America’s biggest sportscar race is on the horizon with this year’s Daytona 24 Hours kickstarting the 2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship on 27-28 January.
Drivers will tackle a daunting 24-hour race at the prestigious Daytona International Speedway in Florida, which has held the event since 1962.
There are also many big names racing at Daytona this year with Alex Palou, Marcus Ericsson and 2009 Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button on the grid.
All three drivers will be going for overall victory in the GTP class, which is currently stacked featuring major manufacturers like BMW, Cadillac and Porsche who also compete in the World Endurance Championship’s hypercar class.
But the LMP2 subsidiary class is also rammed with talent, with ex-F1 star Felipe Massa and IndyCar aces Pato O’Ward and Scott McLaughlin amongst those entered. It is the first time since 2020 that the LMP3 category will not feature.
There is also the GTD classes, which are for GT3-based cars and divided into two categories (all-Pro and Pro-Am) featuring drivers like Romain Grosjean, Mike Conway and reigning Super Formula champion Ritomo Miyata.
So, preparation is firmly underway for the 62nd edition of Daytona 24 and here are all the times needed to watch the action.
When is the Daytona 24 Hours?
- Date: Saturday 27 January – Sunday 28 January
- Start time: 1:40pm ET
* – All times in ET
The opening round of the 2024 IMSA season, the Daytona 24 Hours, starts at 1:40pm Eastern Time in Florida. However, before the race weekend begins are multiple practice sessions and qualifying, so preparation actually begins a week at the ‘Roar Before the 24’.
|
Date |
Session |
Session start time |
|
Sunday 21 January |
Qualifying (GTD/GTD Pro) |
1:55pm ET |
|
Sunday 21 January |
Qualifying (LMP2) |
2:20pm ET |
|
Sunday 21 January |
Qualifying (GTP) |
2:45pm ET |
|
Thursday 25 January |
Practice 1 (all classes) |
10:05am ET |
|
Thursday 25 January |
Practice 2 (GTD/LMP2) |
2:10pm ET |
|
Thursday 25 January |
Practice 2 (GTD Pro/GTP) |
2:25pm ET |
|
Thursday 25 January |
Practice 3 (all classes) |
6:35pm ET |
|
Friday 26 January |
Practice 4 (all classes) |
11:20am ET |
|
Saturday 27 January |
Daytona 24 Hours |
1:40pm ET |
How can I watch the Daytona 24 Hours?
In America, NBC’s Peacock streaming service is broadcasting the entire Daytona 24 Hours live, with coverage beginning at 1:30pm ET on Saturday 27 January, while network NBC will simultaneously air the opening 50 minutes and closing 1hr40mins plus 20 mins of post-race reaction.
Meanwhile, USA Network is live broadcasting 13.5 hours of the race at various stages.
Qualifying for Daytona 24 is also being streamed on Peacock with coverage beginning at 1:25pm and finishing at 3pm ET on Sunday 21 January.
Non-American viewers can watch the Daytona 24 Hours live via streaming on IMSA.tv, whose coverage begins on Sunday 21 January with a five-minute build up to qualifying at 1:55pm ET. IMSA.tv will also broadcast the entire race with its stream starting at 1:35pm ET on Saturday 27 January.
Where can I watch highlights of the Daytona 24 Hours?
Last year the official IMSA YouTube channel published highlights soon after Daytona 24 had finished, while the following week a replay of the race was uploaded in four parts.
So, follow the various IMSA platforms to watch a Daytona 24 Hours highlights package – or replay – as soon as it drops.
What type of track is Daytona International Speedway?
The Daytona International Speedway sports car course is a 3.56-mile layout with 12 corners.
It features all four turns of the banked oval, but a lap starts with the twisty infield section that makes up the opening six corners.
There is also the ‘Bus Stop’ chicane on the back stretch, so drivers are not racing in a complete oval like they are for NASCAR’s Daytona 500.
Daytona 24 Hours weather forecast
The Daytona 24 Hours is expected to take place in warm weather conditions as temperatures will reach 77-degrees Fahrenheit for race start with a humidity level of 70%.
Temperatures are expected to stay above 64-degrees Fahrenheit for the race entirety, with a projected high of 79F, but rain chances are 51% on Saturday evening and 53% on Sunday.
But, due to the tropical climate, this forecast can change very quickly.
IMSA at Daytona schedule
|
Date and Time |
Event |
|
Wednesday 24 January |
|
|
1pm - 1:45pm ET |
Mazda MX-5 Cup practice 1 |
|
3:05pm - 4:05pm ET |
Michelin Challenge practice 1 |
|
4:20pm - 5:05pm ET |
Mazda MX-5 Cup practice 2 |
|
Thursday 25 January |
|
|
8:45am - 9:45am ET |
Michelin Challenge practice 2 |
|
10:05am - 11:35am ET |
IMSA practice 1 (all classes) |
|
11:55am - 12:15pm ET |
Mazda MX-5 Cup qualifying |
|
1:15pm - 1:30pm ET |
Michelin Challenge TCR qualifying |
|
1:35pm - 1:50pm ET |
Michelin Challenge GS qualifying |
|
2:10pm - 3:40pm ET |
IMSA practice 2 (GTD/LMP2) |
|
2:25pm - 3:55pm ET |
IMSA practice 2 (GTD Pro/GTP) |
|
4:15pm - 5pm ET |
Mazda MX-5 Cup race 1 - 45 minutes |
|
6:35pm - 8:05pm ET |
IMSA practice 3 (all classes) |
|
Friday 26 January |
|
|
9:25am - 9:55am ET |
Michelin Challenge practice 3 |
|
10:15am - 11am ET |
Mazda MX-5 Cup race 2 - 45 minutes |
|
11:20am - 12:20pm ET |
IMSA practice 4 (all classes) |
|
1:45pm - 5:45pm ET |
Michelin Challenge race - four hours |
|
Saturday 27 January |
|
|
1:40pm ET |
Daytona 24 Hours race starts |
|
Sunday 28 January |
|
|
1:40pm ET |
Daytona 24 Hours race finishes |
