The Roar before the Rolex test session will have a new spot on the calendar next year, leading directly into the 2021 Rolex 24 at Daytona that will be held Jan. 30-31, 2021 at Daytona International Speedway, according to a track release Friday.
In a change to the schedule, the Roar Before the Rolex 24 preseason test sessions will be held the week before the Rolex 24 on Jan. 22-24, 2021 (the Roar normally takes place three weeks earlier than the race).
After the test, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship teams will remain at the track in the days leading into the race, taking part in “fan-focused events” around the 59th annual 24-hour endurance race at Daytona International Speedway that opens the season opener to the sports car circuit.
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Prior to the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the BMW Endurance Challenge will open the Michelin Pilot Challenge season Jan. 29.
Here’s the Rolex 24 Roar scheduling release from Daytona International Speedway:The 59th running of the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA, North America’s most prestigious sports car race, will be held on Jan. 30-31, 2021 at Daytona International Speedway to open the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
In addition, the annual “Roar Before the Rolex 24” preseason test sessions shifts to a new date in 2021 – Jan. 22-24 (Friday-Sunday). Following the popular Roar schedule, IMSA teams are set to remain at the track through the Rolex 24 Weekend. They are scheduled to participate in fan-focused events celebrating the start of the IMSA season at ONE DAYTONA, the lifestyle and entertainment destination located directly across International Speedway Blvd. from Daytona International Speedway.
The Rolex 24 was first held as a three-hour event in 1962, then known as the Daytona Continental. It has become renowned for annually attracting many of the world’s finest race car drivers – from various racing disciplines – to make history against the world’s best sports car racers. Historically, drivers from NASCAR, INDYCAR and Formula 1 have joined teams for “one-off” efforts. Past Rolex 24 At DAYTONA champions include four-time NASCAR Cup Series and three-time DAYTONA 500 champion Jeff Gordon, five-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon and two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso. Dixon co-drove to his third Rolex 24 title this past January.
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship currently features competition in four classes: the headlining Daytona Prototype international class (DPi), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), GT Le Mans (GTLM) and GT Daytona (GTD). On Friday, Jan. 29 – prior to the Saturday-Sunday, twice-around-the-clock Rolex 24 – the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season will begin with the four-hour BMW Endurance Challenge. The full listing of racing action includes:- Jan. 22-24: Roar Before the Rolex 24
- Jan. 29: BMW Endurance Challenge
- Jan. 30-31: Rolex 24 At DAYTONA