DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.
Admit it: at this point in the offseason, even the most devoted racing fans grow a little tired of endlessly revisiting last year’s results, clicking on “breaking news” about new liveries, or speculating about rule tweaks and lineup changes.
Enough talk. Racing is about to begin.
It’s almost time to buckle up for the 2026 Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Since 1966, when Daytona International Speedway hosted its first 24-hour race under the name 24 Hour Daytona Continental, this event has served as the unofficial start of the global motorsports season. Today, it stands as one of the world’s premier sports car races, featuring 12 of IMSA’s 18 automotive manufacturer partners, a 60-car field, and 228 drivers representing 32 countries. The race launches both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup seasons.
As always, Daytona brings a mix of fresh storylines and familiar rivalries. New cars, revised driver lineups, shifting team alliances, and proven race-winning programs all converge for 24 hours of nonstop competition.
What’s New — and What’s Not
The Rolex 24 offers the first real look at the cars, partnerships, and driver combinations that will fight for race wins and championships through October’s Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
In the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class, BMW continues to evolve its hypercar program, with Belgium-based BMW M Team WRT now fielding two BMW M Hybrid V8s across two global sports car championships. Meanwhile, Porsche Penske Motorsport is focusing its full efforts on IMSA, campaigning the No. 6 and No. 7 Porsche 963s as it chases a third consecutive WeatherTech Championship title.
In Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), long-time IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge contenders Bryan Herta Autosport have partnered with PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports to field the No. 52 ORECA LMP2 07.
One of the most notable new entries comes in GTD Pro, where Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing launches RLL Team McLaren. The team will campaign the No. 59 McLaren 720S GT3 EVO, driven by Max Esterson, Nikita Johnson, Jüri Vips, and Dean MacDonald, returning to a category where RLL previously found success with BMW before moving into GTP.
Elsewhere, DragonSpeed, last year’s GTD Pro championship runner-up and three-time Rolex 24 winner, shifts to the GTD class with the No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R. Defending GTD Pro champions AO Racing arrive with an all-new lineup anchored by Nick Tandy, who is chasing his first full-season IMSA title in the fan-favorite No. 77 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), known as “Rexy.”
Early indicators suggest several of these programs are already competitive. Porsche Penske Motorsport topped four of the six practice sessions during the Roar Before the Rolex 24 test. Sheldon van der Linde led a night session in the No. 24 BMW, while Dean MacDonald set the fastest GTD Pro time in the RLL McLaren during opening practice.
Familiar Faces and Proven Combinations
Some teams arrive with welcome continuity. Acura Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian and Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing both return for a second consecutive season with their longtime manufacturers after brief separations in 2024. With those adjustments now behind them, the No. 60 and 93 Acura ARX-06s and the No. 10 and 40 Cadillac V-Series.Rs are expected to be immediate contenders.
The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R enters with rare stability, retaining Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, and Frederik Vesti after back-to-back wins late in 2025, while adding highly regarded newcomer Connor Zilisch as its fourth driver.
Aston Martin THOR returns for its sophomore IMSA season with an unchanged lineup after finishing its rookie year with a podium at Petit Le Mans. However, mechanical issues during Roar testing have added intrigue ahead of the Valkyrie’s Rolex 24 debut.
In GTD, Pfaff Motorsports returns with the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 for a second straight year before switching to the new Temerario GT3 at Sebring. Vasser Sullivan Racing brings perhaps the most continuity of all, fielding both Lexus RC F GT3 entries — the No. 14 in GTD Pro and the No. 12 in GTD — for what is likely the chassis’ final Daytona appearance in its tenth season, still seeking its first Rolex 24 victory.
LMP2: Execution Is Everything
LMP2 remains effectively a spec class, meaning success often comes down to execution rather than outright speed. That reality was reflected in 2025, when the top four teams in the championship were separated by just 137 points.
Several leading teams return with familiar lineups, including United Autosports USA and AO Racing, while TDS Racing, last year’s championship runner-up, brings an entirely new driver roster led by Tobi Lütke, Mathias Beche, David Heinemeier Hansson, and Charles Milesi in the No. 11 ORECA.
Is consistency the key, or does fresh talent provide the edge? Daytona should begin to answer that question.
Legends, Records, and History on the Line
As always, the Rolex 24 attracts star drivers from across the motorsports world. IndyCar champions Alex Palou, Scott Dixon, Will Power, and Sébastien Bourdais, Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson, NASCAR standout A.J. Allmendinger, and Supercars champions Chaz Mostert and Scott McLaughlin all add to the spectacle.
But IMSA regulars will be just as important to the story. Felipe Nasr, winner of the last two Rolex 24 races overall, seeks a third consecutive victory and his fourth Daytona win overall. He joins a group of three-time winners that includes Filipe Albuquerque, Colin Braun, Antonio Garcia, Richard Lietz, and Jordan Taylor.
Scott Dixon, already the only four-time overall winner in the field, aims for his fifth total Rolex Daytona victory. Standing above them all in the history books are IMSA Hall of Fame inductees Hurley Haywood and Scott Pruett, each with five overall Rolex 24 wins.
A new season begins, records are in reach, and the road to championship glory starts now — under the lights at Daytona