24 Hours at Daytona: Who to watch

24 Hours at Daytona

24 Hours at Daytona: Who to watch

The starts on show as motorsport worlds collide this weekend

Ewan Gale

Thursday 28 January 2021 16:34

The 24 Hours at Daytona takes place this weekend as the first big motorsports event of the season.

Former Toyota, Sauber and Caterham Formula 1 driver Kamui Kobayashi helped the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac reign supreme in last season's running.

This year the #31 Action Express Racing Cadillac, driven by a crew that includes Oliver Jarvis and Harry Tincknell, start on pole following last weekend's ROAR qualifying race.

So who should you look out for this weekend? Here is a handy guide to help you through.

DPi Class

#1 Chip Ganassi Cadillac

Chip Ganassi is one of the high-profile names in American motorsports and should never be discounted, even if his team has qualified last in class. Ganassi's regular IndyCar driver Scott Dixon - the third most successful racer in series history - teams up with one of last year's winning drivers Renger Van der Zande and F1 export Kevin Magnussen.

#10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura

A change of car for this season's running as last year's victors aim to recreate the success with an all-new line-up.

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American former IMSA and Daytona champion Ricky Taylor and Portuguese former Race of Champions victor Felipe Albuquerque will partner two former Indianapolis 500 winners in Alexander Rossi and Helio Castroneves for the team's tilt at a third consecutive victory in the race.

#31 Action Express Racing Cadillac

This team has a strong mix of experience and youth in its ranks. It had qualified on pole only to be excluded from the results after being found to be underweight during scrutineering.

But the line-up is strong, with 2016 winner Pipo Derani and former F1 driver and current IMSA champion Felipe Nasr taking to the track alongside British Le Mans winner and former IndyCar driver Mike Conway and current NASCAR series title holder Chase Elliott.

#48 Action Express Racing Cadillac

The team's second car has one of the biggest names in American motorsport's history participating this weekend.

Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson will headline arguably the strongest line-up in the field, partnering Le Mans winner Kobayashi, former IndyCar champion Simon Pagenaud and former Audi Le Mans and DTM champion Mike Rockenfeller.

#60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura

MSR will take on Daytona with American two-time IMSA champion Dane Cameron, French LMP2 Le Mans winner Olivier Pla, former Red Bull junior and NASCAR veteran AJ Allmendinger and former F1 race winner and IndyCar champion Juan Pablo Montoya.

LMP2

#20 High Class Racing

Regular Le Mans competitors and World Endurance Championship outfit High Class Racing has taken a strong line-up to the States.

Regular WEC driver for the team Anders Fjordbach will be partnered by Danish compatriot Dennis Andersen, Austrian royalty and DTM driver Ferdinand Habsburg and Alfa Romeo reserve driver Robert Kubica.

#24 Racing Team Nederland

One of the top outfits in WEC, Racing Team Nederland will be looking for a strong result in LMP2 this weekend.

With the usual three-man line-up of Giedo van der Garde, Job van Uitert and Frits van Eerd joined by Frenchman Charles Milesi, the team has every reason to expect the harmonious nature of the roster to reap the rewards come Sunday.

GT Le Mans

#3 Corvette Racing

This category is made up of four Le Mans-strength line-ups, starting with the first of the Corvette Racing machines.

Experienced Chevy driver Antonio Garcia is partnered by Jordan Taylor and former Spa 24 hours winner Nicky Catsburg. The team starts second in class behind the sister car...

#4 Corvette Racing

The polesitter in class will be piloted by a British-American trio led by former Porsche stalwart Nick Tandy.

Tandy is joined by countryman and Formula E ace Alexander Sims alongside Corvette's 10-year veteran and Le Mans winner with the team Tommy Milner.

#62 Risi Competizione Ferrari

The squad will be disappointed to have only qualified fourth in class, but a line-up full of Ferrari experience will come to its aid over the race distance.

Le Mans team-mates James Calado and Alessandro Pier Guidi will team up with another Ferrari regular Davide Rigon and Frenchman Jules Gounon.

#79 Proton Competition Porsche

Another Le Mans calibre line-up is one that has spent plenty of time together over the years in WEC.

Austrian Porsche factory driver Richard Lietz joins Frenchman Kevin Estre and Italian veteran Gianmaria Bruni, with Cooper Macneil completing the line-up.

The three regular Porsche drivers have seven Le Mans victories between them.