Daytona 24 Hours 2023: Schedules, how to watch, and more
The 2023 season of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will kick off another year of racing with the Roar Before the 24 event this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. Paving the way for the illustrious Rolex 24 Hours, the Roar Before the 24 aims to whet race fans' appetite as the world prepares to watch one of the most coveted endurance races on earth.
Serving as a prequel to the main event, the Roar Before the 24 serves as the last opportunity for teams and drivers to test and refine their machinery on the Daytona Road Course. Each class of cars is seen in action as teams practice and race on Friday and Saturday, with the highlight of the event coming in the form of qualifying, which sets the grid for the Rolex 24 Hours next weekend.
The 3.56-mile-long Daytona Road Course sees average speeds in the DPI (now known as GTP) class in the mid-130 mph range, with NTT IndyCar Series driver Alex Palou setting the record for the highest average speed of 136.74mph around the track last year. Palou also went on to set the lap record at 1:33.724 seconds around the 12 twists and turns of Daytona.
With multiple classes to choose from this year with a refreshed GTP class, as well as LMP2 and LMP3 classes alongside the GTD sports cars, race fans have plenty of action to look forward to next weekend. With several broadcasters offering complete coverage of the Rolex 24 Hours, here is where one can expect to watch the race:
Peacock: complete 24-hour broadcast
IMSA TV: complete 24-hour broadcast
NBC: Saturday, 1:30 - 2:30 PM ET
USA Network: Saturday, 2:30 - 8:00 PM ET
USA Network: Saturday, 10:00 - 11.59 PM ET
USA Network: Sunday, 6:00 AM ET - 12:00 PM ET
NBC: Sunday, 12:00 - 2:00 PM ET
Full schedule for the 2023 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona
The 2023 Rolex 24 Hours is all set to kick off next weekend as one of the country's premier endurance races, with the WeatherTech IMSA SportsCar Championship due for many such popular events this year. The full schedule for the event is as follows:
Wednesday, January 25th, 2023
1:45-2:30 PM ET Mazda MX-5 Cup practice 1
2:45-3:45 PM ET Michelin Pilot Challenge practice 1
Thursday, January 26th, 2023
9:00-9:30 AM ET Mazda MX-5 Cup practice 2
9:45-10:45 AM ET Michelin Pilot Challenge practice 2
11:05 AM -12:35 PM ET IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice 1
12:55-1:10 PM ET Mazda MX-5 Cup qualifying
2:25-3:00 PM ET Michelin Pilot Challenge qualifying
3:20-5:05 PM ET IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice 2
5:30-6:15 PM ET Mazda MX-5 Cup RACE 1
7:15-9:00 PM ET IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice 3
Friday, January 27th, 2023
9:25-9:55 AM ET Michelin Pilot Challenge practice 3
10:15-11:00 AM ET Mazda MX-5 Cup RACE 2
11:20 AM -12:20 PM ET IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice 4
1:45-5:45 PM ET Michelin Pilot BMW M Endurance Challenge at Daytona RACE
6:25-6:45 PM ET IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice 4 (GTP class only)
Saturday, January 28th, 2023
1:40 PM ET IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona RACE starts
Sunday, January 29th, 2023
1:40 PM ET IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona RACE finishes