The 2023 season of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship kicks off another year of racing with this weekend’s Roar Before the 24 event Daytona International Speedway. Paving the way for Rolex’s famous 24 Hours, the Roar Before the 24 aims to whet the appetite of race fans as the world prepares to witness one of the world’s most coveted endurance races.
Serving as a prequel to the Main Event, the Roar Before the 24 is the final opportunity for teams and riders to test and refine their machines on the Daytona Road Course. Each class of car will be seen in action as teams practice and race on Friday and Saturday, with the culmination of the event taking place in the form of qualifying, which sets the grid for next weekend’s Rolex 24 Hours.
The 3.56-mile Daytona Road Course sees average speeds in the DPI class (now known as GTP) in the mid-range of 130 mph NTT IndyCar Series driver Alex Palou He set the record for the highest average speed of 136.74 mph at the track last year. Palou also 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 sportscars, race fans can look forward to plenty of action next weekend. With several channels offering full coverage of the Rolex 24 Hours, here’s where to expect to watch the race:
Peacock: complete 24-hour broadcast
IMSA TV: complete 24-hour broadcast
ABC: Saturday, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET
USA network: Saturday, 2:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. ET
USA network: Saturday, 10:00am – 11:59pm ET
USA network: Sunday, 6:00 p.m. ET – 12:00 p.m. ET
ABC: Sunday, 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET
Full schedule for the 2023 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona
the Rolex 24 hours 2023 is poised to kick off next weekend as one of the country’s premier endurance races, with the WeatherTech IMSA SportsCar Championship lining up for many such popular events this year. The full schedule for the event is as follows:
Wednesday 25 January 2023
1:45-2:30 p.m. ET Mazda MX-5 Cup Practice 1
2:45-3:45 p.m. ET Michelin Pilot Challenge Training 1
Thursday, January 26, 2023
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. ET Mazda MX-5 Cup Practice 2
9:45-10:45 a.m. ET Michelin Pilot Challenge Training 2
11:05-12:35 p.m. ET IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice 1
12:55-1:10 p.m. ET Mazda MX-5 Cup Qualification
2:25 p.m. – 3 p.m. ET Michelin Pilot Challenge qualification
3:20-5:05 p.m. ET IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice 2
5:30-6:15 p.m. ET Mazda MX-5 Cup Race 1
7:15-9pm ET IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice 3
Friday, January 27, 2023
9:25-9:55 a.m. ET Michelin Pilot Challenge Training 3
10:15-11:00 a.m. ET Mazda MX-5 Cup Race 2
11:20-12:20 p.m. ET IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Practice 4
1:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. ET Michelin pilot BMW M Endurance Challenge at the Daytona RACE
6:25-6:45 p.m. ET Practice 4 of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (GTP class only)
Saturday 28 January 2023
1:40 p.m. ET IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Rolex 24 Hours starts at Daytona RACE
Sunday 29 January 2023
1:40 p.m. ET IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Rolex 24 Hours completed at Daytona RACE
