JANUARY 22, 2020
Monday, January 20, 2020 at 09:14AM
Editor
(IMSA)
The field for the 58th Rolex 24 At Daytona gathered on Wednesday morning at Daytona International Speedway for an annual photo opportunity on the day before cars take to the 3.56-mile track for practice and qualifying. The race starts Saturday, Jan. 25 at 1:30 p.m. ET and will be televised live on the NBC network. For the first time, NBC also will offer network television coverage of the race’s finish, beginning at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 26. 
IMSA Radio also will have live coverage throughout race weekend on IMSA.com and RadioLeMans.com, with complete race coverage also airing on SiriusXM Radio. Tickets for the 58th Rolex 24 At Daytona are available on DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.com 
(Michelin Motorsport)
The new factory-entered Chevrolet Corvette C8.R will make its eagerly awaited debut in the GTLM class in the Daytona 24 Hours this weekend (Rolex24).
(Lexus)
Lexus and the AIM VASSER SULLIVAN (AVS) team return to IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition in the GTD class this weekend in the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. 
Four full-season drivers are set to compete in 12 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races for AIM VASSER SULLIVAN this season. Jack Hawksworth and Parker Chase will team up in the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3, while Townsend Bell and Frankie Montecalvo will co-drive the No. 12 RC F GT3. Four endurance racers will join the AIM VASSER SULLIVAN full-time driver lineup for the Rolex 24 at Daytona, split between the two RC F GT3s. Hawksworth and Chase are joined by two-time NASCAR Cup Champion Kyle Busch and 20-year-old Michael de Quesada in the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 in Daytona. Busch has amassed 208 wins across the three NASCAR national series, including 56 Cup Series victories. The NASCAR champion first piloted the Lexus RC F GT3 at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 earlier this month. De Quesada will make his second Rolex 24 start after winning in the GTD class during his first Rolex 24 start in 2017. Bell and Montecalvo are joined in Daytona once again by Aaron Telitz and newcomer Shane van Gisbergen. Telitz was part of the team’s runner-up finish last year in Daytona and is a three-time race winner in the Indy Lights series. Van Gisbergen is a well-accomplished V8 Supercar driver, having won the 2016 championship and finished runner-up in 2014, 2018 and 2019.
(WELD Racing Wheels)
In his thirteenth attempt, NASCAR star Kyle Larson won the Golden Driller in the 34th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire. Apologizing to NASCAR, Larson stated, “This is the biggest effing race I’ve ever won. I hope to win Daytona in a few weeks, but this is badass!” Equipped with WELD Magnum Midget wheels from Kansas City, MO-based WELD Racing, Larson followed pole sitter Christopher Bell for the opening laps and attempted to close in throughout the early stages but lapped traffic would knock him back. It wasn’t until lap 39 that Larson saw his chance and slid through into the lead. Maintaining the lead through two caution periods, Larson crossed the finish line just 0.8sec ahead of Bell, with Cannon McIntosh rounding out the podium. The victory was especially poignant for Larson since he was cruelly denied last year’s win on the final lap.
(BMW)
The BMW M Motorsport factory road racing effort in North America will debut this weekend at the Daytona 24 Hours, the season opener for the 
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. BMW Team RLL will compete in the IMSA series with two BMW M8 GTEs, with Bobby Rahal’s team hoping to repeat their victory in the GTLM class after last year's win at Daytona. BMW Team RLL will be going for consistency and proven names in its driver lineup. John Edwards (USA) and Jesse Krohn (FIN) will be in the No. 24 BMW M8 GTE again. At Daytona they will be joined by last year’s winner - Augusto Farfus (BRA) - and Chaz Mostert (AUS). The other three winners from last year - Connor De Phillippi (USA), Philipp Eng (AUT) and Colton Herta (USA) - will be in the cockpit of the No. 25 team car. New to the team is former BMW DTM driver Bruno Spengler (CAN), who, together with De Phillippi, will make up the regular team for the full season. The new oil partner for IMSA is MOTUL - the French company that specializes in high-tech engine and industrial lubricants - and has decades of racing experience. IMSA's Official Partner is also the principal sponsor of the MOTUL BMW M8 GTE, adding to the BMW Team's portfolio of trusted partners including Akrapovič, Michelin, Puma, BMW M Performance Driving School, bmwusa.com, AERO Advanced Paint Technology, Inc., Lincoln Electric and Rousseau. In addition to BMW Team RLL and their two MOTUL BMW M8 GTEs, the Turner Motorsport team will also be competing at Daytona. The No. 96 BMW M6 GT3 contesting the GTD class will have BMW works driver Jens Klingmann (GER) and Bill Auberlen, Robby Foley and Dillon Machavern (all USA) at the wheel. The 2020 edition of the 24 Hours of Daytona gets underway at 13:35 local time (19:35 CET) on Saturday, January 25th.

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