Levitt Imsa 1222 13617 2023 01 19

Finally, It’s Here! 2023 IMSA Season is Ready to Roar!

This Weekend’s Roar Before the Rolex 24 Should Provide a Tantalizing Taste of What Awaits This Season

 

By Mark Robinson

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – At last, the time has arrived. IMSA drivers, teams, partners and fans alike have all been eagerly awaiting for the 2023 season to begin. It does this weekend with the annual Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway.

 

What’s being hailed as a new era of global endurance sports car racing will take hold when the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship hits the track in full roar at the Roar. Two days of crucial last-chance on-track testing, followed by qualifying for the 2023 season opener, the 61st Rolex 24 At Daytona, are scheduled on the 3.56-mile, 12-turn Daytona road course.

 

All five WeatherTech Championship classes are participating in the Roar sessions, culminating on Sunday afternoon with battles for the first Motul Pole Awards of the season and a week’s worth of pre-race bragging rights. In addition, the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge has its own five test sessions on the slate, and the curtain rises on the new VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, which has a pair of 45-minute races on the schedule.

 

It’s enough to whet your appetite for what promises to be an incredible IMSA season. To help prep for what lies ahead, IMSA.com has a collection of season previews and other important items to watch for at the Roar, the Rolex 24 and the year as a whole.

 

Items to check regarding the WeatherTech Championship include:

 

  • A preview of the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class season: click here.

 

  • A preview of the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class season: click here.

 

  • A preview of the Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) class season: click here.

 

  • A preview of the GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class season: click here.

 

  • A preview of the GT Daytona (GTD) class season: click here.

 

  • A preview of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup season: click here.

 

  • Why every race on the 2023 schedule matters: click here.

 

Other stories of note are:

 

 

 

  • “Win the Weekend” docuseries debuts: click here.

 

  • The VP Racing SportsCar Challenge opener preview: click here.

 

 

Enjoy the reading and enjoy the season!