2018 Daytona Rolex 24 articles will be posted in this thread
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Rolex 24 At DAYTONA

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Jan
27 - 28

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THE BEST IN MOTORSPORTS CONVERGE ON DAYTONA FOR NORTH AMERICA'S PREMIER ENDURANCE RACE

Since 1962, racing legends that span the motorsports universe have come to compete in DAYTONA's endurance sports car classic. From sunrise to sunset to sunrise again, witness as both man and machine are pushed to the limit in this twice-around-the-clock marathon.
Celebrate the start of the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship season with North America's most prestigious sports car race!




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GARAGE WRISTBANDS
A true fan-favorite experience, garage access at the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA is a must-have for any true race fan. This up-close, exclusive insider upgrade puts you right in the middle of the race day action, watching drivers and crews prepare their cars for the biggest race of the season!

Two-day (Saturday/Sunday) Garage Wristbands are $45

 

TASTE OF THE 24
Join us Saturday, January 27, 2018, 6 pm - 10 pm, for fabulous entertainment, non-stop racing and food from the area’s finest restaurants! Enjoy the ultimate hospitality experience featuring a delicious blend of food and fast cars from the Midway Suites. Proceeds from the 8th annual Taste of the 24 at Daytona International Speedway are purchased through the NASCAR Foundation and will benefit The NASCAR Foundation’s programs for children.

Ticket includes: One weekend pass to the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, Fanzone access, chance to win a Rolex watch (additional tickets to win a Rolex watch available at the event) & Taste of The 24 admission.

 

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[h=4]EXPERIENCE THE ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA LIKE NEVER BEFORE[/h]

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  UNOH Fanzone
  Boost your race experience! Enjoy access to the pre-race grid walk, IMSA garages, the start/finish line and much more! Explore the Experience
  
  
  
  
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  Wi-Fi
  FREE Wi-Fi coverage is available in stadium concourses, the Midway, UNOH Fanzone and all camping areas. Get Connected
  
  
  

 

Alonso to contest Rolex 24 with United Autosports

Tuesday, 24 October 2017


Chris Medland / Image by Tee/LAT


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Fernando Alonso will return to take part in another iconic American race in 2018 when he drives for United Autosports in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, RACER can confirm.

Less than a year after his impressive Indy 500 outing in a McLaren-backed Andretti entry, Alonso will make his sportscar debut as United Autosports returns to Daytona for the first time since 2011. The Spaniard – who recently signed a McLaren contract extension – will share a car with fellow McLaren driver Lando Norris in Zak Brown's team.

Alonso's first run in the car will take place in Europe in the week ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, following on from a seperate test for European F3 champion Norris at Paul Ricard on November 7.
While Daytona does not clash with any of the F1 schedule – the Roar Before the 24 test is being held on January 5-7 ahead of the Rolex 24 on January 27-28 – Alonso sees the race as an opportunity to develop his endurance racing skills ahead of a potential Le Mans attempt in future as he goes in search of the Triple Crown.
"As I said many times, the Triple Crown is the main thing," Alonso said in Austin. "I know that the Indy 500 was a nice thing and I felt very competitive, but it was a big challenge that I took from zero, with no testing and no similar racing experience before the Indy 500 at any other oval, it was a big challenge.
"I was competitive and it felt good but if I want to prepare for Le Mans maybe there are other possibilities to prepare Le Mans a little bit better [than I did for] the Indy 500."
At present Alonso does not have a deal to race at Le Mans, but RACER understands McLaren would allow him to take part in the 2018 event should Toyota approach the double world champion.
Paul di Resta will also drive for United Autosports at Daytona and is set to lead the sister car to spread out the F1 experience across both entries. Alonso and Norris will be joined by Phil Hanson, while di Resta is to share a car with Will Owen. The rest of the line-up has yet to be finalized following the end of the ELMS season – where the team finished second in LMP2 and won the LMP3 championship – but RACER understands Jenson Button turned down one of the United Autosports seats and remains undecided over whether to race at Daytona.

 

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Daytona December Test Tuesday Notebook
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
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The last time most in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship paddock saw the pair of Mazda RT24-P Daytona Prototype international (DPi) race cars was at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in July, and a lot has happened since then.

Today, the pair of revised Mazda DPis were on track alongside 16 other WeatherTech Championship race cars on the first day of a two-day IMSA-sanctioned test at Daytona International Speedway. It was the first “public” appearance for the race cars, Mazda Team Joest and some of the team’s drivers – including 2013 Rolex 24 At Daytona GT winner and 2013 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring overall winner Oliver Jarvis.

Jarvis was introduced last week as one of the four full-time drivers for the team in 2018, joining Jonathan Bomarito, Tristan Nunez and Harry Tincknell. And for his part, he’s thrilled to be in the WeatherTech Championship.

“It’s a dream for me to be here full time,” Jarvis said. “I’ve always wanted to come over to the States and run here. When I got the call from (Mazda Director of Motorsports) John (Doonan), it was a very easy decision to make. I wanted to be here, I wanted to be a part of the Mazda team. IMSA has gone from strength to strength with so many DPi cars. It’s probably the strongest field I’ve ever seen, but with the team we’ve got, I think we’ve got a great chance.”

Mazda Team Joest did test at Daytona last month, but this was Jarvis’ first day back at Daytona in a few years. He did join the team for a recent test at Sebring International Raceway, though, and likes what he has seen thus far.

“The car is still very new, we’re still learning every time we go out, but so far everything is positive,” Jarvis said. “The car has run well and I’m very happy with the balance. It’s the second test for me with the team, I drove at Sebring and then here at Daytona.

