2024 Rolex 24 at Daytona: How to watch, schedule, TV info, start times, entry lists, notable drivers, more
The new year brings the start of a new season for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, which will open its 2024 schedule with the 62nd running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
The 24-hour endurance race unofficially kicks off the major-league racing season and draws an all-star collection of champions from around the world.
The Le Mans Daytona hybrid (LMDh) cars of the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) top category will race for the overall victory with 10 entries across four manufacturers — Acura, BMW, Cadillac and Porsche. Some of the teams on the grid also will be racing the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.
The GTP category will feature four manufacturers, two of which are new to IMSA's premier division. Porsche Motorsport (with Team Penske) and BMW (with Rahal Letterman Lanigan) will be fielding LMDh prototypes, joining (now-defunct) DPi category holdovers Acura (Meyer Shank Racing, Wayne Taylor Racing) and Cadillac (Chip Ganassi Racing, Action Express Racing).
Here’s what else you need to know ahead of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season opener Jan. 27-28 at Daytona International Speedway:
Who is racing in the Rolex 24 at Daytona?
The Rolex 24 field will feature 59 cars racing across four categories: Grand Touring Prototype (GTP, 10 cars), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2, 13 cars), GT Daytona Pro (GTD Pro, 12 cars) and GT Daytona (GTD, 24 cars).
The race will include several Formula One veterans, including 2009 champion Jenson Button (part of the Wayne Taylor Racing Andretti Acura in GTP) and former Ferrari winner Felipe Massa (Riley 74 Ranch Resort in LMP2) making their Daytona debuts.
There will be at least 12 full-time IndyCar drivers in the Rolex 24 field. Among the superstar crossovers will be defending series champion Alex Palou (who is in the No. 01 Cadillac Racing entry fielded by Chip Ganassi, his team owner in IndyCar) and reigning Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden, who will be making his second Rolex 24 start but his first in the premier GTP category.
Six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon (Cadillac Racing), seven-time IndyCar winner Colton Herta (WTR Andretti), 2022 Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson (WTR Andretti) and Tom Blomqvist (Action Express Cadillac) are other IndyCar drivers who will be racing the GTP hybrid prototype at this year's Rolex 24 at Daytona. IndyCar will be switching over to hybrid engines during the second half of the 2024 season.
Other IndyCar winners in the field: Pato O'Ward (LMP2 United Autosports), Scott McLaughlin (LMP2, Tower Motorsports), Felix Rosenqvist (LMP2 United Autosports), Alexander Rossi (GTD Pro, Pfaff Motorsports) and Kyle Kirkwood (GTD Pro, Vasser Sullivan).
Click here for the official 2024 Rolex 24 at Daytona entry list.
Who won the Rolex 24 at Daytona last year?
After starting on the pole position, Meyer Shank Racing won its second consecutive Rolex 24 at Daytona as Tom Blomqvist, Colin Braun, Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud combined for the 2023 victory.
But the team won't be able to defend its title. After a massive penalty for manipulating tire pressures during last year's victory, MSR elected to sideline its IMSA team for 2024, focusing solely on the NTT IndyCar Series.
Are there any NASCAR drivers in this year’s Rolex 24?
For the first time in recent memory, there currently are no NASCAR full-time drivers who are racing the Rolex 24 this year. NASCAR's lone representative in the race for the past two seasons had been 2022 Daytona 500 winner Austin Cindric.
There will be some NASCAR Cup Series drivers (Bubba Wallace, John Hunter Nemecheck in the four-hour Michelin Pilot Challenge warmup race Jan. 26. NASCAR drivers Harrison Burton and Zane Smith teamed up to win last year's BMW M Endurance Challenge at Daytona.
How many laps and miles are completed in Rolex 24 at Daytona?
As a 24-hour timed race, the distance is determined by how many laps are completed during the window.
Last year, the top four finishers completed 783 laps and more than 2,700 miles on the 3.56-mile infield road course at Daytona International Speedway. The race was slowed by 15 caution flags for 87 laps.
