Brad Pitt movie car, Bubba Wallace and girl power | What to watch at the Rolex 24
With five days of practices, qualifying sessions and four actual races, what to watch becomes more a chore of whittling a list down than coming up with ideas.
That's what awaits at Daytona International Speedway this week for the 62nd Rolex 24 at Daytona. And sure, the twice-round-the-clock international racing opener is the main draw, and it will start at 1:40 Saturday afternoon. But there's so much more to look for and do over the course of the week and weekend.
A pair of Mazda MX-5 Cup races and the four-hour opener in the Michelin Pilot Challenge are all highlights as well and, maybe best of all, it should all happen with favorable, dry conditions.
So, what should a race fan be looking for this weekend? Well, everything.
But let's narrow down the list a bit, shall we?
HOW TO WATCH: Rolex 24 at Daytona TV schedule | NBC, USA and yes, Peacock is back in play
ROLEX 24 SCHEDULE: Mazda, Michelin Endurance races lead to 62nd Rolex 24 at Daytona
Mazda MX-5 Cup slated for two races
Unquestionably, two of the most thrilling finishes at Daytona International Speedway in 2023 happened in the two Mazda MX-5 Cup events as part of Rolex 24 week.
The good news? There are two more 45-minute sprints scheduled for this week, one of which will see the green flag drop at 4:15 p.m. Thursday and the other set to start at 10:15 Friday morning. A pair of practices in the series were held on Wednesday with qualifying scheduled for just before noon on Thursday.
Not surprisingly, this week will kickstart the MX-5 Cup season which consists of seven doubleheaders or 14 total races. That slate includes future stops at Sebring, Laguna Seca, Mid-Ohio, Canadian Tire, VIRginia International Raceway and Road Atlanta.
The cars are fourth-generation Mazda Miatas that have been disassembled and fitted with an IMSA-approved roll cage — work done at Flis Performance in Daytona Beach. And that’s just the start as over 250 pieces and parts are added to create the racecars that will take to the track this week.
Money is paid to the top 10 finishers and the highest-finishing female. Among drivers to watch are two-time defending series champ Jared Thomas and Tyler Gonzales, the victors of last year’s MX-5 races. Also, Cody Ware, who has 97 NASCAR Cup Series starts under his belt, will run for his father’s company, Rick Ware Racing.
2024 Mazda MX-5 Cup Schedule
(Two races per event)
Jan. 24-26: Daytona International Speedway
March 13-15: Sebring International Raceway
May 10-12: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
June 7-9: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
July 12-14: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
August 23-25: VIRginia International Raceway
October 9-11: Michelin Roadway Road Atlanta
Michelin Pilot Challenge, the perfect appetizer
Nothing like a four-hour slugfest to get a race fan set for a 24-hour marathon.
The Michelin Pilot Challenge has come to be a highlight of Rolex 24 week and it should be yet again with its opener, the BMW M Endurance Challenge, set to start at 1:45 Friday afternoon, serving as the last on-track event prior to Saturday’s start of the Rolex 24.
A total of 39 cars were on the entry sheet prior to the Roar Before the Rolex 24 and those entries will be divided into two classes — Grand Sport (GS) and Touring Car (TCR). Without getting too into the weeds, the Grand Sport cars harness around 100 more horsepower and are capable of speeds over 160 miles per hour, with the Touring Car vehicles maxing out around 140.
While no NASCAR drivers are in the Rolex 24 field, a team of Bubba Wallace, John Hunter Nemechek and Corey Heim will be among those to contest for the win Friday afternoon.
Katherine Legge headlines nine women drivers, most in Rolex history
The Rolex 24 is old hat to Katherine Legge, a veteran racer across multiple disciplines who's set for her 12th start in the twice-round-the-clock classic.
But having this much female company is certainly new.
“I remember back in 2007, when I did my first Rolex 24, being the only woman,” Legge observed during the Roar Before the Rolex 24 last weekend.
That’s far from the case now with nine female drivers set to compete, the most in 62 years of the event. That includes the Iron Dames, a Lamborghini entry in the GTD field consisting of an all-female driver lineup — Rachel Frey, Michelle Gatting, Sarah Bovy and Doriane Pin.
All nine are chasing a bit of history that hasn’t been done since 1997: A woman being part of a class-winning entry. That year, Claudia Hurtgen joined Patrice Gouselard, Ralf Kelleners and André Ahrlé to win the GTS-2 Class.
Certainly, more women in the field means a higher likelihood of that drought ending.
“It’s not different anymore, it’s not a gimmick, it’s just some of the best drivers for the job and we get it done,” Legge concluded.
Two women will serve as Legge’s teammates in the No. 66 Gradient Racing Acura GTD entry — Sheena Monk and Tatiana Calderon. Ashton Harrison is part of the No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Lamborghini team in the GTD Class while Lilou Wadoux is the only female piloting a prototype this week, serving as a driver for the No. 88 Richard Mille AF Corse team.
Tom Blomqvist, Acura look to continue streaks
For the second straight year, Tom Blomqvist was part of the overall Rolex 24 winner last year in a Meyer Shank Acura.
It marked the third straight win for the manufacturer, with Wayne Taylor Racing fielding the winning entry in 2021.
But no more than one of those streaks can possibly continue this year.
Thanks to a tire pressure manipulation scandal discovered weeks after the conclusion of last year’s event, Meyer Shank Racing folded its IMSA operation. Blomqvist, who will run the 2024 IndyCar season for Meyer Shank, found a home for the Rolex with Whelen Cadillac Racing in the No. 31 GTP entry. And wouldn’t you know it, Pipo Derani wheeled the car to a pole-winning qualifying run last Sunday.
Both of Acura’s entries — the No. 10 and No. 40 ARX-06s — are backed by Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti. If one is able to win, Blomqvist’s quest for a third Rolex 24 in a row must end. And vice versa.
Formula One movie car
By now, it's been well reported that a Formula One movie, starring Brad Pitt and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer has been filming at Daytona International Speedway and in the surrounding areas.
That will continue this week with the No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 serving as the focus of the shooting. With drivers Adam Adelson, Elliott Skeer, Fred Makowiecki and Jan Heylan behind the wheel, the car will serve as the "movie car" with the filming of on-track action sequences centering on the entry.
WEATHER FORECAST: What's the weather for the Rolex 24 at Daytona? Leave the coats and gloves at home!
Favorable weather conditions expected
Much to the relief of anyone who attended last weekend’s Roar Before the Rolex 24, with Saturday and Sunday marred by windy, cold conditions, the forecast for this weekend is near picturesque.
Highs are expected to hover in the mid-to-upper 70s with low temperatures not dropping below the 60s until Sunday night, long after the Rolex 24 has ended. And it’s also expected to be dry, with precipitation percentages staying below 20% from Thursday through Sunday.
When is the Rolex 24?
Start time: 1:40 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 27
End time: 1:40 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 28
How to watch: All 24 hours on Peacock. 1:30-2:30 p.m. (NBC). 2:30-8 p.m. (USA). 10 p.m.-midnight (USA). 6 a.m.-noon (USA). Noon-2 p.m. (NBC)
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: IMSA Rolex 24 at Daytona: 6 things to watch at racing world opener
