DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Like the swallows returning to San Juan Capistrano, the sports cars have returned to Daytona International Speedway, and the Rolex 24 at Daytona schedule signals the unofficial start of the major-league 2022 U.S. racing season.
The 60th edition of the 24-hour race again will be a star-studded affair featuring many of the biggest names in motorsports driving some of the coolest cars across five sleek categories. The 61-car field will include Le Mans champions, Formula One veterans and winners of the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season opener Jan. 29-30 at Daytona International Speedway:
WHAT’S NEW
The GTD Pro class essentially has replaced the GT Le Mans class for the 2022 season, creating a division exclusively for professional drivers and with much of the factory backing that once made GTLM so competitive.
There are 13 entries in GTD Pro with Corvette, Porsche, Lexus, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Ferrari and Lamborghini among the featured brands in the class that will run the same car specifications as the GTD category (which will retain a mix of professional and amateur drivers one each team).
A few GTD teams -- Vasser Sullivan and Pfaff Motorsports -- have moved at least one entry into the GTD Pro category, which also will feature a swath of big-name drivers.
Felipe Nasr will spend the 2022 season in the Pfaff Motorsports Porsche before moving to the new LMDh class with Team Penske in 2022. Tristan Nunez has taken Nasr’s spot as the teammate to Pipo Derani in the No. 31 Cadillac that won the 2021 DPi championship for Action Express.
Other moves in the top prototype division:
--Chip Ganassi Racing has added a second full-time Cadillac for 2022 and hired winning IndyCar and IMSA veteran Sebastien Bourdais to its lineup along with former GTLM Porsche champion Earl Bamber.
--The three-time defending Rolex 24 champion Wayne Taylor Racing will return three of the winning drivers last year at Daytona in the No. 10 Acura: Filipe Albuquerque, Ricky Taylor and 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi. Will Stevens will replace Helio Castroneves, who has moved over to the No. 60 Acura of Meyer Shank Racing (also his new full-time IndyCar ride for 2022).
--Simon Pagenaud also will join with Castroneves, former Mazda Motorsports winner Oliver Jarvis and Tom Blomqvist on MSR’s No. 60.
NOTABLE DRIVER ADDITIONS
The Rolex 24 will feature 12 drivers from the NTT IndyCar Series, including rising stars Colton Herta and Pato O’Ward teaming on an LMP2 entry for DragonSpeed that also will include IndyCar rookie Devlin DeFrancesco. Rinus VeeKay, the 2020 IndyCar rookie of the year, will be in the LMP2 class for the second consecutive year.
Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Jimmie Johnson, who is moving to a full-time IndyCar schedule this year, will be making his second consecutive Rolex 24 start in the No. 48 Ally Cadillac with Action Express.
Defending IndyCar champion Alex Palou will be racing the Rolex 24 with teammates Scott Dixon and Marcus Ericsson across Chip Ganassi Racing’s two Cadillacs in the DPi class.
Indy 500 winners and Meyer Shank Racing teammates Helio Castroneves and Simon Pageanud will be teamed on MSR’s No. 60 Acura in the Rolex 24. Alexander Rossi will return on the No. 10 Acura with Wayne Taylor Racing after joining the team’s overall victory in 2021.
A.J. Foyt Racing rookie Kyle Kirkwood also will be racing the Rolex 24 for Vasser Sullivan in GTD Pro.
NASCAR Xfinity Series champion and Cup Series rookie Austin Cindric will be racing a Mercedes in the GTD Pro class.
CAR COUNT
The Rolex 24 field will be the largest in eight years at Daytona International Speedway.
The Roar before the Rolex 24 testing and qualifying race weekend drew an entry list of 61 cars. That would mark the largest car count since 67 cars finished the Rolex 24.
Click here for the 2022 Rolex 24 entry list.
RACE BROADCAST
The Rolex 24 at Daytona will be streamed across the NBC Sports App, NBCSports.com and Peacock, which will have coverage of the event from flag to flag.
HOW TO WATCH IMSA ON NBC SPORTS: Broadcast schedule for 2022
Broadcast coverage of the race coverage will begin Jan. 29 at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBC and move to Peacock at 2:30 p.m. USA Network will pick up coverage from 4-7 p.m. and then Peacock again from 7-10 pm. Coverage will return to USA Network from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. and then move to Peacock until 6 a.m.
From 6 a.m. until noon on Jan. 30, Rolex 24 coverage will be available on USA.
The Jan. 30 conclusion of the Rolex 24 will run from noon through 2 p.m. on NBC.
Lo and behold, the official ✨𝘽𝙍𝙊𝘼𝘿𝘾𝘼𝙎𝙏 𝙎𝘾𝙃𝙀𝘿𝙐𝙇𝙀✨ for the 𝗥𝗢𝗟𝗘𝗫 𝟮𝟰 𝗔𝗧 @DAYTONA 👀
— #IMSA (@IMSA) January 24, 2022
📺 The action begins on January 29th at 1:30PM ET on NBC.
