IMSA Race 2018 Rolex 24 at Daytona(IMSA @ Daytona) - Jan 25-28

Matt · 22 Jan 2018, 15:54 (Ref:3794296)

Welcome to the 2018 IMSA season. Starting with the longest race of the year, a twice around the clock test of speed, reliability, and teamwork set among the unique backdrop that is Daytona International Speedway.

Gone is the PC class from the main game, with no replacement. P sees a new manufacture in DPi equipment, with Roger Penske running the factory Acura cars. Visit Florida Racing returns to their former name, Spirit of Daytona and they're in a fourth Cadillac DPi-V.R. Performance-Tech, BAR1, and CORE have made the jumps from PC and GTD into the P ranks. The #99 Red Dragon returns, this time being run out of the JDC-Miller camp, which sees them expand to two cars, the other being the #85 Banana Boat. PR1-Mathiasen returns with their Ligier. ESM is back with two Nissan DPi's, the three Cadillac teams from last year return, although the lineups have been shuffled a bit. After missing the second half of the 2017 season, Mazda is back. This time without Speedsource, as they were given the boot. Team Joest will be running and developing the cars. Yes, that Team Joest.

GTLM sees the normal cast of characters, with two full season cars entered by Corvette, Porsche, BMW, and Ford. Risi will enter a Ferarri GTE in select rounds. BMW has retired the M6 GTLM car for the new M8, which has had teething issues.

GTD sees the usual cast of characters. Michael Shank Racing has lost it's Acura backing and is now a pure privateer effort. They're running one car full season, the second if they can get funding. HART returns for the NAEC rounds with it's all volunteer crew in the #69(nice) NSX. Lexus returns with 2 cars, with the 2018 Rolex being Scott Pruett's final race professionally. WeatherTech Racing joins up with Scuderia Corsa and they will field two cars in the Rolex. Wright Motorsports moves over from Pirelli World Challenge to the IMSA series. Speaking of PWC, Magnus is also back, and they've got Andy Lally. One BMW for Tuner in Liqui-Moly colors.

Also joining the WSC stars and cars is IMSA's Continental Sports Car Challenge, who will take to the high banks for a 4 hour enduro. 31 GS cars are signed up, 5 ST, and 6 TCR cars, a new class for the series.

Those are the highlights, who will be crowned the winner after 24 grueling hours at the World Center of Racing? We will find out soon!

Rolex 24 TV Schedule(all times Eastern):
Saturday, Jan. 27
2 p.m.-5 p.m., FOX
5 p.m.-10 p.m., FS2
10 p.m.-11 p.m., FSGO
11 p.m.-1 a.m., Sunday, FS1

Sunday, Jan. 28
1 a.m.-8 a.m., FSGO
8 a.m.-10:30 a.m., FS1
10:30 a.m.-1 p.m., FSGO
1 p.m.-3 p.m., FS1

Race will be streamed in full on the IMSA website for those it applies to.

Essentials:

IMSA Radio

IMSA WSC/CTSCC Spotter Guide(available Jan 23)

Entry List for WSC(50 cars)

Entry List for CTSCC(43 cars)

Event Schedule(at bottom of page)

Daytona Beach, FL Weekend Weather

Event History

Track Layout

Track Graphics c/o RacingCircuits.info

Last Years Race:
Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3XyADBUCTI
Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFYgVlBCRs8
Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Chc87WAJWt4

I'm heading down Thursday AM.

GriffM3 · 22 Jan 2018, 16:24 (Ref:3794306)

Thanks Matt for setting this up and looking forward to a great race!

WolfsburgRS · 22 Jan 2018, 16:30 (Ref:3794307)

Thanks Matt! I'll be heading down Thursday night, arriving sometime early friday afternoon. This will be my first time back at daytona since 2013. Very much looking forward to it.

ATLFalconsFAN · 22 Jan 2018, 17:32 (Ref:3794331)

Well done Matt, thank you.

Heading down Thursday evening. Getting to the track sometime on Friday.

Hope everyone heading down travels safe and has a great time!

kvenom · 22 Jan 2018, 17:36 (Ref:3794332)

Rooting for Mazda, expecting both of them to be on fire before it’s over, Joest and all. Let’s just see some real fighting at the front.

Canada ALMS fan · 22 Jan 2018, 20:31 (Ref:3794383)

Flying out Wednesday. Can't wait. First Daytona since 2014. Alonso....

MaskedRacer · 22 Jan 2018, 20:32 (Ref:3794384)

If it does not rain. I am very optimistic that this year's 24 will see much less safety car time. 1) Smaller grid of 50 cars 2) No LMPC cars which seemed to stall easily when in trouble 3) The sorting of prototypes starting in front of GT cars at a restart could help reduce collisions in the first 5 minutes after green 4)Maybe Beau Barfield and company learn from races like Lime Rock, VIR, and Laguna Seca from 2017 and see that long green flag runs are actually good for the spectacle and is entertaining.

If there is more green flag running though there could be higher attrition with mechanical stress hitting the machines. Could see more trips to the garage. Maybe not a bad place to walk by at 2 am if you are in the infield.