“It’s very hard to compare because it’s completely different tires between the two tracks, but I have to say this test has already been a big step up from Sebring. The team has had time for a little more preparation and we’ve hit the ground running.”

Edwards Returns, De Phillippi Joins BMW Team RLL for December Test Ahead of 2018
One of the four IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Le Mans (GTLM) teams testing at Daytona International Speedway this week is BMW Team RLL.
Two of the team’s drivers were on hand, returning BMW driver John Edwards alongside Connor de Phillippi, who joins the team after competing with Land Motorsport for two seasons.

The upcoming WeatherTech Championship season marks Edwards’ six with BMW. While he has three victories to his name with the team, he is still searching for his first Rolex 24 At Daytona victory after recording a career-best fourth place three times.

The two-day test also allows a first look at the new BMW M8 GTLM, which was unveiled in September at the 2017 Frankfurt Auto Show as the successor to the M6 GTLM.
“This is the third car I’ve been able to be a part of the development on with BMW and I have to say it’s the most exciting,” Edwards said. “The M8 is everything from the M6 that we liked, and improved on the things we didn’t like. It has a lot of promise. The whole team is learning the car together, drivers included. I love the car so far, and compared to where the M6 was in December on its rollout, I think we’re miles above where we were.”

It was less than a week ago that BMW announced Edwards and de Phillippi as part of the team’s full-time driver lineup for 2018.
De Phillippi is on the heels of a victory at the season-ending Petit Le Mans in October, only the third race he entered during the 2017 WeatherTech Championship season. However, the victory came in the GT Daytona (GTD) class, and the step up to the GTLM class will put the California-native in arguably the toughest class of sports car racing in the world.

As one of his teammates, Edwards feels strongly though that BMW Team RLL could be on its way to a victory at the Rolex 24 At Daytona this upcoming January.
“The GTLM class is a very competitive category because it’s manufacturers pitted against other manufacturers and it’s all professional lineups,” Edwards said. “You can see the competition level is fierce from the end of the race at Daytona, all the way to the end of the race at Petit. Everyone has to be up to speed and you have to get the maximum performance out of your car. Considering the baseline we have today, I think we have a car that can fight for the win in the Rolex 24.”

Braun Returns To Prototype Ranks In CORE autosport ORECA
While there have been several well-known additions to the Prototype class in 2018, there is one driver who makes his return to the Prototype ranks this week after several years in both the Prototype Challenge (PC) class and, most recently, the GT Daytona (GTD) class.

Colin Braun returns with CORE autosport and longtime co-driver Jon Bennett this season as the two debut the team’s new No. 54 ORECA LM P2. While Braun most recently won in the top Daytona Prototype class of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series in 2007, he and Bennett teamed up to win eight races and PC championships in 2014 and 2015 in the WeatherTech Championship.

“Jon and I have had a lot of fun getting back into the Prototype car, there’s not a lot more fun than driving a Prototype car with the grip and power,” said Braun. “This ORECA/Gibson package has been in a lot of different series, so it was really sorted out right from the start.

“I think for us this first test is just about familiarity with the car, the seats, comfort and just getting all that sorted out. When we show up at the Roar hopefully we’ll have all of this out of the way and can focus on getting the setup dialed in and the race package.”

A lot has changed since Braun most recently competed in the Prototype ranks, but he is eager to compete against the best of the best as the WeatherTech Championship and Prototype class continues to gain momentum.
“The quality of teams and drivers is really high,” he said. “And then the interest in the series…It’s amazing to see the buzz around IMSA right now.”

 

LMP3 Prototypes Deliver 'Adrenaline Rush' For Competitors In Advance Of Daytona Debut
Friday, December 8, 2017
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 8, 2017) – IMSA Prototype Challenge Presented by Mazda teams and drivers alike had rave reviews this week after the series turned its first laps at Daytona International Speedway. The single-day test served as a prelude to the Prototype Challenge’s inaugural race at Daytona, which will take place on Jan. 6, 2018 as part of the annual Roar Before The Rolex 24.

“This is the first time I have run here, so this weekend is eye opening for me,” said Jim Garrett, who piloted the No. 42 P1 Motorsports LMP3 at the test. “The new car is a heck of a lot of fun and being able to get some laps in and have feedback from [co-driver] Robby (Foley III) and some of the other guys has just been everything that I have needed to get me up to speed.”

A total of five Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) closed-cockpit prototypes turned laps at the test, along with an additional six Mazda Prototype Challenge (MPC) class open-cockpit prototypes, with more expected when the series returns for its season-opener at Daytona in January. The two classes again will share the track in 2018, with the series shifting from its longtime sprint race format of two 45-minute races per event weekend to a single 1-hour, 45-minute endurance race.

Veteran IMSA competitor Corey Lewis has experience at Daytona in a variety of cars, most recently competing in the Rolex 24 At Daytona for Change Racing, but was blown away by the performance of his No. 17 P1 Motorsports LMP3.
“It’s like being in a fighter jet compared to a street car,” he said. “It’s so cool to be here in the car we’re in, in the Prototype. It’s so much different than what we’re used to…it’s very much an adrenaline rush.”
Lewis is also a fan of the new endurance format in Prototype Challenge which allows teams to run a single or two-driver combination with a required minimum-time pit stop.

“I think it really suits the car and I think that’s what the series needs as it is kind of the feeder into the WeatherTech Championship,” he said. “You get the feel for what the WeatherTech show is like and having experience in that series and now bringing up the drivers and teams, I think it is a real good thing for the series overall that IMSA put together.”

The inaugural Prototype Challenge endurance race at Daytona will be streamed live on IMSA.com.