Viewer’s guide 2021 Rolex 24 at Daytona live stream: Watch the full 24 hours Race Coverage
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Originally known as the 24 Hours of DAYTONA, the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually that kicks off the new IMSA Weather Tech SportsCar Championship season at Daytona International Speedway. There are traditionally around 60 cars in the field competing for the overall victory as well as four different classes. Each team trades shifts between three and five drivers.
How to Watch the Rolex 24 At Daytona
With the 2021 season officially underway, the stage is set for IMSA’s longest and most challenging race of the season, the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Whether you plan to watch the full 24 hours or just get social media updates, you can count on coverage being plentiful, and available on all platforms.
This year’s Rolex 24 has featured a frenetic run-up to a prestigious season opener that will have a formidable lineup top to bottom across the largest field in the sports car endurance classic since 2018.
The Speedway is planning to safely host a reduced, limited number of fans in the venue and the infield for the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA weekend in accordance with current guidelines from state and local government, medical professionals, and public health officials.
Saturday, January 30th
3:30-4:30 p.m. ET – NBC
4:30-8 p.m. ET – NBCSN
8-11 p.m. ET – NBC App
11 p.m.-12 a.m. ET – NBCSN
Sunday, January 31st
12 a.m.-3 a.m. ET – NBCSN
3-6 a.m. ET – NBC App
6 a.m.-2 p.m. ET – NBCSN
2-4 p.m. ET – NBC
Streaming and PPV:
-Commercial free, flag to flag coverage is available on NBC Sports Gold TrackPass and also International viewers can watch all 24 hours here
In addition to seating adjustments, for the safety of the competitors and staff, the garages, paddock and pit road will be closed to fans, and the grid walk and ballfield access will also be closed to fans during pre-race activities. Detailed event and safety information is available at .
Rolex 24 At DAYTONA Schedule
For more than five decades, Daytona International Speedway’s 24-hour race has proved a fun-filled adventure for race fans and all other Daytona Beach area visitors. √
In the DPi division, Wayne Taylor Racing has switched from running the No. 10 Cadillac (which has won three of the past four Rolex 24s) to Acura, which also has added Meyer Shank Racing (which is moving up from the GTD division) to replace the former two-car effort from Team Penske.
There are numerous driver and manufacturer changes in the premier DPi division, starting with the two-time defending Rolex 24 at Daytona winner. Wayne Taylor Racing has switched from Cadillac to Acura and also brought in new full-time drivers Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque. Joining the No. 10 at Daytona will be Helio Castroneves and Alexander Rossi. Daytona 24 Hours final practice result Pos Class Driver Team Gap 1 DPi T.Vautier, L.Duval, S.Bourdais JDC-Miller Motorsports 1m35.085s 2 DPi R.van der Zande, K.Magnussen, S.Dixon Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing 0.012s 3 DPi O.Jarvis, H.Tincknell, J.Bomarito Mazda Motorsports 0.047s 4 DPi R.Taylor, F.Albuquerque, A.Rossi, H.Castroneves Konica Minolta Acura 0.053s 5 DPi F.Nasr, M.Conway, P.Derani, C.Elliott Whelen Engineering Racing 0.667s 6 DPi J.Johnson, K.Kobayashi, S.Pagenaud, M.Rockenfeller Ally Cadillac Racing 0.732s 7 LMP2 J.Farano, G.Aubry, T.Buret, M.Vaxiviere Tower Motorsport by Starworks 1.363s 8 LMP2 D.Andersen, F.Habsburg, A.Fjordbach, R.Kubica High Class Racing 1.487s 9 DPi D.Cameron, O.Pla, J.P.Montoya, A.Allmendinger Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian 1.669s 10 LMP2 S.Thomas, T.Nunez, T.Merrill, M.Bell WIN Autosport 1.786s 11 LMP2 R.Hodes, G.Grist, R.Van Kalmthout, B.Hanley Dragonspeed USA 2.020s 12 LMP2 R.Lacorte, A.Fuoco, A.Belicchi, G.Sernagiotto Cetilar Racing 2.670s 13 LMP2 E.Lux, D.Defrancesco, F.Schiller, C.Mies Dragonspeed USA 2.807s 14 LMP2 D.Merriman, K.Tilley, R.Dalziel, P-L.Chatin Era Motorsport 3.019s 15 LMP2 C.Ware, S.Yoluc, A.Dillon, S.Muller RWR Eurasia 3.711s 16 LMP2 F.van Eerd, G.van der Garde, J.van Uitert, C.Milesi Racing Team Nederland 3.718s 17 LMP2 B.Keating, M.Jensen, S.Huffaker, N.Lapierre PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports 4.103s 18 GTLM J.Calado, A.P.Guidi, J.Gounon, D.Rigon Risi Competizione 7.499s 19 GTLM C.MacNeil, K.Estre, R.Lietz, G.Bruni WeatherTech Racing 7.518s 20 GTLM T.Milner, N.Tandy, A.Sims Corvette Racing 7.641s 21 GTLM C.De Phillippi, P.Eng, T.Glock, B.Spengler BMW Team RLL 7.825s 22 GTLM J.M.Edwards, J.Krohn, A.Farfus, M.Wittmann BMW Team RLL 7.835s 23 GTLM A.Garcia, J.Taylor, N.Catsburg Corvette Racing 7.937s 24 LMP3 J.Cox, D.Murry, A.McCusker, J.Bleekemolen Riley Motorsports 7.987s 25 LMP3 R.Lindh, C.Cassels, M.Llarena, A.Ori Performance Tech Motorsports 8.624s 26 LMP3 M.Kranz, L.Horr, K.Koch, S.McAleer Muehlner Motorsports America 9.115s 27 GTD M.Goikhberg, F.Perera, A.Costa, T.Zimmermann GRT Grasser Racing Team 10.498s 28 GTD R.Ineichen, M.Bortolotti, S.Schothorst, M.Mapelli GRT Grasser Racing Team 10.652s 29 GTD S.Mann, N.Nielsen, D.Serra, M.Cressoni AF Corse 10.902s 30 GTD