Historic Sportscar Racing series returns to Daytona for 24-hour race this weekend
HSR 24 Daytona Preview
While NASCAR is ending its season with three straight days of championship races in Phoenix starting Friday night, the Historic Sportscar Racing series will also be chasing the checkered flag this weekend.
The popular vintage racing series makes its way to Florida this weekend for its 24-hour endurance class, set to feature IMSA, NASCAR, and other vintage entries from years past, making the cars the stars of the weekend.
HSR, which works in conjunction with IMSA, is a series that provides a platform for racers to bring back cars from yesteryear that were once on the grid, dating back all the way to the 1950s to just as recently as 2022/23 DPis.
The field, which features both prototypes and GT cars, is split up into groups A-G and races three 42-minute sessions in the span of 24 hours.
Something unique about this weekend is the fact that on the East Coast it is the end of Daylight Savings Time on Sunday, meaning that there will be two 1:00 am races happening early Sunday morning.
This sets up for a 24-hour race that begins Saturday at 2:00 p.m. but will end Sunday at 1:00 p.m. due to the double 1 a.m. stints.
Although aggressive racing is frowned upon in the series -- wanting to keep the cars and drivers safe from any damage -- there is still something to fight for if you will, as trophies are presented to each of the group winners on the weekend.
For some of these cars on the grid, that is something that is common, with many of these entries being in victory lane many times over the course of their professional lives, including the 1998 Ferrari 333 SP, which competed in the 1999 and 2000 Rolex 24.
Beyond the modern marvels in cars, some exciting drivers will be at the race this weekend.
IMSA regulars Kyle Tilley, Dwight Merriman, and Jonathan Bomarito will have rides in the series, as will “Front Row” Joe Nemechek, who will be racing a NASCAR Truck Series entry.
While all those drivers have a well-respected racing pedigree, none compares to the history that the series will bring to the cars on track.
HSR provides an incredible outlet for drivers, teams, and, of course, fans to experience cars on that track that many may never have gotten a chance to see in their glory days.
Not only does this allow for an incredible experience for the drivers and teams, but it also creates an event that brings fans of all eras together and celebrates the history and legacy of racing at none other than the World Center of Racing.
And yes, tickets are still on sale!
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HSR, IMSA announces return of Prototype Challenge, Featuring LMP3s of Past and Present
To add even more excitement to this weekend, IMSA and HSR recently announced the beginning of a new joint six-race series that will begin in 2024, to be known as the HSR Prototype Challenge.
The series, which will feature LMP3 cars from past and present, will see its debut at Sebring during the HSR Spring Fling event from March 8th-10th. The race will be a two-hour race, with a three-hour race closing the season at Sebring for HSR’s 12-Hour Classic.
There will also be stops at Road Atlanta, Watkins Glen and Daytona, all of which will be 1.5-hour races or longer on the calendar.
According to HSR, “Each event will have an endurance racing format, ranging in length from 90 minutes to three hours, with two classes of competition. LMP3-1 will include current EVO cars, with the LMP3-2 class using previous-generation LMP3 cars.
"A minimum field target size of 20 cars will be required for standalone races, and if not achieved, LMP3 cars will be integrated into the existing HSR Group 6 (prototype) races as they have been in recent years.”
The cars will ride on Michelin tires during the race and run on VP Fuels, while there will only be one timed pit stop.
Each team may bring up to two drivers for the race and there are no drive time requirements, resulting in free range for teams.
While this series will focus on the LMP3s and add to already diverse HSR weekends, the series will not replace the already existing VP Racing Fuels Challenge, which is coming off its first season.
The Prototype Challenge should provide another great opportunity for younger drivers to try their hand at prototype racing. And by adding another series, historic racing can only benefit.
Although the parameters may be a bit different to the VP Challenge, this should be a series that will see not only a number of IMSA regulars on the grid, but one that will be highly competitive in 2024.