38 CARS ON TRACK IN THE 24 HOURS OF DAYTONA 2020.

38 cars will participate this weekend in the opening round of the IMSA US Endurance Championship, the highly regarded 24 Hours of Daytona-Beach.

Eight DPi prototypes, including the two Acura ARX-05s from Team Penske, shared between the two trios formed on the N ° 6, Colombian Juan- Pablo Montoya, the American Dane Cameron and the French Simon Pagenaud and at the wheel of the N ° 7, the American pair Ricky Taylor and Alexander Rossi, supported by the Brazilian Hélio Castroneves.

The fastest on the track during the Roar Before the Rolex 24 tests at the beginning of January, the Mazda RT24-P of the Mazda Team Joest, aspire to victory with their two crews, on the one hand on the N ° 55 , the French Olivier Pla – the poleman of the Roard before the Rolex 24 tests – the Briton Oliver Jarvis and the American Tristan Nunez and on the N ° 77, the Briton Harry Tincknell, and the Americans Ryan Hunter-Reay and Jonathan Bomarito.

The Cadillac DPi-VRs intend to return to the front of the stage with Wayne Taylor Racing but also with JDC-Miller, with two prototypes entrusted to crews with the French Sébastien Bourdais and Loïc Duval associated with Joao Barbosa on the No. 5, and Tristan Vautier, at the wheel of N ° 85 with Juan Piedrahita, Matheus Leist and Chris Miller.

Five LM P2 only, five Oreca 07 – Rick Ware Racing’s Riley MKII forfeited – will also be on the track, including the one with the French Nicolas Lapierre at Tower Motorsport by Starworks, but also Nicolas Minassian, the Team-manager of the IDEC team in ELMS, the latter returning to service and driving at Era Motorsport, without forgetting the young Gabriel Aubry at PR1-Mathiasen, a team which will ultimately only field one Oreca 07.

Who to beat Porsche in GTLM?

Holder of the GTLM title, the German brand once again seems to be a very logical candidate for its own succession, with its new 911 RSR. The teams made up, on the one hand, the Belgian Laurens Vanthoor, the New Zealander Earl Bamber and the French Mathireu Jaminet and also on the other hand, the French Frédéric Makowiecki, the Briton Nick Tandy and the Australian Matt Campbell, will to find on the Floridien ring of Daytona a sharp competition with in particular the all new Corvette C8.R.

The two solid teams formed by the Swiss Marcel Fässler and the Americans Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin and the Spaniard Antonio Garcia on the 1st and Jordan Taylor associated with Nick Catsburg, aim for victory and the highest step of the podium with the aim of succeeding to BMW, the Bavarian firm victorious last year with the M8, shared by the two quartets, Edwards, Farfus, Mostert, Krohn and De Phillippi, Eng, Spengler and Colton Herta.

In this category, let us still evoke the Scuderia Risi Competizione, victorious at Petit Le Mans last fall, and which regularly plays placed at Daytona, the team of Giuseppe Risi, based in Houston in Texas with a crew of very experienced, led by James Calado, Daniel Serra, Alessandro Pier Guidi and Davide Rigon, who will drive the one and only Ferrari F488 GTLM entered this year at the 24 Hours of Daytona.

Finally in the GTD category, there are 18 GT3s lined up on the track. Among the many drivers on the track, there are two French, Jules Gounon at Meyer Shank Racing who aligns the Acura NSX GT3 Evo and Franck Perera who rides with the GRT, the Grasser Racing Team and the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo.

Finally, let’s not forget one of the Lamborghini Huracans, that of Team GEAR Racing, powered by GRT, of the 100% female crew with Christina Nielsen, Katherine Legge, Tatiana Calderón and Rahel Frey!

Peter GRISWOLD

Pictures : ROLEX-IMSA- TEAMS