The Rolex 24 at Daytona, kickoff of the American endurance championship season regulated by the IMSA (Internationale Motor Sports Association), holds a special place in the championship. Firstly, because the 24-hour race is part of the NAEC (North American Endurance Cup), mini-championship within the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship made up of the four long races (Rolex 24 at Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, Petit Le Mans). Though some outfits will only compete in these four legendary races, the number of cars on the starting grid increases by default. Secondly, because this iconic race attracts so many fans it swells the ranks of competitors entered for the full season.

So 41 competitors are entered to race in the entire WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, with 15 prototypes and 26 GTs. The smallest number of cars - eight - in the P class (Prototype) can be explained by the new technical regulations in effect in 2017, for the LM P2s and the Daytona Prototypes, the two types of chassis approved to compete. Indeed, only present are the outfits that already possess the material compliant with current standards, the new entities choosing to wait until next season to make their investment. Four Corvette DPs will go up against two Mazda prototypes, the Ligier JS P2-HPD of Michael Shank Racing, which will make its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year in the LM P2 class and the DeltaWing, in Garage 56 reserved for innovative projects at Le Mans in 2012 (forced to retire after being pushed off-track by another competitor).

The number of cars - 10 - in the GTLM class (GT Le Mans) is not much greater, but a lot of fans will only have eyes for them. Traditionally, this class is one of the best in the world. Already under the auspices of the American Le Mans Series, prior to the merger with the Grand Am Series which brought the championship to what we know today, constructors involved in GT have made the overseas series their favourite playing field. Ford's return to endurance with the Ford GTs and the arrival of two new cars, the Ferrari 488 and the BMW M6, raises the bar, as if it were needed, of the competitive level in so much that the field will be more balanced, with two units per manufacturer. Three among them are officially entered: returning Ford, 50 years after its first win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans; defending champion Porsche, preparing a new car for 2017; and Chevrolet Corvette, winner in the LM GTE Pro class (the equivalent of the GTLM class outside of the U.S.) at the 24 Hours. The other two entrust private teams to enter their cars: BMW with BMW Team RLL (Rahal Letterman Lanigan) and Ferrari with Scuderia Corsa and Risi Competizione, who has a class win at Le Mans in 2008.

No victory, but the third step on the podium at Le Mans last year for Scuderia Corsa in the LM GTE Am class, entered both in GTLM and in GTD (GT Daytona) in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Though the technical regulations differ between GTD and LM GTE Am, the philosophy remains the same: for the lion's share to go to gentlemen-drivers, with 16 cars figuring on the entry list for the year. Gentlemen-drivers who prefer to take the wheel of a prototype enter the PC class (Prototype Challenge), in which seven Formula Le Mans have undergone technical modifications to go into effect at the 12 Hours of Sebring, next race on the calendar of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on March 19th.

Cécile Bonardel / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

PHOTO: DAYTONA BEACH (FLORIDA, U.S.), DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY, WEATHERTECH SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP, ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA, SATURDAY JANUARY 30 2016, RACE. More than 50 cars were at the start at Daytona and 41 among them will compete in the full 2016 season of the American championship.