What do Rolex 24 winners get?
Every winning driver in each of the four categories (plus the race's grand marshal) will receive a steel and yellow gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona (with a white dial). The watch's retail price starts at more than $10,000.
The tradition started in 1992.
HOW DO I WATCH THE 2024 ROLEX 24?
The 62nd Rolex 24 at Daytona will be streamed across the NBC Sports App, NBCSports.com and Peacock, which will have coverage of the event from flag to flag.
Broadcast coverage of the race coverage will begin Saturday, Jan. 27 at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock before moving to USA Network and Peacock from 2:30-8 p.m. and then will be exclusively on Peacock and IMSA.TV from 8-10 p.m. Coverage will return to USA Network and Peacock from 10 p.m. to midnight and then move to Peacock/IMSA.TV until 6 a.m.
From 6 a.m. until noon on Sunday, Jan. 28, Rolex 24 coverage will be available on USA Network. The conclusion of the Rolex 24 will run from noon through 2 p.m. on NBC.
Leigh Diffey, Brian Till and Dave Burns will announce the race alongside analysts Calvin Fish and Townsend Bell.
Marty Snider will anchor coverage from the Peacock Pit Box with NASCAR on NBC analysts Steve Letarte and Jeff Burton and IndyCar on NBC analyst James Hinchcliffe (who also is racing in the event).
Kevin Lee, Parker Kligerman, Dillon Welch and Hannah Newhouse will be the pit reporters.
Other events that will be streamed on Peacock from Daytona during January (all times ET):
Jan. 20: IMSA VP Racing Sports Car Challenge, 2:05 p.m.
Jan. 21: IMSA VP Racing Sports Car Challenge, 12:20 p.m.
Jan. 21: IMSA Rolex 24 qualifying, 1:50 p.m.
Jan. 26: BMW M Endurance Michelin Pilot Challenge, 1:45 p.m.
ROLEX 24 DAILY SCHEDULE, START TIMES
Here's a rundown of everything happening at Daytona International Speedway over the last two weeks in January, starting with the Roar test session. Rolex 24 start times and full schedule:
Friday, Jan. 19
7 a.m.: Garages open
8:45-9:15 a.m.: VP Racing SportsCar Challenge practice
9:30-10:45 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
1:45-2:15 p.m.: VP Racing SportsCar Challenge practice
2:30-4 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice
4:15-6 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
Saturday, Jan. 20
8:40-9:15 a.m.: VP Racing SportsCar Challenge qualifying
9:30-11 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice
11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
2:05-2:50 p.m.: VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, Race 1 (Peacock)
3:10 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
4:30-5:30 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice
6:30-8:30 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
Sunday, Jan. 21
10-11:15 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice
12:20-1:05 p.m.: VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, Race 2 (Peacock)
1:25-1:50 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
1:55-3 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Rolex 24 qualifying (Peacock)
Wednesday, Jan. 24
1-1:45 p.m.: Mazda MX-5 practice
3:05-4:05 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice
4:20-5:05 p.m.: Mazda MX-5 practice
Thursday, Jan. 25
8:45-9:45 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice
10:05-11:35 a.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
11:55 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Mazda MX-5 qualifying
1:15-1:50 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge qualifying
2:10-3:55 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
4:15-5 p.m.: Mazda MX-5, Race 1
6:35-8:05 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
Friday, Jan. 26
9:25-9:55 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice
10:15-11 a.m.: Mazda MX-5, Race 2
11:20 a.m.-12:20 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
1:45-5:45 p.m.: BMW M Endurance Challenge at Daytona, Michelin Pilot Challenge (Peacock)
Saturday, Jan. 27
1:40 p.m.: The 62nd Rolex 24 at Daytona (starting on NBC; streaming flag to flag on Peacock)
Sunday, Jan. 28
1:40 p.m.: Finish of the 62nd Rolex 24 at Daytona (NBC, Peacock)
