Schedule, how to watch on TV and more

America’s biggest sportscar race is on the horizon with this year’s Daytona 24 Hours kickstarting the 2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship on 27-28 January.     

Drivers will tackle the 24-hour race at the prestigious Daytona International Speedway in Florida, which has held the event since 1966 (although in 1972 it was shortened to a 6 Hour race).

There are also many big names racing at Daytona this year with Alex Palou, Marcus Ericsson and 2009 Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button joining the series regulars on the grid.   

All three drivers will be going for overall victory in the GTP class, which is currently stacked with major manufacturers including BMW, Cadillac and Porsche – all of which also compete in the World Endurance Championship’s Hypercar division.

The LMP2 subsidiary class is rammed with talent too, with ex-F1 star Felipe Massa and IndyCar aces Pato O’Ward and Scott McLaughlin among those entered. For the first time since 2020, the LMP3 category will not feature.    

There are also the GTD classes to consider, which are for GT3-based cars and divided into two categories (all-Pro and Pro-Am) featuring drivers like Romain Grosjean, Mike Conway and reigning Super Formula champion Ritomo Miyata.     

With preparations firmly underway for the 62nd edition of the Daytona 24 Hours, here are all the times needed to watch the action.   

Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images

Race start

When is the Daytona 24 Hours?  

• Date: Saturday 27 January – Sunday 28 January  
• Start time: 6:40pm GMT/1:40pm local time

The opening round of the 2024 IMSA season, the Daytona 24 Hours, starts at 6:40pm in the United Kingdom and 1:40pm local time on Saturday 27 January. However, before the race weekend begins are multiple practice sessions and qualifying, so preparation actually starts a week in advance at the ‘Roar Before the 24’.

How can I watch the Daytona 24 Hours?  

Non-American viewers can watch the Daytona 24 Hours live via streaming on IMSA.tv, whose coverage begins on Sunday 21 January with a five-minute build up to qualifying which starts at 6:55pm GMT. IMSA.tv will also broadcast the entire race with its stream starting at 6:35pm GMT on Saturday 27 January. 

Photo by: Richard Dole / Motorsport Images

#01: Cadillac Racing, Cadillac VSeries.R, GTP: Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais, Scott Dixon, #6: Porsche Penske Motorsports, Porsche 963, GTP: Nick Tandy, Mathieu Jaminet, Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor

Where can I watch highlights of the Daytona 24 Hours?  

Last year the official IMSA YouTube channel published highlights soon after Daytona 24 had finished, while the following week a replay of the race was uploaded in four parts.   

So, follow the various IMSA platforms to watch a Daytona 24 Hours highlights package – or replay – as soon as it drops.    

What type of track is Daytona International Speedway?    

The Daytona International Speedway sports car course is a 3.56-mile layout with 12 corners.

It features all four turns of the banked oval, but a lap starts with the twisty infield section that makes up the opening six corners.

There is also the ‘Bus Stop’ chicane on the back stretch, so drivers are not racing in a complete oval like they are for NASCAR’s Daytona 500.    

Photo by: Richard Dole / Motorsport Images

#6: Porsche Penske Motorsports, Porsche 963, GTP: Nick Tandy, Mathieu Jaminet, Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor

Daytona 24 Hours weather forecast    

The Daytona 24 Hours is expected to take place in warm weather conditions, as temperatures will reach 25-degrees Celsius for race start with a humidity level of 70%.

Temperatures are expected to stay above 20-degrees Celsius for the race entirety, but rain chances are high at 58% on Saturday and 40% on Sunday, due to the El Niño jetstream that has plagued Florida this month.

But, due to the tropical climate, this forecast can change very quickly.

IMSA at Daytona schedule