There’s a lot of lineups that have already been announced for next year’s 2016 Rolex 24 at Daytona, the opening round of the newly renamed IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. It’s only one month out from the Roar Before the Rolex 24, Jan. 8-10.
A high volume of entries is expected, particularly in the GT Daytona class, which will see a move to FIA GT3-spec machinery replacing the GTD-specific machinery we have seen the last two years.
Here’s a quick summation of what has already been formally announced for the Rolex 24:
PROTOTYPE
5 – Action Express Racing – Corvette DP – Barbosa/Fittipaldi/Albquerque/Pruett
31 – Action Express Racing – Corvette DP – Cameron/Curran/J. Adam/Pagenaud
10 – Wayne Taylor Racing – Corvette DP – J. Taylor/R. Taylor/Angelelli
90 – Visit Florida Racing – Corvette DP – Dalziel/Goossens/Hunter-Reay
60 – Michael Shank Racing – Ligier JS P2 Honda – Negri/Pew/Allmendinger (fourth driver TBA)
0 – DeltaWing Racing Cars – DeltaWing DWC13 – (Lineup TBA; Legge/Meyrick/Rayhall tested)
PROTOTYPE CHALLENGE
8 – Starworks Motorsport – Oreca FLM09 – Van der Zande/Popow/Cumming/Hawksworth
54 – CORE autosport – Oreca FLM09 – Braun/Bennett/Wilkins (fourth driver TBA)
85 – JDC/Miller Motorsports – Oreca FLM09 – Simpson/Goikhberg/C. Miller (fourth driver TBA)
GT LE MANS
3 – Corvette Racing – Corvette C7.R – Garcia/Magnussen (Rockenfeller or Fassler slotted here)
4 – Corvette Racing – Corvette C7.R – Gavin/Milner (Rockenfeller or Fassler slotted here)
24 – BMW Team RLL – BMW M6 GTLM – Edwards/Luhr/Wittmer/Rahal
25 – BMW Team RLL – BMW M6 GTLM – Auberlen/D. Werner/Farfus/Spengler
66 – Ford Chip Ganassi Racing – Ford GT – Hand/D. Mueller (endurance drivers due to be named soon)
67 – Ford Chip Ganassi Racing – Ford GT – Briscoe/Westbrook (endurance drivers due to be named soon)
GT DAYTONA
22 – Alex Job Racing – Porsche 911 GT3 R – L. Keen/MacNeil
23 – Team Seattle/Alex Job Racing – Porsche 911 GT3 R – M. Farnbacher/James
33 – Riley Motorsports – Dodge Viper GT3-R – J. Bleekemolen/Keating/M. Miller/D. Farnbacher
44 – Magnus Racing – Audi R8 LMS – Lally/Potter
48 – Paul Miller Racing – Lamborghini Huracán GT3 – Sellers/Mad. Snow/B. Miller
63 – Scuderia Corsa – Ferrari 488 GT3 – C. Nielsen (second driver TBA)
69 – O’Gara Motorsport – Lamborghini Huracán GT3 – T. Bell/Sweedler
96 – Turner Motorsport – BMW M6 GT3 – Klingmann/Curtis/Wittmann/Freiberg
97 – Turner Motorsport – BMW M6 GT3 – Palttala/Marsal/J. Krohn/M. Martin
TBA – Black Swan Racing – Porsche 911 GT3 R – Catsburg/Pappas
TBA – Change Racing – Lamborghini Huracán GT3 – TBA; Lamborghini drivers have tested this car
TBA – Stevenson Motorsports – Audi R8 LMS – TBA
TBA – Stevenson Motorsports – Audi R8 LMS – TBA
TBA – Konrad Motorsport – Lamborghini Huracán GT3 – TBA
There are other programs, linked below, which have also been revealed via media reports or are either highly likely to happen or fully expected to continue from 2015 into 2016.
Drivers that tested at the recent November test are below in italics, but are not officially confirmed:
PROTOTYPE
70 – Mazda Motorsports – Mazda Prototype – Nunez/J. Miller/T. Long/Pigot/Bomarito/Tremblay
07 – Mazda Motorsports – Mazda Prototype – (TBA, but drawing from Mazda pool)
01 – Chip Ganassi Racing – Riley Ford – (TBA, and car not confirmed yet, but if it runs would likely feature CGR NASCAR/IndyCar drivers)
02 – Chip Ganassi Racing – Riley Ford – (TBA, and car not confirmed yet, but if it runs would likely feature CGR NASCAR/IndyCar drivers)
TBA – Tequila Patron ESM – Ligier JS P2 Honda – Sharp/Brown/JVO (fourth driver TBA)
TBA – SMP Racing – BR01 Nissan – Minassian/Mediani/A. Ladygin (fourth driver TBA)
PROTOTYPE CHALLENGE
20 – BAR1 Motorsports – Oreca FLM09 – Mowlem/Alder/Merzon/Eversley
26 – BAR1 Motorsports – Oreca FLM09 – (TBA on drivers, did not test)
38 – Performance Tech Motorsports – Oreca FLM09 – (TBA on drivers, did not test)
52 – PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports – Oreca FLM09 – (TBA on drivers, did not test)
88 – Starworks Motorsport – Oreca FLM09 – Kearby/Alon/Freiberg
GT LE MANS
62 – Risi Competizione – Ferrari 488 GTE – (TBA on drivers)
911 – Porsche North America – Porsche 911 RSR – (TBA on drivers, expected this month)
912 – Porsche North America – Porsche 911 RSR – (TBA on drivers, expected this month)
GT DAYTONA
18 – DragonSpeed – Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 – Montecalvo/Mancuso (entry subject to approval)
19 – DragonSpeed – Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 – Gomez (entry subject to approval)
24 – Autometrics Motorsports – Porsche 997 GT3 R – Toussaint/Friedman
73 – Park Place Motorsports – TBA – Lindsey/TBA
80 – Lone Star Racing – Dodge Viper GT3 R – Knox/TBA
93 – Riley Motorsports – Dodge Viper GT3-R – TBA
007 – TRG-AMR – Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 – TBA (entry subject to approval)
TBA – AMR – Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 – Dalla Lana/Lamy/Lauda/Stanaway
Other entries may arise; this is a tentative list and is likely going to grow in the days and weeks leading up to both the Roar and the Rolex 24.
The “entry subject to approval” note pertains to potential entries from manufacturers who are reportedly not yet committed to becoming one of IMSA’s official Automotive Partners.
Many of the not-as-yet-set driver situations also come down to driver ratings; lineups within the pro-am PC and GTD classes require at least one Silver in the full-season lineup and a maximum of two Platinum/Gold-rated drivers in a four or five-driver lineup for the Rolex 24. In a three-driver lineup, that maximum is one.