M.Root, C.Eastwood, B.Keating, R.Westbrook TF Sport 10.926s 31 GTD T.Hindman, P.Long, J.Heylen, K.Bachler Wright Motorsports 11.009s 32 GTD R.Ferriol, E.Bamber, K.Legge, C.Nielsen Team Hardpoint EBM 11.326s 33 GTD B.Sellers, M.Snow, C.Lewis, A.Caldarelli Paul Miller Racing 11.340s 34 GTD R.Megennis, Z.Veach, T.Bell, F.Montecalvo Vasser Sullivan 11.390s 35 GTD J.Potter, A.Lally, S.Pumpelly, M.Farnbacher Magnus with Archangel 11.426s 36 GTD R.Ward, P.Ellis, I.Dontje, M.Engel Winward Racing 11.961s 37 GTD D.Morad, M.De Quesada, B.Johnson, M.Buhk Alegra Motorsports 11.976s 38 GTD Z.Robichon, L.Vanthoor, L.Kern, M.Campbell Pfaff Motorsports 12.188s 39 GTD B.Auberlen, R.Foley, A.Read, C.Herta Turner Motorsport 12.690s 40 GTD I.James, R.De Angelis, D.Turner, R.Gunn Heart of Racing Team 13.674s 41 LMP3 M.Kvamme, R.Norman, G.Chaves, T.Estep Forty7 Motorsports 13.724s 42 LMP3 G.Robinson, S.Pigot, S.Andrews, O.Askew Riley Motorsports 13.740s 43 LMP3 L.Willsey, J.Barbosa, W.Boyd, Y.Clairay Sean Creech Motorsport 28.812s 44 GTD A.Telitz, O.Gavin, K.Kirkwood, J.Hawksworth Vasser Sullivan – 45 GTD A.Metni, A.Davis, J.Hildebrand, D.Yount NTE Sport – 46 LMP3 J.Bennett, G.Kurtz, C.Braun, M.McMurry CORE Autosport – 47 GTD E.Jones, B.Curtis, R.Briscoe, M.Gomes Scuderia Corsa – 48 GTD T.Giovanis, O.Trinkler, H.Plumb, M.Plumb Team TGM – 49 GTD K.Habul, R.Marciello, M.Grenier, L.Stolz Sun Energy 1 –
2021 Rolex 24 at Daytona - The Live Blog
Hour 13:14, Caution #8: The No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing team is taking this safety car opportunity to do a brake change on their Acura DPi. Their brake change is relatively slow, but this is no major issue under safety car anyway.
Because of the change, the No. 48 Cadillac will move into the race lead.
Hour 13:02, Caution #8: The No. 52 LMP2 car, running well off the pace in that class, is stopped in the infield and facing the wrong way. The car is not re-starting, so the car’s recovery will bring out the eighth full course caution of the day.
Hour 12:50: The overnight hours are melting away, and, apart from the painful penalty for the No. 01 Cadillac, nothing has changed significantly on track in quite some time. The remaining contenders in GTLM are all running within a 30 second window behind the leading Corvettes, the GTD field is still being led by the No. 57 Mercedes while cycling seemingly at random as teams do brake changes and give their weaker drivers overnight seat time, and the LMP2 and LMP3 races are still fairly non-competitive. The No. 8 leads LMP2 by 40 seconds, while the No. 74 leads LMP3 by three full laps.
Hour 12:35: The beneficiary of the No. 01’s penalty is the No. 31 Cadillac. That Action Express Racing car has moved from fifth to third overall, gaining one position from that penalty and another by passing the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura.
Hour 12:30: The No. 01’s charge to the lead will be a little bit more difficult than that. Dixon has served a stop-plus-twenty penalty for speeding by an extreme margin on the pit lane. That car is more than a minute behind the leaders, but remains on the lead lap.
Hour 12:25: Scott Dixon is back in the No. 01 Cadillac, which should be back to running third after this set of stops cycles. Dixon has been among the fastest drivers in this race, and the Ganassi team’s three-driver rotation means he and fellow timing sheet standout Renger van der Zande have been in the car for the majority of the race.
In the stints they don’t run, Chip Ganassi Racing turns to 2020 Haas F1 driver Kevin Magnussen. A very strong lineup.
Hour 12:14: That undiagnosed mechanical issue appears to be the direct result of contact with the No. 11 LMP2 car, which you may remember from its brake problems that have taken it out of contention in-class.
Hour 12:10: The No. 10 GTD Audi is heading behind the wall with an undiagnosed mechanical issue. That car had been driving slowly around the apron for the past few minutes and will not bring out a safety car.
Hour 12:00: Congratulations, you’ve made it to the halfway mark! 12 hours remain in this race. Yes, at 3:40 AM local time. This late start was certainly a strange choice!
Hour 11:58: The No. 11 LMP2 car is in the garage after failing to fix an earlier brake problem. That car, previously the class leader, is now three laps down.
Hour 11:50: Pagenaud never got past Albuquerque, and has since been replaced in that No. 48 Cadillac by Mike Rockenfeller, who runs three seconds behind the No. 10 Acura leading overall.
Hour 11:30: Albuquerque has been under consistent pressure from Pagenaud for ten minutes, but retains his lead by about half a second.
If you order the power ballad compilation in the next 18 minutes, you also get a Queen compilation.
Hour 11:28: Wait, isn’t an all power ballad compilation too many power ballads in a row? You can only listen to two power ballads in a row, max. That’s just too much concentrated emotion. Every classic rock DJ knows you need to dilute that with album cuts and fluffy stadium rock hits. What is NBC Sports Network doing?!
Hour 11:20: The battle for the overall lead is back under a second again. This time, the No. 10 Acura is being chased by the No. 48 Cadillac with Filipe Albuquerque and Simon Pagenaud in the cars, respectively.
