24 Hours of Daytona 2026: A strong field ahead of the IMSA season opener

As the start of the season approaches...IMSA 2026, scheduled for January 24th and 25th with the 24 Hours of Daytona, the entrants will first have to assess themselves during the traditional " Roar before the 24 This dress rehearsal will take place from January 16th to 18th at the Daytona International Speedway.

Porsche will be ready to defend its title and is certainly aiming for a third consecutive victory as well as a third straight title in IMSA GTP. The German manufacturer will therefore field no fewer than nine vehicles across all categories.

Felipe Nasr (Porsche Penske Motorsport), a member of the winning crew in 2024 and 2025, will this time be partnered with Julien Andlauer and Laurin Heinrich. Meanwhile, Laurens Vanthoor, winner of the 2025 edition, will share the wheel of his Porsche 963 with Kevin Estre and Matt Campbell.

In GTD Pro, Vasser Sullivan Racing will also be aiming for victory on the final lap of its No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 before the arrival of the new Toyota GR GT3 in 2027. The same challenge faces Lamborghini, which will bid farewell to the Huracán GT3 Evo 2 before the Temerario GT3 makes its debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March. Another major attraction of this 2026 edition: the first appearance of theAston Martin Valkyrie during the flagship event of the championshipEndurance.

The crews involved

The 2026 lineup will also feature a particularly strong cast, with many former drivers from Formula 1, winners ofIndyCar and figures of the NASCARAmong them are Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Connor Zilisch, and AJ Allmendinger. Kevin Magnussen or Colton Herta in GTP; Logan sargeant (LMP2); James Hinchcliffe, Kyle Kirkwood, Will Power and Chaz Mostert in GTD Pro or even Romain Grosjean, Scott McLaughlin and Marcus Ericsson in GTD.

Initially entered in LMP2 with Tõnis Kasemets, former Champ Car World Series driver and IMSA Prototype Challenge champion, the Tõnis team ultimately withdrew from the event.

The LMP2 category will thus bring together 13 crews, all equipped with ORECA chassis. The GT3 grid will also feature 36 cars, divided between 15 entries in GTD Pro and 21 in GTD.

Only two crew compositions remain incomplete. The fourth pilot of the McLaren The RLL McLaren team's GT3 Evo #59 (GTD Pro) and the fourth driver of the Van der Steur Racing team's Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo #19 (GTD) have not yet been officially announced.

The Tricolores

The participants represent over thirty nationalities. Several French drivers will be worth watching closely. In GTP, Kevin Estre and Julien Andlauer will represent Porsche Penske Motorsport. In LMP2, France will be represented by Sébastien Bourdais (Tower Motorsport), Charles Milesi (TDS Racing), Tom Dillmann (Inter Europol Competition), and François Perrodo (AF Corse USA), partnered with Matthieu Vaxivière, will carry French hopes. For the GTD category, Esteban Masson (Vasser Sullivan Racing), Romain Grosjean (Myers Riley Motorsports), and Valentin Hasse Clot (Van der Steur Racing), who will share the #19 with Sébastien Baud, will also be present. Lilou Wadoux completes the French contingent. She will drive the Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo from AF Corse USA in GTD alongside Antonio Fuoco.

See you on January 24 and 25 for the 24 2026 Hours of Daytona.

The complete list of entrants for the " Roar before the 24 »2026.

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