More entries for the 2023 Daytona 24 Hours?

Having too many cars on a grid is a positive problem. That's clearly what's happening at IMSA for the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona. Already in January, the Florida 24H race exceeded 60 competitors, the first time in eight years. Registrations for the January 28-29 event have been open since October 11 and initial feedback suggests that the grid is on the rise. It is even possible that the demand from teams will exceed the available supply. Crisis? What crisis? IMSA and Daytona International Speedway officials are working hard to determine the maximum number of entries that can be safely accommodated for the race. "It's a nice problem to have," said John Doonan, IMSA president. "We've seen tremendous momentum for the sport, for IMSA and all IMSA fans. I think 2023 will be no different. Even compared to a year ago at this time, we've had even more interest from competitors who want to race the Rolex 24 and the season as a whole." When John Doonan talks about momentum, he is obviously thinking about the new GTP premier class that will see Acura, BMW, Cadillac and Porsche compete from 2023. In the GTD class, Daytona will see the debut of the new Porsche 911 GT3 R and Ferrari 296 GT3, as well as the Evo 2 version of the Lamborghini Huracan GT3. The IMSA president expects strong participation in all five classes (GTP, LMP2, LMP3, GTD Pro, GTD) at Daytona in January: "The good news is that no class can be left out in terms of momentum and growth. The LMP2 category has attracted a lot of interest over the last two seasons, particularly from teams that have traditionally raced in Europe, and are interested in the North American market. LMP3, similarly, has attracted a number of entries that are in a kind of sweet spot. If you add it all up, you probably get half the Rolex 24 grid, with the other half being GT cars." With the end of GTLM, IMSA has split the GTD category into two with Pro on one side, Pro-Am on the other. "The momentum around the GT classes is significant," Doonan points out. "By 2024, there will be a Ford Mustang programme and the availability of the Corvette for customers. We are very pleased with the way the GTD Pro class has developed in the first season, and I think you will see similar numbers in 2022 for that segment of the grid. We are lucky to have such interest." The organisers will be issuing entries to full-time teams as well as manufacturers who have been present in recent years as a priority. "You can only create so much space at the majority of our circuits, and one of the things we have to look at is in the case of Daytona entries is the number of garages, paddock space and, of course, pit lane," Doonan is keen to point out. "Last season we had 61 cars, which was tight. With the new GTP cars, there are obviously some things around these cars and the hybrid technology that may force us to give them a bit more space."