The '21 IMSA season starts this weekend with the 59th annual Rolex 24 hour race at Daytona, highlighted by a greater contingent of NASCAR drivers entering the event than usual. Entrants include Jimmie Johnson, who is transitioning to IndyCar this year, along with reigning Cup champ Chase Elliott and Austin Dillon. There are also several IndyCar drivers in the field, including six-time champion Scott Dixon, Simon Pagenaud and Juan Pablo Montoya. A total of 18 different car manufacturers are entering the different IMSA competitions at Daytona this weekend, including the likes of Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes, Porsche, Lexus, Ferrari and BMW.
The 24-hour endurance race will have its first hour aired on NBC on Saturday at 3:30pm ET, then go to NBCSN and NBC Sports Gold for the next 22 hours of coverage, before NBC picks back up for the final hour on Sunday afternoon starting at 2:00pm. This is the first major event of the year at Daytona ahead of next month’s Daytona 500, though it will be scaled back this year because of the pandemic.
