Thirteen Cars Entered for Rolex 24 in ‘Possibly the Pinnacle of Any Sports Car Year’January 11, 2024By Jeff OlsonIMSA Wire Service DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It has a bit of everything: A significant increase in cars. A revival of an emblematic brand rivalry. A new manufacturer for an iconic plaid car. A deep field of drivers with impressive resumes.The Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class is about to embark on a season of momentous change. When the Roar Before the Rolex 24 kicks off the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season next week at Daytona International Speedway, the differences from the 2023 season will be notable.Ten manufacturers, 11 teams and 13 cars are prepared to battle for the GTD PRO championship in 2024, starting with the 62nd Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 27-28. That’s three more manufacturers, three more teams and five more cars than the GTD PRO field that concluded the 2023 season at Motul Petit Le Mans in October.“I’ve been racing sports cars for a long time – not as long as some of the others here, but a long time,” said Joey Hand, who will debut the No. 65 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3 with co-drivers Dirk Mueller and Frederic Vervisch. “I can tell you right now that this is the pinnacle that I’ve ever seen – and possibly the pinnacle of any sports car year. To have this many manufacturers is pretty impressive to me.”Leading the 2024 storylines in GTD PRO is an outstanding roster of driving talent. Fifteen drivers have at least one Rolex 24 class victory, including some of the most recognizable names in sports car racing.Ben Barnicoat and Jack Hawksworth return as defending class champions in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3. So, too, do Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow, although in a different class. They teamed to win the 2023 GT Daytona (GTD) championship in the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3, but the team, drivers and car have moved to GTD PRO in 2024.Newcomers are among the major themes heading into the season. Ford Multimatic Motorsports will field two Ford Mustangs and Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports will field two of the new Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs. The four entries feature some of the most accomplished racers in the business. The No. 64 Mustang GT3 will be co-driven at Daytona by the full-season pairing of Harry Tincknell and Mike Rockenfeller joined by Christopher Mies, complementing the aforementioned No. 65 Mustang.The No. 3 Corvette is shared by Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims for the season, with former Mercedes driver Daniel Juncadella added for the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races. Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg are in the No. 4 Corvette all season, with Earl Bamber joining for the endurance events. Risi Competizione returns for the Michelin Endurance Cup rounds with its typically potent lineup that includes past Rolex 24 winner Alessandro Pier Guidi in the No. 62 Ferrari 296 GT3. Iron Lynx has a pair of Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2s entered, with each car featuring at least one driver who’ll be back later in the season behind the wheel of the manufacturer’s SC63 that will debut in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class at Sebring in March.Perhaps the most visible change, though, is the car wearing plaid. Pfaff Motorsports, which finished fourth in the GTD PRO championship standings last season after winning the class in 2022, has switched from a Porsche 911 GT3 R to a McLaren 720S GT3 Evo and gone from a red plaid motif to McLaren’s papaya orange with a plaid inset. Marvin Kirchhoefer and Oliver Jarvis are the season-long pilots. James Hinchcliffe is on for the endurance races and 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi for the Rolex 24.The bottom line for GTD PRO as the 2024 season approaches? Some mighty good drivers and teams are ready to race as change abounds.“For me, this has been a long time coming,” said Corvette’s Milner after spearheading development of the Z06 GT3.R. “I’ve been testing this car for so long. I’m glad that we’re getting close to race week.”The Roar Before the Rolex 24 is set for Jan. 19-21 at Daytona International Speedway. NBC will kick off live coverage of the Rolex 24 at 1:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 27 and tickets are available at daytonainternationalspeedway.com. |
