DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Four-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon will headline the list of drivers participating in this weekend’s Roar Before the 24 on Daytona International Speedway‘s road course. And the traditional three-day test for IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Series’ season-opening Rolex 24 once again features a talented and diverse driver lineup.
For only the second time in his renowned career, Gordon will be among those testing at Daytona in preparation for the Jan. 28-29 race, widely seen as the traditional start to America’s big league motorsports season.
Gordon will co-drive the No. 10 Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA Cadillac DPi-V.R prototype for Wayne Taylor Racing — the same team he finished third overall with in his only other Rolex start in 2007.
The laps this weekend will be crucial for the team — which also includes drivers Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor and Max Angelelli — since it got limited time on track in a less formal test session at Daytona in December.
“I had so much fun the first time I did this,” Gordon said. “And at this point of my life and career (winning the Rolex 24) would be huge. When I came here in 2007 I was just kind of along for the ride. When you really realize how important this race is, is on race day when you see the hype and buildup and then the challenges you face over 24 hours. That’s what makes this race so thrilling. I’d be very proud (if we won).”
This year’s Rolex 24 will mark the debut of new racing classifications for IMSA. Gordon’s car will be among 12 vying in the headline Prototype class. In all, 50 cars representing four classifications are expected at Daytona this weekend and later this month competing in the twice-around-the-clock race.
Some of NASCAR’s other big name drivers who previously competed in the Rolex — Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson, for example — are not participating. However their NASCAR team owner Chip Ganassi still has three cars entered in the GT LeMans (GTLM) class. This team won in class at LeMans last year, and Chip Ganassi Racing is already the most decorated team in Rolex history with six overall victories.
Former NASCAR Cup Rookie of the Year Andy Lally as well as popular drivers Boris Said and Scott Pruett will be competing alongside IndyCar greats such as Scott Dixon and Sebastien Bourdais. Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay and IndyCar championship contender Graham Rahal will team up as well.
Five-time Rolex champion Pruett will be steering the new Lexus in the 25-car GT Daytona class. A sixth Rolex watch would make him the winningest driver in the great race’s history, breaking a tie with the legendary Hurley Haywood.
The traditional Roar Before the 24 gets underway Friday. Teams return to the World Center of Racing on Thursday, Jan. 26 for practice and pole qualifying in preparation for the green flag at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28.