🌏 For international coverage information: https://t.co/spxJEs7BfO#IMSA / #Rolex24 pic.twitter.com/Lb4cfa5Z5X
Other events that will be streamed on Peacock from Daytona during January (all times ET):
--Jan. 22: IMSA Prototype Challenge, noon
--Jan. 23: Roar Before the Rolex 24, 2 p.m.
--Jan. 28: BMW Endurance Michelin Pilot Challenge, 1:35 p.m.
ROLEX 24 COVERAGE FROM NBC SPORTS
No longer ‘weak link,’ Jimmie Johnson feels ‘better than ever’ about winning
Jarett Andretti, Robin Pemberton celebrate an emotional LMP3 pole position
‘Neurotic’ Wayne Taylor on the verge of making Rolex 24 history
Robert Wickens returns to racing for the first time since Pocono crash
Jordan Taylor’s unforgettable Rolex 24 restroom story
Colton Herta and Pato O’Ward relish transition from rivals to teammates
IMSA opener offers valuable experience for 12 full-time IndyCar drivers
Why is there only one NASCAR driver in this year’s race?
ROLEX 24 DAILY SCHEDULE, START TIMES
Here’s a rundown of everything happening at Daytona International Speedway over the last two weeks in January, starting with the Roar test session. Rolex 24 start times and full schedule:
Wednesday, Jan. 19
4 p.m.: Garages open
4 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship haulers load-in (park only)
6:30 p.m.: Garages close
Thursday, Jan. 20
7 a.m.: Garages, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship haulers open
8:30 a.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship safety inspection
10 a.m.: Rolex 24 Media Day
2 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge driver briefing
3 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship team briefing
5:15 p.m.: Track walk
7:30 p.m.: Garages close
Friday, Jan. 21
7 a.m.: Garages open
8:45-9:30 a.m.: Prototype Challenge practice
9:45-11 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice
11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
1:45-2:30 p.m.: Prototype Challenge practice
2:45-4 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice
4:15-6 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice (GTD/LMP3/LMP2 4:15-5:45; 4:30-6: GTD Pro, DPi)
6:15 p.m.: Prototype Challenge qualifying
8 p.m.: Garages close
Saturday, Jan. 22
7 a.m.: Garages open
8:45-9:45 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice
10-11 a.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
12:05-3:05 p.m.: Prototype Challenge at Daytona race (streaming on Peacock)
3:25-4:30 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship qualifying
4:50-5:50 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice
7-9 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
10 p.m.: Garages close
Sunday, Jan. 23
7 a.m.: Garages open
8:30 a.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship driver and team manager briefing
10-10:20 a.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship warmup
10:35-11:50 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice
2:05-3:45 p.m.: Motul Pole Award 100 (Rolex 24 at Daytona qualifying race, all classes, two drivers, 100 minutes; streaming on Peacock)
7 p.m.: Garages close
Wednesday, Jan. 26
6 a.m.: Garages open
8-11 a.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship safety inspection
8:30 a.m.: Mazda MX-5 load-in
9:45-11:15 a.m.: Track walk
10 a.m.-noon: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship car photos
11 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge team manager briefing
11:30 a.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship team manager briefing
1:45-2:45 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice
3-3:30 p.m.: Mazda MX-5 practice
3:45 p.m.: Track walk
6:45 p.m.: Garages close
Thursday, Jan. 27
7 a.m.: Garages open
9-9:30 a.m.: Mazda MX-5 practice
9:45-10:45 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice
11:05 a.m.-12:35 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
12:55-1:25 p.m.: Mazda MX-5 qualifying
2:25-3 p.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge qualifying
3:20-5:05 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice (3:20-4:50: GTD, LMP3, LMP2; 3:35-5:05: GTD Pro, DPi)
5:30-6:15 p.m.: Mazda MX-5, Race 1
7:15-9 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
10:15 p.m.: Garages close
Friday, Jan. 28
7 a.m.: Garages open
9:25-9:55 a.m.: Michelin Pilot Challenge practice
10:15-11 a.m.: Mazda MX-5, Race 2
11:20 a.m.-12:20 p.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice
1:35-5:35 p.m.: BMW M Endurance Challenge at Daytona (Michelin Pilot Challenge; streaming on Peacock)
8:45 p.m.: Garages close
Saturday, Jan. 29
6:30 a.m.: Garages open
7-8:45 a.m.: DIS Daytona 5K
9:45 a.m.: IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship driver and team manager briefing
11:50 a.m.-12:10 p.m.: Rolex 24 grid assembled in reverse order: GTD, GTD Pro, LMP3, LMP2, DPi
12:30-12:40 p.m.: Rolex 24 engine warmup
1:15 p.m.: Rolex 24 prerace
1:30-1:40 p.m.: Rolex 24 formation laps
1:40 p.m.: The 60th Rolex 24 at Daytona (starting on NBC; also streaming on Peacock)
Sunday, Jan. 30
1:40 p.m.: Finish of the 60th Rolex 24 at Daytona
7:30 p.m.: Garages close