While Pagenaud aggressively pursues the lead, NBC Sports Newtork has moved on to paid programming. The race can still be found on their online stream, as the television broadcast has been deemed less important than a TimeLife infomercial for a power ballad compilation.
Hour 10:47: The No. 14 Lexus, the remaining healthy Vasser Sulivan entry after the No. 12 caught fire earlier in the race, spent about fifteen minutes behind the wall with a “water systems issue” and is now running four laps down in-class:
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Water systems issue, whatever that means — Ryan Myrehn (@RyanMyrehn) January 31, 2021
Hour 10:40: The great GTD tumult continues: The No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes now leads the #75 Sun Energy 1 Mercedes, while the No. 21 Ferrari that has led for the past few hours now runs third.
Hour 10:35: The No. 55 Mazda stops under green to repair a broken taillight. That car is running sixth, now two laps down.
With the No. 5 Cadillac well out of contention after its issues resulting from an earlier crash, three Cadillacs and two Acuras make up the lead lap, and by extent, the group contending to win overall.
Hour 10:30: Back to green. Filipe Albuquerque makes a great choice on the restart, and the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura becomes the first non-Cadillac to lead overall. A poor restart from the lead now has Ganassi’s Kevin Magnussen holding off Simon Pagenaud for second.
Hour 10:25, Caution #7: The No. 48 Cadillac just underwent a serious service under the safety car, ending with the car not starting under its own power. A quick push got the Cadillac DPi going again, but that is a worrying sign for a leading contender with more than 13 hours left in this one.
Hour 10:10, Caution #7: Lexus No. 12, the Vasser Sullivan GTD entry that had gone laps down with an issue after leading the early portion of this race, is stopped and on fire in the bus stop chicane. The safety car is out to recover it.
Hour 9:58: Speaking of LMP3, the No. 54 CORE Autosport car is back in the garage with a brake issue. That car was running fourth in class after being the first LMP3 entry to make a mandatory brake change.
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Broken brake reservoir - going back to the garage. #Rolex24 — CORE autosport (@COREautosport) January 31, 2021
Hour 9:56: Don’t forget that an LMP3 race is happening here! Yes, at one point a car led by two laps. Yes, that lead is now under a minute.
The No. 6, the class leader from Muelhner Motorsports, just had a brief off-track excursion at the bus stop chicane without ever actually coming to a stop or turning in the wrong direction. That car returns with fairly minor damage and seems to have lost very little time.
Hour 9:43: As one might expect, lap-by-lap data seems to show that the Cadillacs have a modest pace advantage on both the Acuras and the lone Mazda.
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DPi car comparison after hour 9. Looks like Cadillacs are about 2 tenths up. Acura & Mazda evenly matched. pic.twitter.com/ByZ3PpqswU — Kevin Welling (@kevin_welling) January 31, 2021
Hour 9:28: Vindication! The No. 5 Cadillac’s penalty has been rescinded:
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Per #IMSA, penalty on the No. 5 (Vautier) has been rescinded. Doesn’t change much though, the car has been behind the wall for 20+ minutes.#IMSA #Rolex24 — Ryan Myrehn (@RyanMyrehn) January 31, 2021
Of course, that car is still behind the wall and their race is still effectively over.
Hour 9:23: The previous incident between the No. 5 Cadillac and No. 16 Porsche has already been decided on by the stewards, but Jan Heylen, driver of the Porsche, says another car was involved. An NBC audit of blurry camera feeds seems to show involvement by that third car: The No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche currently running fourth in GTD. Folks, the plot has thickened.
Hour 9:20: The lead has changed during that last cycle of stops. Jimmie Johnson, who was about 3/4ths of a second ahead of Renger van der Zande before that cycle of stops, has fallen to second as van der Zande takes the lead for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Cadillac No. 5 is still behind the wall, a catastrophic result for that team.
Hour 9:08: The situation with the No. 5 Cadillac has gone from bad to worse: When Tristan Vautier gets back on track, he will have to serve a penalty for causing the collision that sent the Cadillac behind the wall.
Hour 9:07: For the first time today, a contender for the overall win has a problem.
It’s the No. 5 JDC Miller Cadillac, behind the wall with an undisclosed issue after light contact with the No. 16 Porsche. That car’s engine cover is currently off and it will likely lose a few laps. Driver Tristan Vautier has had that car running around fourth for the majority of this stint, but it led earlier in the race.
Hour 9:00: A huge test coming up for NASCAR legend and IndyCar rookie Jimmie Johnson: Renger van der Zande has been quicker this entire stint, but not significantly so. Now, he’s a second and a half behind Johnson and will soon have a shot to fight for the lead. How will Johnson handle the pressure of a fight for position in what is effectively his first-ever race in a downforce car?
Hour 8:40: One of the great appeals of this race as it exists today is that so many of racing’s best drivers are given a chance to compete for the overall win in fast, modern cars. Obviously the on-track battles are the highlight, but lap time comparisons allow us to review drivers who haven’t been near each other on track yet. This average speed metric is particularly interesting, rewarding both speed and consistency.
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Average DPi lap times after 8 hours.
A lot of people on the timeline praising Kobayashi. It’s warranted. pic.twitter.com/RXfyOVusc2 — Avery Hage (@AveryHage) January 31, 2021
Kamui Kobayashi is the headline, as fast as he looks. Scott Dixon’s pace, best for a part-time driver, is similarly impressive.
Hour 8:35: Jimmie Johnson is back in the No. 48, his second stint of the day. He spent most of his first stint getting used to the car, but will now inherit a race lead. He will be chased by Renger van der Zande in the Ganassi car, a serious test for Johnson.
Hour 8:15: Kamui Kobayashi now has a 15 second lead, and has been so consistently fast that co-driver Jimmie Johnson was caught on camera shaking his head in such disbelief that NBC sent a pit reporter over to make sure Johnson did not just get race-alteringly bad news. Kobayashi has been exceptionally in these Cadillac DPis since he joined Wayne Taylor Racing in this role two years ago.
