Daytona is Roaring: 

The Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona

Unlike any other racing event in North America, The Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona is by far the most interesting. As we sit around waiting for the Super Bowl next weekend, flip the channel to the Rolex 24 and watch four different classes of cars all going around the track at the same time for close quarter racing the whole race. Don’t believe me, look at the finishing times from last year. The Prototype class, which is the fastest class in the field, had a second and a half gap between first and second. The GTLM class winner won by less than a half a second and the GTD class was just over seven seconds between first and second. Remember that this is after 24 hours of racing. As most owners bring three or four drivers together to make up a team, watching drivers adjust from day to night and back to daytime is impressive. Also impressive, the pit crews, who will change brakes throughout the race and fix anything you could imagine that could happen to a car, all while trying to keep their car in front. There are plenty of famous world known drivers in this years field to hit the high banked corners, the long straightaways, and the low speed turns of the Daytona road course, which is guaranteed to see a lot of action and some heartbreak.

PROTOYPE CLASS

Scott Pruett has left his long time race home of Chip Ganassi Racing and has not won since 2013. Pruett is tied with Hurley Haywood for most overall wins at 5 and has moved to the #5 Action Express Racing Corvette, who was the 2015 runner-ups and the 2014 winners. Pruett is joining other veteran drivers Christian Fittipaldi, and Joao Barbosa as well as team newcomer Filipe Albuquerque.

Scott Dixon is looking for overall win number 3 with the defending race winning #02 Ganassi Racing Ford. The #02 Ford is this years all-star car for Ganassi, with Dixon teaming up with Tony Kannan, Jamie McMurray, and Kyle Larson. All four drivers are back from last years winning team. If we look at history though, Ganassi has not won back to back since winning 3 in a row in 06, 07, and 08.  

Michael Shank Racing has been off since the big win in 2012, where AJ Allmendinger rallied back the #60 car with an unbelievable last stint to pull off a big upset at the time. Since 2012 the #60 car has not been around to contend for the win at the end of the race. Last year they ended up 35 laps back of the leader, but three out of the four drivers from that 2012 team are back in the car this year looking for another win.  

The big question with the Prototype class in 2016 is how far has the DeltaWing Racing team improved since last year. The trike looking race car is by far the most unique in the field and got a lot of hype last year only to drop out of the race an hour and twenty-two minutes in, finishing dead last.

Another team to keep your eye on this year is the third place car from last year, the #10 Corvette for Wayne Taylor Racing. Bringing back all three drivers who finished third last year, Wayne Taylor Racing has been inching his way to an overall win for years.  

Predicting a winner in the Prototype class is crazy considering after 24 hours last year the top three ended up a minute and seven seconds from each other. However, with a record six owner wins in this event, it is hard to go against the Ganassi teams, but win number six for Pruett will finally come.

PROTOTYPE CLASS PREDICTION: #5 Action Express Racing Corvette

PROTOTYPE CHALLENGE CLASS

The Prototype Challenge Class is the smallest class in the field and could be the easiest to pick. The class is the only class last year that didn’t provide us with last lap racing to see who was going to win, due to a late race problem with the #54 Core Autosport Car. The #54 car, like every year, is by far the favorite again. Why not, they win the series championship year after year and usually wins this class in the Rolex 24. The main reason for this year though, Jon Bennett, Mark Wilkins, and Colin Braun are back in the car this year and they had the fastest times in the field during the Roar before the 24 test weeks ago. Throw Prototype superstar Martin Plowman on the team and you have a favorite.

PROTOTYPE CHALLENGE CLASS PREDICTION: #54 Core Autosport Chevy

GT Le Mans (GTLM) Class

            The GTLM class has 11 cars this year and making a big entrance to the class is the Chip Ganassi Racing Team.  With two cars entered in the field, Ganassi has brought in big names like Joey Hand and Sebastien Bourdais, who are both previous overall winners, in the #66 car. Ryan Briscoe, who won this class in the #3 Corvette Racing car last year, switches to the Ganassi Ford and heads up the #67 car.

            This class is expected to be the most competitive as last years winners won by less than a second. With Ferrari, BMW, Porsche, Chevrolet, and Ford all battling it out for the class win, it could be the most interesting class in the field and defiantly the favorite to come down to the wire.

To say there is a clear cut favorite would be a crazy thing to say. As in the Prototype class, this class has several teams with the ability to pull out the win. Throw in the fact that they have to make it 24 hours to get the win, and it is hard not to go with the resources that Chip Ganassi Racing has, even though this is his first time running this class. Although Briscoe won the class last year, the experience of Hand and Bourdais will come in handy during this event.

GTLM PREDICTION: #66 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford

GT Daytona (GTD) Class

            The GTD Class is the biggest class by far with 22 different entries and with a seven second difference from first to second last year, another very competitive race is expected. Last year we saw the Riley Motorsports Dodge Viper and Porsche of Alex Job Racing battle the whole race. Stevenson Motorsports and Magnus Racing have moved to the new Audi R8 LMS GT3. Stevenson Motorsports will field two teams, #6 and #9, with the new Audi and will be interesting to watch. Andy Lally, who has won 4 times in this class and has found a home with the #44 car, will anchor the Magnus Racing Audi.  Aston Martin is also coming back in 2016 with two cars from two different teams.

            As the GT Class is fun to watch with all the different manufactures, Audi, Lamborghini, Porsche, Dodge, Ferrari, BMW, and Ashton Martin, the competition should be just as good as it was last year. It should be a fight with the Vipers and Porsches again this year for the class win. The uncertain is the new Audi, but the disappointment of many problems last year should have the #44 car hungry for a win. Lally will be joined by team owner John Potter and Rene Rast, who were the drivers that won the GTD class in 2012.  

GTD CLASS PREDICTION: #44 Magnus Racing Audi

The Rolex 24 starts at 2pm Saturday January 30^th and is being broadcasted throughout the entire race. Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2 will carry the majority of the daytime hours. The nighttime, from 10pm to 7am, will be available on the IMSA website. The website will also have the radio broadcast of the whole event.  

MAYDAY JAY JAY

Twitter @MayDayJJSports