericsson, while also adding in Brendon Hartley and IndyCar young gun Colton Herta, the team is loaded with experience and talent.

Last season for WTR was up and down. However, the team was fairly consistent and was able to stay in the championship fight right up until the end until an aggressive move by Felipe Albuquerque ended not only the race but the season.

Obviously, late in a race at Road Atlanta for a shot at the title, the move had to be made, but there is a definite hunger for the season in response from some of the drivers who will be looking to get Papa Taylor his first win since 2022.

GTD Pro All-Stars

There is no need to explain the surefire firepower that there is in the GTD Pro class.

While both IMSA GTD classes will be great battles to watch, the GTD Pro class is star-studded across the board.

There are many different teams that are vying to get the season off strong, including the defending champions, Vasser Sullivan, but they seem to be the ones being chased, with some of the heavy hitters ready to smash their hammer down.

Many eyes will be on some of the new machinery this season, including the Multimatic Mustang, Pratt Miller Corvette, and the Heart of Racing Aston Martin, which hasn’t even been given a name yet.

Nevertheless, GTD Pro is going to be one of the best classes to watch in IMSA all season, and with the addition of a second Iron Lynx entry in the class, there is now going to be even more competition to come for the field.

Final Thoughts

While this may not be the 24-hour endurance race weekend that people are clamoring for, there is still a lot to play for -- and more so than not, it is refreshing to just see cars back on track again.

With two VP Racing Sportscar Challenge races taking place during the weekend prior to the main event on Sunday afternoon, it will be a busy track over the course of the weekend, but there should be no shortage of stories as we head out after Sunday's conclusion and start leading up to the Rolex 24.

After the first “Mudder” of the season every rider looks to get back on track during Supercross Round 3, San Diego.

Unfortunately, weather may be a factor this weekend as well, San Diego has historically held the most mudders as any round on the Supercross schedule and there’s currently a 50% chance of rain starting at 5 PM PT on Saturday.

“I think this was one of the gnarliest one’s for sure,” Ken Roczen said of the San Francisco Mud Round.

A fully healthy Eli Tomac is ready for potentially a breakthrough finish tonight in San Diego. Photo: Align Media.

The good news is that if the rain comes it will be mellow in comparison to the deluge that fell over Oracle Park last Saturday, where we saw the reigning Supercross Champion Chase Sexton take a massive win. Sexton is the only 450 rider with the possibility to start a podium streak after securing third place late in Anaheim 1 and his perfect performance in the night show for San Francisco.

While San Diego is not one of the tracks that is notoriously tied to Eli Tomac and his past dominance, he is the only current rider to win multiple races in San Diego. Tomac is also coming off of his first podium since returning from his Achilles injury sustained during Round 16, Denver last year.

Tomac secured his first podium of 2024 in last week’s mudder and while a cleaner race might’ve shown more of his recovery, it was clear that Tomac is at a higher comfort level than he was after A1.

“My goal was to get on the podium,” Tomac said, “I mean, that was my mindset. That's how good I felt physically. I wasn’t limping my way in here at all. This is where I want to be and where I hope to be. Anaheim 1 was obviously really tough for me. It was just totally off, I rode really tight. There was nothing good about it, but (at San Francisco) I put myself in a great position off the start. It’s so key to be at least top three or in the front couple of guys there to not get sprayed with mud when we go to that first turn.”

Jett Jostled

Last week, we saw Jett Lawrence be fallible, which is not something we’re used to. Lawrence seemed to struggle the most of the top 450 riders in the mud. The winner of Anaheim 1 found himself in multiple crashes, off-pace and lapped on the final lap by his old teammate Sexton. Lawrence ultimately finished ninth and moved to second in the early championship points race as Sexton took the lead.

Jett Lawrence practices his jumps in preparation for tonight's race in San Diego. Photo: Align Media.

Due to his level of talent and tendency to make grand statements (i.e. going for 72 wins), Lawrence’s performance will be under a microscope for the foreseeable future and possibly his entire career. During Friday’s practice, Lawrence lost control on the back rhythm section and completely separated from the bike and it appears that he jammed his wrist. He was able to recover and record more laps with seemingly ease but his wrist may be an important factor going forward.

https://x.com/SupercrossLIVE/status/1748492163409903794?s=20

Hunter Lawrence Revival

San Diego will be an important bounce back for both Lawrence brothers as Hunter Lawrence also looks to improve on his performance over the last two weeks. Lawrence was the first notable rider to not make a night show this season after crashing out of a heat race and narrowly failing to make it out of the Last Chance Qualifier during A1.