Hour 7:48: Another hour, another three-car battle for the GTD lead. This time, it’s the No. 21 Ferrari, No. 1 Lamborghini, and No. 9 Porsche all covered by two seconds.
Hour 7:36: Cadillac No. 48 is back to the overall lead, thanks to a nifty outside-inside move into turn 1 by Action Express driver Kamui Kobayashi.
Hour 7:30: The No. 3 Corvette is now ahead of the No. 4 Corvette, but GTLM is still a 1-2 for the C8.R
Hour 7:02: The No. 48’s lead lasts all of one lap, and Scott Dixon has the No. 01 back into the lead
Hour 7:01: Duval serves his penalty, and the No. 48 Action Express Cadillac leads for the first time today. All four Cadillacs entered in this race have led at one point or another.
Hour 6:58: The No. 5 Cadillac has been given a drive-through penalty for Loic Duval’s aggressive move on the restart, which was deemed a jump. When Duval serves the penalty, the No. 48 will inherit the race lead.
Hour 6:50: Back to green. Helio Castroneves makes a huge swing in the No. 10 Acura and briefly moves up to the lead before falling back to fourth. Dixon, the leader, falls to third, and Loic Duval has moved the No. 5 Cadillac into the race lead overall.
Hour 6:45, Caution #6: The CORE No. 54 LMP3 entry is undergoing an early brake change during this safety car. That car, being run by the team that recently ran Porsche’s factory GTLM program, is among the heavy favorites in LMP3, but has not been among the leaders today.
Hour 6:30, Caution #6: The No. 19 Lamborghini is stopped on track, bringing out the safety car. That car has been running well behind the leaders in GTD after having run out of fuel during its last stint.
Hour 6:26: The No. 74 LMP3 car, the Riley Motorsports entry, leads by two laps. That, for those keeping score at home, is a massive lead in hour six of a 24 hour race.
Hour 6:20: After the most recent cycle of stops, Scott Dixon has his first lead of this long stint. He has the No. 01 Cadillac leading overall and in DPi by less than a second.
Hour 6:05: The No. 38 LMP3 car spins in the bus stop chicane. That’s the first incident for an LMP3 car in a few hours, somewhat surprising given the widespread expectation that LMP3’s unique pace and wealth of inexperienced young drivers would lead to many, many incidents.
A little bit of smoke is billowing from the car. Disconcerting.
Hour 5:58: The No. 12 Lexus is back on track, per Vasser Sullivan crew member Bozi Tatarevic:
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The #12 has been repaired and is heading back on track. — Bozi Tatarevic (@BoziTatarevic) January 31, 2021
Hour 5:35: The GTD group is as close to even on fuel as it has been in an hour. The No. 16 Porsche leads the No. 1 Lamborghini and No. 14 Lexus as they run. Aston Martin No. 23 and Mercedes No. 57 are ten and fifteen seconds back, respectively.
Hour 5:25: Corvette No. 4, the GTLM leader, is off at the International Horseshoe, but returns to the track without any real issue. Corvette No. 3 still runs in second.
Hour 5:15: The issue with Lexus No. 12 was an overheating problem caused by debris that went into the car’s air intake after chunk of the front bumper came off during a previous off-track excursion. That car is still in the garage and will lose quite a few laps. In a 19-car class, that likely spells the end of any hope of contention.
Hour 5:14: GRT Grasser Lamborghini No. 19 is out of fuel and struggling to coast back to the pit lane. The car makes its way to the pit lane, but will need to be pushed a few hundred feet to the stall. That car, running on the lead lap in GTD before the issue, will lose a lap or two.
Hour 5:08: Lexus No. 12, an early leader and one of the strongest entries in GTD, is currently behind the wall and being driven to the garage. A very worrying sign for a very fast car.
Hour 5:05: Dixon actually cycles through seven seconds behind Bourdais. The only close battle on track is the one for the GTD lead, currently led by the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini over the No. 16 Porsche and No. 21 Ferrari.
Hour 5:00: Scott Dixon attempts an aggressive move to the outside, but Bourdais holds him off. Bourdais stops the No. 5, and Dixon assumes the lead while we await stops cycling through.
Hour 4:53: A flurry of action in GTD now has the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche in the class lead. At this point in the GTD race, with so many cars still on the lead lap and so many cars on different fuel cycles, the top ten will shuffle until another strong car takes a lead and pulls away with it.
Hour 4:50: Another lead change in GTD: The No. 97 Aston Martin has moved past the No. 57 Mercedes.
Hour 4:48: That overall battle is back under a second and Dixon is within striking range. If Dixon is faster and fights for the spot, Bourdais likely won’t fight too hard to keep him back at this point in the race.
Hour 4:38: The battle for the overall lead is still between the No. 5 JDC Miller Cadillac and the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac, but former Ford GT program teammates Sebastien Bourdais and Scott Dixon are now the drivers in those cars. Bourdais leads Dixon by three seconds in what is the current closest battle for a lead on track.
Hour 4:26: For US viewers, the broadcast will now move to online streaming for the next three hours before returning to cable later tonight.
Hour 4:10: Lexus No. 12, running outside of the top ten in GTD after a penalty, spins at full speed in the bus stop chicane. The car did not hit anything, but it is certainly a worrying sign for the early leader trying to recover and leap back into contention
Hour 4:03: After a few strong laps by marquee signing Kevin Magnussen, the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac has cut a twenty second overall lead to just five seconds. Tristan Vautier still has the No. 5 Cadillac in front, but that may not last long.
Hour 4:00: A rare lead change in GTD, where the No. 57 Mercedes has moved into the lead after Lexus driver Kyle Kirkwood got caught up in traffic. This is the first lead of the day for the Winward Racing Mercedes.
