A Star-Filled Field Opens IMSA Season
Every January, North America’s ultimate endurance race sets the tone for the global motorsport calendar. The Rolex 24 at Daytona is our continent’s version of the 24 Hours of Le Mans — a grueling, prestigious, season-defining showdown where champions, manufacturers, open-wheel stars and GT heroes all converge. And for the fifth consecutive year, IMSA’s new season opens with a capacity 61-car grid, confirming once again that the Rolex 24 remains the biggest show in North American sports-car racing.
The 64th running brings a deep field across GTP, LMP2, GTD PRO and GTD, with 12 manufacturers represented, including Acura, Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche. It’s the most diverse gathering of factory and customer racing power in North America.
GTP: 11 Prototypes, 5 Manufacturers, and a Champion-Loaded Lineup
The top class returns with 11 Grand Touring Prototypes, and the storyline practically writes itself: IMSA champions everywhere, new aerodynamic updates for all LMDh manufacturers (minus Aston Martin), and a driver roster stacked with global winners.
A staggering 11 full-season IMSA champions headline the class — from Laurens Vanthoor to Ricky Taylor to Earl Bamber — and the depth doesn’t stop there. Daytona and Le Mans winners like Filipe Albuquerque, Kevin Estre and Louis Delétraz bring proven 24-hour experience, while endurance-only additions elevate the spectacle even further.
IndyCar royalty Scott Dixon and Alex Palou, NASCAR’s AJ Allmendinger, and Formula 1 reserves Frederik Vesti and Colton Herta join the grid, along with past F1 driver Kevin Magnussen. It’s the kind of crossover talent mix that has helped the Rolex 24 grow into the most star-studded motorsport weekend in America.
Manufacturers arrive with something to prove. Porsche enters as the defending overall winner, having broken the Acura and Cadillac streaks. Acura looks to reclaim dominance, Cadillac wants to restart a new streak, BMW seeks its first overall Daytona win since 2013, and Aston Martin aims for its first-ever overall crown.
LMP2: 14 Cars, Tight Competition, and Familiar Contenders
LMP2 remains IMSA’s most unpredictable class — and that’s why fans love it. Four different teams have won the last four years, and the 14-car field, all running the ORECA 07, may be the strongest to date.
Defending winners United Autosports USA return with two cars, while Inter Europol Competition also doubles up. Expect fierce competition from AO Racing’s “Spike,” which nearly won in 2025 before mechanical trouble cost them dearly. Their pace last season — including a Le Mans Pro/Am win and the IMSA title — makes them early 2026 favorites.
The class also brings fresh storylines:
- Logan Sargeant makes his Rolex 24 debut.
- Pietro and Enzo Fittipaldi, grandsons of Emerson, share a Pratt Miller LMP2.
- PR1/Mathiasen joins forces with Bryan Herta Autosport, marking Hyundai’s early steps toward prototype involvement.
For a class that thrives on unpredictability, this year may be the hardest to forecast.
GTD PRO: 15 Cars, 9 Manufacturers, and Extraordinary Parity
The last four Rolex 24s in GTD PRO have delivered four different winners — Porsche, Mercedes-AMG, Ferrari and Ford — showcasing one of the most balanced GT fields anywhere in the world.
All four past winners return for 2026:
- Porsche fields “Rexy” and Manthey’s iconic “Grello.”
- Ford brings back its two Mustang GT3 entries.
- Mercedes-AMG returns with three strong customer cars.
- Ferrari reappears with Risi Competizione.
But it’s the challengers who’ll add intrigue:
- Chevrolet’s Corvette Z06 GT3.R continues its climb toward top-class GT wins.
- Lamborghini gives the Huracán GT3 Evo2 its final Rolex outing.
- Lexus hunts its first GTD PRO Daytona win with the reliable RC F GT3.
- BMW seeks a new GT3-era victory after its 2019–2020 GTLM success.
- Rahal Letterman Lanigan returns with McLaren for the first time in three years.
IndyCar stars also join: Will Power makes his Rolex 24 debut, while Kyle Kirkwood adds extra firepower to Lexus.
GTD: 21 Cars, 9 Manufacturers, Pure Depth
GTD is Daytona’s traditional mega-class, and 2026 delivers 21 entries from nine manufacturers. Parity remains a defining feature, with Porsche, Aston Martin, Mercedes-AMG and Chevrolet winning the last four editions.
Defending winners AWA, newly branded as 13 Autosport, return with three of their four victorious drivers. Winward Racing, a two-time class winner, returns with its potent Mercedes-AMG lineup. Ford stays in the spotlight with a Mustang GT3 featuring ex-F1 and IndyCar driver Romain Grosjean.
With no manufacturer holding more than four entries, GTD is shaping up to be one of the most strategic and unpredictable fights of the weekend — the kind of class where a late-race yellow always has the potential to rewrite everything.
Countdown to the Roar and the Rolex 24
The season begins with the mandatory Roar Before the Rolex 24, running January 16–18. The main event unfolds January 22–25, when 61 cars chase the first win of the year — and the most coveted watch in motorsports.
The Rolex 24 isn’t just another endurance race. It’s the pulse of North American sports-car racing — the one event that blends international star power, factory commitment and pure motorsport grit. With a field this deep, 2026 may give us one of the most competitive editions in recent memory.
Click HERE for full 2026 Daytona 24hrs entry list
IMAGES: IMSA
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