AJ Allmendinger to race in Rolex 24 at Daytona

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver AJ Allmendinger will participate in the 2018 edition of the Rolex 24 at Daytona with Michael Shank Racing. The race takes place Jan. 27-28 at Daytona International Speedway.

This will mark the fourth time in five years Allmendinger has participated in the sports car race organized by IMSA as part of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

“I am pumped to be back racing for Shank in the 24!” Allmendinger said in a team release. “I missed the race last year and I hated to, so I’m really glad to be back. His whole team did an awesome job with the Acura last year and it is awesome to be back with him for the Rolex.

“After racing for the overall win so many years in Prototypes, it will be a completely different experience to be racing in the GTD class, but I’m looking forward to it. Mike (Shank) always puts an awesome team together and this year is no different so I am counting down to get my first shot in this car.”

Allmendinger will be joined in the team’s No. 93 Acura NXS GT3 entry by Justin Marks, Lawson Aschenbach and Mario Farnbacher. Marks has dabbled in NASCAR’s national series and won the 2016 XFINITY Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Aschenbach has one career XFINITY Series start, while Farnbacher has made no NASCAR national series starts.

The Rolex 24 has been run since 1962 and is considered North America’s most prestigious sports car race. The day to night to day race pushes a driver’s and machine’s limits across Daytona’s 3.56-mile road course over 24 hours. A three-day test, the Roar Before the Rolex 24 on Jan. 5-7, serves as a test for competitors three weeks before the race.