MaskedRacer · 22 Jan 2018, 20:33 (Ref:3794385)

Great to see the Magnus stream return. Hope they can archive it for future viewing for those who will be at the track in person.

fieldodreams79 · 22 Jan 2018, 20:37 (Ref:3794386)

Stellar all-around! Thanks Matt and thanks for the start of race season!

Nick Woodbury · 22 Jan 2018, 20:43 (Ref:3794388)

Awesome stuff, well done again, Matt.

Are you driving down from CT or Flying? In any case, enjoy the race!!

I'm looking at getting down there for the 24 in 2019. That will be a first!

By the way, Penske has released their official liveries for this weekend's race.

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/pe...-dpi-liveries/

Matt · 22 Jan 2018, 21:19 (Ref:3794390)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Woodbury

Awesome stuff, well done again, Matt.

Are you driving down from CT or Flying? In any case, enjoy the race!!

Flying!

I leave early Thurs morning, get to MCO around 11a.

Pick up my rental van I sleep in, go to Daytona Walmart(which is an experience in itself), buy a cheap air mattress, beer, water, some food, and toiletries and head to the track.

Camp in NASCAR 4 for the weekend, head to a hotel Sunday night after the race, get a nice long shower, sleep in a comfy bed, and I'll be boarding my plane back to BDL at 10:30a Monday morning.

I think the flight/hotel this year was $311 all together.

**skycafe** · 22 Jan 2018, 22:04 (Ref:3794401)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Woodbury

By the way, Penske has released their official liveries for this weekend's race.

duds in my book. I hope those crazy front dive planes are easily replaced...

ATLFalconsFAN · 22 Jan 2018, 22:15 (Ref:3794402)

Some of you were nice enough to provide pointers for a first-timer in the IMSA thread. However I figured my follow-up question would be more appropriate to post here.

Is it possible to do the grid walk (there is a public grid walk, right?), and then have time to get up into the grandstand above turn 1 for the start of the race?

Matt · 22 Jan 2018, 22:20 (Ref:3794403)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATLFalconsFAN

Some of you were nice enough to provide pointers for a first-timer in the IMSA thread. However I figured my follow-up question would be more appropriate to post here.

Is it possible to do the grid walk (there is a public grid walk, right?), and then have time to get up into the grandstand above turn 1 for the start of the race?

Absolutely. We do it every year. They open the fence up under the flagstand and that's how you make your way into the stands. After they close it take the tram outside the main stands back into the infield near NASCAR 1.

Nick Woodbury · 22 Jan 2018, 22:53 (Ref:3794409)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt

I think the flight/hotel this year was $311 all together.

Nice! I am going to have to pick your brain later on when I start researching my 2019 trip. I fear I will have alot of questions.

Matt · 23 Jan 2018, 00:27 (Ref:3794427)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Woodbury

Nice! I am going to have to pick your brain later on when I start researching my 2019 trip. I fear I will have alot of questions.

More than happy to answer.

**skycafe** · 23 Jan 2018, 01:14 (Ref:3794436)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt

Pick up my rental van I sleep in, go to Daytona Walmart(which is an experience in itself), buy a cheap air mattress, beer, water, some food, and toiletries and head to the track.

There is a Walmart not far from the airport in Orlando (north on 436/Semoran) that might save you the zaniness of the Daytona location (although all their locations seem to have 'zany.')

Purist · 23 Jan 2018, 01:39 (Ref:3794441)

Not my favorite liveries on the Penske cars, from what I can tell, but then again, it's nice to see cars in very clean, simple color schemes these days.

There's a reason the Risi car has been my favorite among the Ferraris.

Also, does anyone else think the #5 Cadillac colors look at all similar to the livery on the 1988 Sauber Mercedes C9s?

**joeb** · 23 Jan 2018, 02:22 (Ref:3794448)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Woodbury

Awesome stuff, well done again, Matt.

Are you driving down from CT or Flying? In any case, enjoy the race!!

I'm looking at getting down there for the 24 in 2019. That will be a first!

By the way, Penske has released their official liveries for this weekend's race.

http://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/pe...-dpi-liveries/

A bit more vanilla than I expected. I thought we would see something similar to the Acura liveries on the shank cars last season, but I guess the freckles on the fins are an ode to that.

JHamilton · 23 Jan 2018, 03:36 (Ref:3794461)

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeb

A bit more vanilla than I expected. I thought we would see something similar to the Acura liveries on the shank cars last season, but I guess the freckles on the fins are an ode to that.

I'll have to see it in person. The "standard" Penske livery looked amazing on the Oreca.

Speedworx · 23 Jan 2018, 10:26 (Ref:3794500)

Flying over tomorrow (Weds). Staying with some friends in their RV!

2nd year in a row going to the race.

Matt · 23 Jan 2018, 13:00 (Ref:3794524)

I'm all about those Penske schemes.

We haven't seen the ESM cars yet what they're doing.

**joeb** · 23 Jan 2018, 14:56 (Ref:3794548)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt

I'm all about those Penske schemes.

We haven't seen the ESM cars yet what they're doing.

I'm guessing the ESM cars will be black and green.

**joeb** · 23 Jan 2018, 15:13 (Ref:3794553)

Just noticed the only all platinum driver lineup in the Proto ranks is in the #5 AER car.

canaglia · 23 Jan 2018, 15:42 (Ref:3794557)

Ricky Taylor is still gold? WTF

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