It’s the 53rd annual Rolex 24, and this year’s field is packed with possibly some of the widest variety of drivers to ever set foot in a Tudor Sports Car. The 2015 Rolex 24 is shaping up to be a classic!
Number of Entries
Prototype – 16
Prototype Challenge – 8
GTLM – 10
GTD – 22
Before we get to the previews, we want to make sure the fans know where to watch.
Rolex 24 TV Schedule (all times ET)
Saturday
2:00pm – 4:00pm FOX
4:00pm – 8:00pm FS2
8:00pm – 10:00pm FS1
10:00pm – 12:00am IMSA.com
Sunday
12:00am – 7:00am IMSA.com
7:00am – 2:30pm FS1
Since we can’t preview each and every car/group of drivers, we’ll point out the car and/or team that is most likely to succeed in the one-day classic.
Prototype (P – Red Border)
#7 Martini Riley DP – BMW Power (Brandon Hartley, Rubens Barrichello, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tor Graves, Scott Mayer) The five driver strategy pays dividends to those one time drivers racing the Rolex 24. Rubens Barrichello brings experience from all ends of the spectrum including IndyCar, Formula 1 (where he podiumed 68 times in his career winning 11 races,) and last year’s Rolex 24 (raced with an all-Brazilian four driver team, but suffered a DNF.). Another IndyCar driver in Ryan Hunter-Reay has seen recent success on road courses and is one of the strongest assets to the team.
#0 Claro-Video Delta Wing DWC 13 – Elan (Memo Rojas, Katherine Legge, Gabby Chaves, Andy Meyrick) How can one fail to mention the one of the most unique cars to ever see the track in the Delta Wing? This car ran at the top of the charts in four of the eight practices at the Roar before the 24 and Memo Rojas seems to have adequate precision in the car.
#01 Target AND #02 Ford EcoBoost Riley DP’s (01 – Scott Pruett, Joey Hand, Charlie Kimball, Sage Karam) (02 – Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Kyle Larson, and Jamie McMurray) Chip Gannasi might have struck the jackpot with his team for the Rolex 24. On one hand he’s got Scott Pruett, one of the biggest names in the sport, with experienced secondary drivers; now on the other, he brings in his NASCAR and IndyCar teams into the race. This not only brings in NASCAR and IndyCar fans, but also provides a big promotional opportunity for the future of Target Chip Ganassi Racing.
Prototype Challenge (PC – Blue Border)
#54 FlexBoy ORECA FLM09 – Chevrolet (Jon Bennett, Colin Braun, Mark Wilkins, James Gue) The defending champions in Bennett and Braun return to Sports Car action at Daytona and have emerged as the clear favorite to win, and with only eight entries in the class, they’ll have a good chance.
GT Le Mans (GTLM – Red Border)
#3 and #4 Mobile 1 Chevrolet Corvettes (3 – Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia, Ryan Briscoe) (4 – Oliver Gavin, Tommy Millner, Simon Pagenaud) The coveted Corvette Racing squad brings a lot to the table this season. Using only a three driver strategy, the team looks to pair two IndyCar drivers in Briscoe and Pagenaud to compete together in the third swing, while their top tier guys fight in the first two. There’s no messing around with this team in the 24.
#17 Falken Tire Porsche 911 RSR (Wolf Henzler, Bryan Sellers, Pat Long) These three drivers compete in the Falken car and interact with each other as often as they can. The same team racing in this years Rolex 24 like last years pays off in the end, and they have a talented group sitting in the 17.
GT Daytona (GTD – Blue Border)
#18 and #19 Porsche 911 GT America’s (18 – Darryl O’Young, Matteo Berretta, Connor De Phillippi, Nikolaus Mayr-Melnhof) (19 – Jim Michaelian, Connor De Phillippi, Michael Lira, Ricardo Flores) There’s a lot going on with the Porsche teams during this year’s Rolex 24, as they’re using seven drivers combined in their two cars. That’s right, Connor De Phillippi is doubling up and racing for both the 18 and 19 and it will likely be a tough back to back shift for him. On top of one gutsy call, the Porsche guys decide to go for another – they stuck an ARCA driver who is still very much in his teen’s into their #19 as a third driver. The kid has some talent, but let’s see how he can do in such a powerful machine.
As stated once before, this year’s Rolex 24 is sure to be action packed and full of surprises, the forecast looks sunny throughout the race, the event is well covered on TV and also the IMSA website, and we get to watch it for a full day.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @cfchangs9. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld– and “liking” our Facebook page.
Interested in writing for LWOS? We are looking for enthusiastic, talented writers to join our motorsports writing team. Visit our “Write for Us” page for very easy details in how you can get started today!
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for? GO!
Main image:
