Defending race winner Meyer Shank Racing will be on the pole position in the starting lineup for the 61st Rolex 24 at Daytona, seeking to begin a new era in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship the same way the team started the last.
The No. 60 Acura bookended the 2022 season with victories in the Rolex 24 (the second for team co-owner Mike Shank) and the Petit Le Mans season finale, winning the final championship in the DPi class.
The premier prototype category has been rebranded as Grand Touring Prototype and will feature new hybrid engines that have doubled the number of manufacturers competing for the overall victory. With Acura and Cadillac returning from DPi last season, Porsche and BMW also will enter GTP for the 24-hour season opener Jan. 28-29 (which will be broadcast and streamed across NBC, USA and Peacock).
STARTING GRID: Click here for the Rolex 24 lineup l Lineup by car number
ROLEX 24 DETAILS: How to watch, entry lists schedules for the IMSA season opener
After Tom Blomqvist won his fourth career pole in IMSA’s top class and the third for the team in the Rolex 24, MSR’s No. 60 Acura ARX-06 will start first ahead of the No. 7 Porsche 963 of Porsche Penske Motorsports.
The No. 10 Acura ARX-06 of Waye Taylor Racing will start third, followed by the No. 01 Cadillac V-LMDh of Cadillac Racing with Chip Ganassi Racing and Cadillac Racing’s No. 02 V-LMDh.
The No. 31 Cadillac V-LMDh of Whelen Engineering Action Express Racing will start sixth ahead of BMW M Team RLL’s pair of BMW M Hybrid V8s.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN GTP: Rolex 24 at Daytona kicks off new golden era for sports cars
Porsche Penske Motorsport’s No. 6 Porsche 963 will start last among the nine GTP cars after crashing in qualifying on the 12-turn, 3.56-mile road course.
The No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA will start 10th after winning the LMP2 pole position.
Starting positions for pole-sitters in other categories: the No. 33 Ligier JS P320 of Seach Creech Motosport (LMP3) will start 20th, the No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Winward Racing will start 29th, and the No. 79 Mercedes-AMG GTE of WeatherTech Racing will start 32nd.
Click here for the Rolex 24 at Daytona starting lineup grid
Click here for the Rolex 24 at Daytona starting lineup grid by car number
That’s #Rolex24 POLE POSITION for the No. 60 MSR Acura! #DRVPNK // #Roar24 pic.twitter.com/DRnPI76O3l
— Meyer Shank Racing (@MeyerShankRac) January 22, 2023