Last week at San Francisco, he finished in 10th place, one lap behind the leader. These two performances place the rookie 450 rider down at 15th in points and he’ll look to pull up as the season continues. Hunter knows that the only factor in his control is himself.

Hunter Lawrence (right) is looking to bounce back from less than ideal performances in the first two races this season. Photo: Align Media.

“Myself,” Lawrence told Auto Racing Digest prior to Friday’s practice ride, “It’s the only factor that I can control. I go out there and I do the best that I can to get the 100% Hunter Lawrence and the most performance out of myself. Anaheim 1 was arguably a bit out of my control but (stuff) happens and on to the next. San Fran, weather. Everyone is dealt the same cards so you just go out and do the best that you can. We’ll continue to do the same this weekend regardless of weather.”

The Prado American Experiment

Jorge Prado will start his final Supercross race this week as his American Supercross Experiment has come to an end. Prado is needed back in Europe to defend his championship in the MXGP series.

Tonight will be Jorge Prado's last SX event before he heads back to his native Spain to return to racing in Europe. Photo: Align Media.

After a 13th and seventh place finish through the first two rounds, it’s clear that the Spanish born rider has found comfort in the new discipline. He’s gone from being worried about riding the whoops to making passes and nearly keeping pace with the top of the field.

“To be honest I’ve never been worried about the whoops, Prado said before starting Friday’s practice before cheekily adding, “The thing is, I’m worried about the whoops in the main event. Not just the whoops in general, only when they get very rough.”

The Other Rookie

Justin Cooper was the most recent rider expected to make the Main to miss it. Like I said after Hunter and Anaheim, I predict that every week we have one rider shock us by getting stuck in the LCQ or even failing to make the night show. Until there’s a level of attrition, the field is stacked against the smallest mistake.

Cooper, who is determined to prove his new spot in 450s, was the only rider that Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing pulled up from the 250 class to start a 450 campaign this year and there’s pressure for him to move towards the front. He finished in eighth place at Anaheim as the second-best Yamaha.

Make sure to catch all the action of the Supercross’ 50th anniversary race tonight on Peacock. Qualifying will kick off around 3 PM EST and the Night Show starts at 8:30 EST. 

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff inked a new three-year deal earlier this week to stay with the Silver Arrows and push for another championship.

After talking with INEOS boss (and new Manchester United part owner) Sir Jim Ratcliffe, along with Mercedes Chairman Ola Kallenius, all parties decided an extension for Wolff was the best option for Mercedes' present and future.

The organization also announced it has extended the contract of technical director James Allison, believed to be three years as well. With Wolff and Allison locked in, it gives the organization a strong 1-2 punch that can potentially bring it back from semi-mediocrity the last few seasons.

Considering the current position Mercedes is in, "trust" was the biggest factor in resigning Wolff.

After the previous three seasons, questions had to be asked about the commitment to the future for both Wolff and Lewis Hamilton, who at 38 is in the closing years of his illustrious career.

Wolff wants to make one thing clear about this extended partnership: "I'm staying at Mercedes to beat Red Bull with Hamilton," he told the U.K.'s The Telegraph.

We're not sure how George Russell feels about this, but we're sure Wolff would be happy if Russell brought home a trophy, as well.

"If we give Hamilton a good car that he can rely on, he can get back in front of everyone," Wolff said, a sentence that could also apply to Russell's fortunes in 2024 and beyond if Hamilton falls short of Mercedes' renewed expectations.

Mercedes has also invested in its pitstop equipment heading into 2024, giving Wolff even more motivation for these next few years. With investment, an all-British driver lineup and a newly inked team boss, Mercedes is ready for 2024 and the future.

At 52 years old and after a couple of lackluster -- by Mercedes' typical standards -- seasons, many expected Wolff to potentially take a break or even retire from the sport. But Wolff made it very clear he's not going anywhere.

"I'm not going to try and hang on to a position that I think somebody is going to do better than me at," he told The Telegraph. "I make sure I have people around who can tell me otherwise. In the end, the three of us decided to do it again."

The car has gone backwards in recent seasons. In 2022 Mercedes won just one race with Russell in Brazil and had 17 podiums compared to the 2021 constructors championship season where they had 28.

Compare that even to this year, when they went backwards even more and had just eight podiums and went the whole year without a win, something that hasn't happened in the Mercedes camp since 2011.

A new three-year deal for Wolff ensures the hope of a rise back in form for Mercedes, and a potential championship charge yet again. He -- and Mercedes fans around the world -- can only hope, right?