Hour 3:58: The No. 24 BMW has received a drive-through penalty for spinning the No. 33 LMP3 entry. Not great for the BMW, which is running fourth in class. We are just four hours in and BMW Rahal Letterman Lanigan cars have now been penalized for causing an incident.
Hour 3:45: Turner Motorsports confirms that the team will earn a drive-through, adding that driver Bill Auberlin, who had some fuel splashed in his eyes during the stop, will be fine.
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Update: James, who was on the fuel hose, is fine.
Bill will be ok as well.
Scary, yes. Did we deserve the penalty? Absolutely. #Tms400 https://t.co/RFp0XlSfNj — Turner Motorsport (@Turnermotrsport) January 31, 2021
Hour 3:37: The No. 96 Turner Motorsports BMW, an older M6 GT3 rather than the M8 GTE car that the GTLM BMW team runs, will be expecting a penalty after an unsafe release from the pit lane saw fuel leak throughout their pit stall. That car, an expected contender alongside the Vasser Sulivan Lexus entries, is currently running second in GTD, but was running fourth before this most recent cycle of stops.
Hour 3:30: The No. 5’s overall lead is up to 15 seconds, the largest of any DPi leader today.
In GTD, the No. 57 Mercedes is now within a second of the leading Vasser Sullivan Lexus. Two separate Lexus entries have held that position today, but the team have not yet been seriously contested at any point in the race.
Hour 3:10: After an incredible battle, the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes has moved past the No. 27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin for second in GTD. both are still well behind the leading Lexus.
Hour 3:03: The #81 DragonSpeed LMP2 car, involved in an earlier incident that brought out a safety car, is the first retirement of this weekend’s race. Nine LMP2 cars are still running, and seven of those are on the lead lap.
Hour 2:55: Chase Elliott is now in the No. 31 Cadillac, which means it is time for NASCAR’s current champion to adjust to some of the stranger elements of driving a sports car:
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AXR crew just came over the radio to remind Chase Elliott to flash his lights at the GT traffic. Not used to having functioning headlights I guess! — Ryan Myrehn (@RyanMyrehn) January 30, 2021
Hour 2:50: After some tumult at the front of each class, your leaders in LMP2 and LMP3 are now the No. 18 Era Motorsport and No. 33 Sean Creech Motorsport cars, respectively.
Hour 2:45: Cadillac No. 5 and Acura No. 10, the direct beneficiaries of the problems for the two leading Action Express Racing Cadillacs during the last caution period, are in an intense battle for the overall lead. The Acura seems fast enough to keep up with the Cadillac.
Hour 2:40: Back to green. James Calado, driver of the No. 62 Ferrari, has been handed a penalty for responsibility in the earlier crash.
Hour 2:27, Caution #4: The No. 31 and No. 48 Cadillacs are stopping for emergency service, meaning they are pitting in a closed lane so they don’t run out of fuel before the pits officially open. A catastrophe for both, who will still have to make a full stop. Those were two of the top three cars in overall, but they will re-start at the back of the DPi field.
Hour 2:23, Caution #4: The No. 62 Risi Competizione was just fighting for the GTLM lead. Now, it’s in a wall. The No. 38 LMP car made hard contact with the Ferrari going into the bus stop chicane, spinning the Ferrari and bringing out the safety car.
Neither car is particularly damaged, and the Ferrari was able to get back going immediately after the crash, but debris and barrier repairs force a stoppage here.
The Performance Tech LMP3 car involved in that incident was leading that class. The Ferrari was running second in its class. The two cars on either side of the wreck were first and third in GTLM.
Hour 2:19: The best battle on track is, unsurprisingly, in GTLM. The No. 4 Corvette leads by just under a second, and the No. 62 Ferrari and No. 24 BMW are divided by less than two tenths of a second. Three of the category’s four manufacturers are fighting for the class lead.
Hour 2:05: Back to green. The No. 14 Lexus is back into the lead in GTD.
Hour 1:58, Caution #3: The No. 29 LMP2 car is in the wall in the infield, stuck in a tire barrier. The safety car is out yet again.
Hour 1:56: Cadillac No. 01, the Chip Ganassi Racing car, has moved into the lead with a strong move into the bus stop chicane. Driver Renger van der Zande had no patience for running second and is now pulling away. Cadillacs run 1-2-3-4.
Hour 1:48: After an unusually long caution, we are back to green. Cadillac No. 31 has a considerable overall lead after the restart.
Hour 1:28, Caution #2: After stops under yellow, the No. 31 Cadillac now leads the No. 48 Cadillac previously driven by Jimmie Johnson. Felipe Nasr is still in the leading car, and Simon Pagenaud will be chasing him in the 48.
The cycle of stops has left Corvette No. 4 at the front in GTLM, while Aston Martin No. 23, Lamborghini No. 18, and Aston Martin No. 97 are now ahead of the No. 14 Lexus that inherited the GTD lead when the No. 12 Lexus had an issue in the pit lane. The Cetilar Racing No. 47 and Performance Tech No. 38 lead LMP2 and LMP3, respectively.
Hour 1:15, Caution #2: Well, that did not work.
The No. 81 LMP2 car made some contact with the wall, bringing out a full course caution to pick up debris. Other prototypes are in their fuel window and will be expected to pit here.
Hour 1:12: The No. 81 LMP2 car of DragonSpeed Racing is slow on track after locking up into turn 1 and making contact with the guardrail. That car is running without major issue, but will obviously need repairs after high-speed contact with a wall.
Hour 1:05: Lexus No. 12, the former GTD leader, had a transponder issue during its first stop and has fallen well behind the class leaders. A crushing blow for Vasser Sullivan, whose No. 14 Lexus now leads.
Hour 1:00: The GTD and GTLM leaders are beginning to filter into the pit lane for their first stops of the day.
Hour 0:58: The No. 44 GTD Acura, the Magnus Racing car, is in the pit lane with an issue resulting from a flat tire that was dragged around the track for a full lap. That car will have some damage to repair and will need to catch back up to the GTD leaders.
