IMSA: Are you ready to rumble? Get ready for THE ROAR Before the 24!
2024 Truly Begins With The Roar Before The 24
IMSA’s season-opening spectacle, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, is only a handful of days away from the green flag dropping.
However, prior to the once-around-the clock event, Sunday's Roar Before the 24 is to be the precursor to the kickoff of the season, setting the grid for next weekend’s race.
While the Rolex 24 is going to be the star event amongst the two weeks given the magnitude of what is at stake for these drivers, the qualifiers this weekend will be just as important given the chance to grab the pole and also earn season points.
There are quite a number of storylines among all the classes heading into this weekend’s Roar, which will be setting the grid for the Rolex 24, with teams all looking for different reasons to get the pole position in their class.
Wayne Taylor Slump?
It is hard to imagine Wayne Taylor Racing, who has now teamed up with Andretti Global, not winning a race in the new GTP era.
WTR, a team that has always found success at Daytona, has a chance to add to that narrative -- and if their lineups indicate anything, it is that they are going all out not only to win races but potentially a season championship.
Featuring former F1 talents in Jenson Button and current IndyCar driver (and 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner) Marcus Ericsson, while also adding in Brendon Hartley and IndyCar young gun Colton Herta, the team is loaded with experience and talent.
Last season for WTR was up and down. However, the team was fairly consistent and was able to stay in the championship fight right up until the end until an aggressive move by Felipe Albuquerque ended not only the race but the season.
Obviously, late in a race at Road Atlanta for a shot at the title, the move had to be made, but there is a definite hunger for the season in response from some of the drivers who will be looking to get Papa Taylor his first win since 2022.
GTD Pro All-Stars
There is no need to explain the surefire firepower that there is in the GTD Pro class.
While both IMSA GTD classes will be great battles to watch, the GTD Pro class is star-studded across the board.
There are many different teams that are vying to get the season off strong, including the defending champions, Vasser Sullivan, but they seem to be the ones being chased, with some of the heavy hitters ready to smash their hammer down.
Many eyes will be on some of the new machinery this season, including the Multimatic Mustang, Pratt Miller Corvette, and the Heart of Racing Aston Martin, which hasn’t even been given a name yet.
Nevertheless, GTD Pro is going to be one of the best classes to watch in IMSA all season, and with the addition of a second Iron Lynx entry in the class, there is now going to be even more competition to come for the field.
Final Thoughts
While this may not be the 24-hour endurance race weekend that people are clamoring for, there is still a lot to play for -- and more so than not, it is refreshing to just see cars back on track again.
With two VP Racing Sportscar Challenge races taking place during the weekend prior to the main event on Sunday afternoon, it will be a busy track over the course of the weekend, but there should be no shortage of stories as we head out after Sunday's conclusion and start leading up to the Rolex 24.