64th Running of the Rolex 24hrs at Daytona This Weekend
As the motorsport world turns its attention to the 64th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, final preparations wrapped up this weekend during the Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. While a handful of spectator incidents served as reminders of the event’s raw intensity, the real headline was clear: OEMs—led decisively by Porsche—used the final test sessions to showcase speed, reliability, and depth ahead of IMSA’s premier endurance race.
With the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship set to open under the lights at Daytona, the Roar once again delivered critical insight into which manufacturers and teams may shape the 24-hour narrative.
Porsche Sets the Benchmark in GTP
If momentum matters heading into endurance racing’s most prestigious North American event, Porsche arrives with confidence. Across three days of testing, Porsche machinery consistently topped the timing sheets in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class.
Porsche entries paced four of the first six Roar sessions, including multiple 1-2-3 and 1-2 finishes. The factory Porsche Penske Motorsport No. 6 and No. 7 Porsche 963s were strong throughout, but they were not alone.
One of the weekend’s standout performances came from JDC-Miller MotorSports, whose No. 85 Porsche 963—running in 2025 specification—proved that customer teams remain a serious threat. Rising star Nico Pino, just 21 years old, set the fastest overall lap in Sunday morning’s Session 6 with a 1:37.099 around the 3.56-mile road course, averaging nearly 132 mph.
With one of the youngest driver lineups in the 11-car GTP field, JDC-Miller’s speed reinforced Porsche’s depth across factory and customer programs—an increasingly important advantage in a 24-hour endurance race.
Tight GTP Competition Among OEM Rivals
Despite Porsche’s dominance, the GTP class looks anything but settled. In Session 6, the top seven GTP cars were separated by less than half a second, underlining how competitive the 2026 field has become.
Behind Porsche, Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing placed both V-Series.R entries solidly in the mix, driven by Ricky Taylor and Jordan Taylor. BMW M Team WRT also showed strong pace with the BMW M Hybrid V8, piloted by drivers including Kevin Magnussen and René Rast.
With Acura, Cadillac, BMW, and Porsche all demonstrating race-winning speed, the Rolex 24 is shaping up to be a strategic chess match as much as a sprint for outright pace.
LMP2 Consistency and GT Class Firepower
In LMP2, United Autosports USA emerged as the clear benchmark. The No. 2 ORECA LMP2 07, driven by Ben Hanley, led the class once again in Session 6 and paced four of the first six Roar sessions—an early signal of reliability and execution.
The GT categories delivered equally compelling OEM narratives. In GTD PRO, the No. 75 Mercedes-AMG GT3 topped the charts for a fourth time, with team owner Kenny Habul setting the fastest GTD PRO lap of the weekend. The lineup reads like an international all-star roster, featuring Chaz Mostert, Will Power, and Maro Engel—a blend of touring car, IndyCar, and factory GT excellence.
Meanwhile, Ford Performance made its presence known in GTD, with the Ford Mustang GT3 dominating much of the weekend. The No. 66 Gradient Racing Mustang, driven by Joey Hand, edged out the GTD PRO benchmark time and, along with the No. 16 entry, led five of six sessions—strong momentum for Ford heading into race week.
Fans Tune In as IMSA’s Digital Reach Grows
Beyond the track, IMSA scored a major engagement win. A surprise, unannounced livestream of Saturday night’s Roar session drew over 105,000 live viewers on YouTube, generating more than 11,000 chat messages during the broadcast. Since then, tens of thousands more have watched the replay.
The spontaneous stream highlighted growing fan appetite for behind-the-scenes access and reinforced the Rolex 24’s status as a global endurance racing spectacle.
Final Thoughts Ahead of Race Week
As teams transition from testing to race execution, the Roar Before the Rolex 24 confirmed one thing: manufacturer performance is razor-sharp across every class. Porsche may leave Daytona testing as the headline act, but Cadillac, BMW, Acura, Mercedes-AMG, and Ford have all shown they are ready to challenge when the green flag drops.
With final preparations complete, all eyes now turn to January 24, when endurance racing’s greatest prize—and a coveted Rolex watch—will once again be decided over 24 relentless hours at Daytona.
Click HERE for Final Practice Session Results.