Hour 0:53: Cadillac No. 5 is through into second overall, and Cadillac No. 01 follows into third. That battle is about five seconds behind the leading Cadillac.
The No. 60 Acura is about half a minute behind the leaders after a mistake while making a tire change. Driver Dane Cameron is ten seconds behind the No. 48 Cadillac, an expected contender from Action Express Racing currently being driven by NASCAR star and new IndyCar Series rookie Jimmie Johnson.
Hour 0:45: The No. 10 Acura of Wayne Taylor Racing leads after the first set of stops, the first lead of the day for a non-Cadillac.
This lasts all of one lap: Felipe Nasr makes an aggressive move into turn 1, and the No. 31 Cadillac leads again. The No. 01 Cadillac and N0. 5 Cadillac are right behind the Acura and ready to make moves of their own.
Corvette No. 3 still leads in GTLM, but the Risi Competizione Ferrari has passed Corvette No. 4 for second. Lexus No. 12, one of the pre-race favorites, still leads in GTD.
Hour 0:38: The two Acuras, No. 60 and No. 10, both stopped a full lap after the rest of the DPi field, potentially indicating stronger fuel mileage for this race. The lone Mazda, No. 55, meanwhile, will have to serve a drive-through penalty.
Hour 0:32: Chip Ganassi Racing’s Cadillac, No. 01, is the first of the field’s leaders to stop. All other DPi entries should stop over the next two laps.
Hour 0:30: The No. 28 GTD entry has made a late change, replacing their driver Michael de Quesada with veteran Mike Skeen after de Quesada tested positive for COVID-19 earlier today. Their Mercedes AMG GT3 currently runs eleventh in class.
Hour 0:15: Back to green. Cadillac No. 31 is away with the lead, but a poor restart for the No. 60 has moved that Acura to fourth. The order is now Cadillac-Cadillac-Cadillac-Acura-Acura-Mazda-Cadillac overall.
Two LMP3 cars make contact battling for the lead, and the No. 6, the former class leader, is limping around the track with what looks to be a suspension issue. The No. 7 now leads that class.
Hour 0:11, Caution #1: The No. 25 BMW, driven by Kevin Estre, has served a drive-through penalty for its involvement in the incident at the start of the race. Estre now runs last in class, mired within GTD traffic.
Leads have not changed in the three major classes since the No. 12 Lexus moved into the GTD lead under green. The No. 52 Pr1 Mathiasen and No. 6 Muehlner Motorsports cars lead LMP2 and LMP3, respectively.
Hour 0:10, Caution #1: The No. 79 GTLM Porsche has finally lost its entire rear bumper, and it came off right in the middle of the racing line. A GTD Mercedes nearly hit it at full speed avoiding the DPi leaders, so the safety car is out for the first time today to pick up the sizable debris.
Hour 0:06: Acura No. 60 has moved into second, passing the No. 5 Action Express Racing Cadillac in a move that takes nearly four corners. Felipe Nasr leads by 3 seconds in the No. 31 Cadillac.
Hour 0:04: For the first time, Cadillac no longer holds the top three positions overall. Their No. 01, the Chip Ganassi Racing entry, has lost third on track to the No. 60 Acura of Meyer Shank Racing. Some Cadillac drivers have accused the two Acura teams of sandbagging throughout the week, and there is a very real chance those Acuras are much faster than advertised.
Lexus No. 12 takes the lead in GTD, the first lead change in any class of the day.
Hour 0:02: We are two laps into the race, and Mazda’s No. 55 has already had an issue with their steering wheel. That car now runs seventh and last in DPi, and that team’s reduction to a one-car entry is already creating significant problems. The Mazda is fast, but reliability has been a long-term concern. Can they be a serious contender without a second entry?
Hour 0:01: Green flag.
The No. 31 Cadillac is away into the lead from pole. Cadillacs run 1-2-3 overall.
GT cars are coming to the green and there is already a problem. Porsche No. 79, the new GTLM entry from WeatherTech Racing, was spun by one of the two Rahal-Letterman Lanigan BMWs and made contact at low speed with the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferraris. That is half of the six-car GTLM field involved in a low-speed collision before the race has even begun.
The Porsche is the only one of the three with visible damage, a destroyed rear bumper. There is no debris, however, and no caution will be thrown. Corvette Racing leads that class in 1-2 form, and has just seen three of its four competitors take damage.
Hour 0:00: Welcome back, auto racing.
The Rolex 24 at Daytona is now well into its DPi era, defined by the top class built around high-output, production-based engines paired with LMP2 cars. In two years, this will also be the formula for half of the top class at Le Mans. For now, the top class is just Cadillacs, Acuras, and a lone Mazda.
In 2023, it will feature at least Acura, Audi, and Porsche. Many more announcements are expected.
But, for now, all eyes are on the present. Cadillac and Acura have both re-structured their programs this year. Acura has lost their partnership with Team Penske, but poaching away defending race winners Wayne Taylor Racing and bringing sports car stalwarts Meyer Shank Racing back up to the top class has the program still expecting championships and major race wins. Cadillac has replaced WTR with an even bigger name, bringing Chip Ganassi Racing back to sports cars after a year off following their overwhelmingly successful run with the Ford GTLM program. Whether or not GM and all of the teams involved have made an official announcement, both are at the very least scouting out potential partnerships for the near future of LMDh. First, though, another Rolex 24 to win.
In GTLM, this is the last Rolex 24. The GT class that dates back to the ALMS days has been the home to high-level factory sports car racing in the US for a decade and a half, but dwindling car counts mean it will be merged into the GT3-based GTD category as a pro-only subclass next year. What this means for Le Mans remains to be seen, but IMSA’s GT racing future is set. Corvette Racing will battle BMW and two privateer entries representing Porsche and Ferrari one more time, then they will join the high-end GTD battle currently headlined by major programs from Lexus and Acura. This year’s GTD race also includes entries from McLaren, Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini, Mercedes, Ferrari, and BMW, although most of those teams will not join Corvette in the pro-only sub-category set to be introduced next year.
Finally, a massively expanded LMP2 grid and a new-for-2021 LMP3 category fill out the 49-car field with two full sets of pro-am prototypes following a strict set of rules. These battles are expected to be competitive throughout the race, but the strangely low top speeds and high corner speeds of these cars could create havoc for the DPi, GTLM, and GTD competitors as the race goes on.
The race, which you can find on NBC and its affiliated platforms throughout the day, begins in ten minutes. This live blog will follow it minute-by-minute, updating periodically with timestamps representing the total number of minutes elapsed in the race.
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Live updates: Jimmie Johnson keeps No. 48 team in front at Rolex 24
Staff Report
The 59th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona has gone green.
The twice-around-the-clock endurance race that kicks off IMSA’s season roared to life today at 3:40 p.m. under a sunny Daytona Beach sky and comfortable temperatures hovering around 70 degrees.
More:How to watch this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona on TV, live stream
Forty-nine entries from all legs of motorsports will do battle for the next 24 hours, with five different classes — DPi, LMP2, LMP3, GTLM, GTD — making up the star-studded field.
NASCAR champions Jimmie Johnson and Chase Elliott are in Cadillac DPis that figure to compete for the win, while IndyCar stars such as Helio Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya should be in contention all weekend.
More:With a ‘stacked’ field and fast cars, the 59th Rolex 24 At Daytona could be a classic
While the pre-race pageantry didn’t look the same with the garage area, pit road and the paddock closed to fans, there was plenty of excitement in the air as the command to start engines took place.
12:40 a.m. | Johnson returns, keeps No. 48 team in front
Kamui Kobayashi entered Sunday morning as the Rolex 24 leader, and Jimmie Johnson has kept the No. 48 Ally Racing Cadillac in front.
Johnson, taking his second turn behind the wheel, was running about one second faster than Renger van der Zande in the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Cadillac.
Cadillac occupies four of the top five spots; Alexander Rossi, in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura D, sits in third position.
Three cars have retired from the competition — the Nos. 29, 20 and 81 ORECAs, all in the LMP2 class.
For more overnight updates, you can follow IMSA’s live leaderboard at www.imsa.com/scoring.
Other class leaders:
LMP2: Thomas Merrill in the No. 11 ORECA
LMP3: Stevan McAleer in the No. 6 Duqueine
GT Le Mans: Antonio Garcia in the No. 3 Corvette
GT Daytona: Matteo Cressoni in the No. 21 Ferrari
11:40 p.m. | Kobayashi drives No. 48 to the lead before pit-stop
Going for his third straight Rolex 24 overall win, Kamui Kobayashi drove around the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Cadillac and put the No. 48 Ally Racing machine into the lead just after 11 p.m. He pulled away from Renger van der Zande before hitting pit-road, which thrust the Ganassi machine back to the lead.
Alexander Rossi and the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Acura is second, followed by AJ Allmendinger in the No. 60 DPi. Kobayashi is now fourth, 42 seconds back.
Other class leaders:
LMP2: Thomas Merrill in the No. 11 ORECA
LMP3: Stevan McAleer in the No. 6 Duqueine
GT Le Mans: Antonio Garcia in the No. 3 Corvette
GT Daytona: Nicklas Nielsen in the No. 21 Ferrari
10:40 p.m. | Caution, frantic restart shuffles leaderboard again
After over three hours of green flag racing, a full course yellow was finally thrown just after the 10 p.m. hour.
That bunched the field back up and led to a frantic restart that saw Loic Duval overtake Scott Dixon on the restart and put the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac in front. However, after further review, IMSA ruled that Duval jumped the restart and was forced to serve a drive-through penalty.
The No. 48 Cadillac DPi briefly held the lead after that, but Dixon has since overtaken that car to go back out in front. Kamui Kobayashi in the No. 48 DPi is now second followed by the Wayne Taylor No. 10 Acura.
Other class leaders:
LMP2: Thomas Merrill in the No. 11 ORECA
LMP3: Lance Willsey in the No. 33 Ligier
GT Le Mans: Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Corvette
GT Daytona: Patrick Long in the No. 16 Porsche 911
9:40 p.m. | Rolex 24 leaderboard continues to change as long run continues
Drivers in all five Rolex 24 classes continue to battle for spots as a 3-hour green flag run continues.
Sebastien Bourdais is the overall leader in the No. 5 Cadillac. Scott Dixon and the No. 01 Chip Ganassi machine is second, followed by the Wayne Taylor No. 10 and the No. 48 Cadillac.
Bourdais' lead is up to nearly 11-seconds over Dixon and 47-seconds over fourth-place Mike Rockenfeller.
Other class leaders:
LMP2: Matthew Bell in the No. 11 ORECA
LMP3: Scott Andrews in the No. 74 Ligier.
GT Le Mans: Alexander Sims in the No. 4 Corvette
GT Daytona: Klaus Bachler in the No. 16 Porsche 911
8:40 p.m. | Dixon, Bourdais battle for lead
Cadillac holds the top three spots in the Rolex 24 At Daytona as Scott Dixon and Sebastien Bourdais battle for the outright lead.
Bourdais inherited the lead from countryman Tristan Vautier in the No. 5 Cadillac DPi, but Dixon pulled ahead just before race’s fifth hour drew to a close. Dixon, in the No. 01 Cadillac, is aiming for his fifth career Rolex victory.
Mike Rockenfeller in the No. 48 Cadillac sits third, and Helio Castroneves is fourth in the No. 10 Acura. Castroneves was involved in a bus stop wreck less than four hours into last year’s event.
Other class leaders through three hours:
LMP2: Matthew Bell in the No. 11 ORECA
LMP3: Scott Andrews in the No. 74 Ligier.
GT Le Mans: Alexander Sims in the No. 4 Corvette
GT Daytona: Andrea Caldarelli in the No. 1 Lamborghini
Day 1 action:Rolex 24 filled with early drama as drivers fight for every inch of asphalt
More:Jimmie Johnson shakes off nerves during first stint in a decade
And:Rolex 24 takes on familiar tones at Daytona as marathon race goes into the night
7:40 p.m. | French Cadillac team maintains top spot
Tristan Vautier, one-third of the all-French No. 5 Cadillac DPi team, maintains the lead at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Cadillacs hold three of the top four spots. Kevin Magnussen, in the No. 01 Cadillac, sits about three seconds off the pace. Ricky Taylor breaks up the Cadillac stranglehold in third place in the No. 10 Acura.
Chase Elliott made way for Mike Conway after about an hour. The Rolex rookie, and 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion, exited the car in seventh.
Other class leaders through three hours:
LMP2: Tristan Nunez in the No. 11 ORECA
LMP3: Spencer Pigot in the No. 74 Ligier.
GT Le Mans: Jordan Taylor in the No. 3 Corvette
GT Daytona: Indy Dontje in the No. 57 Mercedes
6:40 p.m. |Chase Elliott makes Rolex 24 debut
Chase Elliott took over for Felipe Nasr in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac shortly after 6 p.m. It’s the defending NASCAR Cup Series' champion’s first stint in the Rolex 24.
Elliott’s currently seventh, 16-seconds behind race-leader Tristan Vautier in the No. 5 Cadillac DPi.
Other class leaders through three hours:
LMP2: Paul-Loup Chatin in the No. 18 ORECA
LMP3: Wayne Boyd in the No. 33 Ligier.
GT Le Mans: Nick Tandy in the No. 4 Corvette
GT Daytona: Kyle Kirkwood in the No. 14 Lexus
5:40 p.m. | Nasr stays up front after 2 hours
A caution flag bunched the field together midway through the second hour, but after returning to green, the man up front was still Felipe Nasr in the No. 31 Cadillac DPi. However, he played some give-and-take with Renger van der Zande in the No. 01 Caddy owned by Chip Ganassi.
Simon Pagenaud replaced Jimmie Johnson in the No. 48 Cadillac and was running third. Johnson batted leadoff for the No. 48 and ran two green-flag cycles before coming out.
“Although I did miss the fans being there, there was still a great energy,” Johnson said of the pre-race atmosphere on the starting grid. “Never had the honor to start this race before, so a lot of cool emotions.”
Other class leaders through two hours:
LMP2: Antonio Fuoco in the No. 47 Dallara.
LMP3: Rasmus Lindh in the No. 38 Ligier.
GT Le Mans: Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Corvette was neck-and-neck with James Calado in the No. 62 Ferarri.
GT Daytona: Ian James in the No. 23 Aston Martin.
The No. 31 Cadillac DPi that started up front remained there at t h e 1-hour mark of the Rolex 24. With Felipe Nasr behind the wheel, the Action Express car was maintaining a lead of about 4 seconds through the first round of pit stops.
Another Cadillac DPi, the No. 5 driven by Loic Duval, was batting for second place overall with the No. 01 Cadillac DPi driven by Renger van der Zande. Seven-time NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson, leading off for the No. 48 Cadillac sister car of the leader, was running fifth after the first hour.
Other class leaders:
LMP2: Ben Keating in the No. 52 Oreca.
LMP 3: Jim Cox in the No. 91 Ligier.
GT Le Mans: Antonio Garcia in the No. 3 Corvette.
GT Daytona: Daniel Morad in the No. 28 Mercedes-AMG.
So much for taking your time.
Seconds after the green flag for the 59th Rolex 24 was displayed, mayhem ensued for the No. 79 Porsche, which was sent spinning in the middle of the field by the No. 25 BMW of Bruno Spengler.
Somehow, the rest of the pack missed Kevin Estre, but less than 10 minutes later he lost the back bumper of his Porsche, bringing out a full course yellow.
The No. 25 received a penalty for the incident. Estre is still in the pits even though the racing has resumed.
3:40 p.m |Rolex 24 goes green
The clock is ticking.
The 59th Rolex 24 is underway, with the No. 31 Cadillac DPi leading the field of 49 into Turn 1 of Daytona’s 3.56-mile Road Course.
The No. 52 ORECA started on the pole in the LMP2 class, while the DeLand-based No. 6 Muehlner Motorsports team led the LMP3 field to green. A pair of Corvette’s started on the GTLM pole, while the No. 96 BMW started out front in the GTD class.
Jimmie Johnson will drive the opening stint in the No. 48 Cadillac DPi.
1:40 p.m. | Rolex 24 entry list
The No. 31 Whelen Engineering DPi will lead the field to green today after winning last weekend’s Motul Pole Award 100.
The rest of the DPi class looks like this:
Car number; team/sponsor; car type; drivers
01: Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing; Cadillac; Renger van der Zande; Scott Dixon; Marcus Ericsson; Kevin Magnussen
5: JDC-Miller MotorSports / Mustang Sampling Racing; Cadillac; Tristan Vautier; Sebastien Bourdais; Loic Duval
10: Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05; Acura; Ricky Taylor; Filipe Albuquerque; Alexander Rossi; Helio Castroneves
31: Whelen Engineering Racing / Cadillac / Lucas Oil; Cadillac; Chase Elliott; Felipe Nasr; Pipo Derani; Mike Conway; won overall pole
48: Ally Cadillac Racing; Cadillac; Jimmie Johnson; Kamui Kobayashi; Simon Pagenaud; Mike Rockenfeller
55: Mazda Motorsports; Mazda; Oliver Jarvis; Jonathan Bomarito; Harry Tincknell
60: Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian / SiriusXM / AutoNation / Acura Type S / Curb Records; Acura; Olivier Pla; AJ Allmendinger; Dane Cameron; Juan Pablo Montoya
More:Here’s the Rolex 24 At Daytona 2021 starting grid: 49 cars are full of racing’s stars