News
Preview
The new
The race
Alongside the Le Mans 24 Hours, Daytona is the second great long distance classic in international motorsport. The race is contested on the 5.729-kilometre Daytona International Speedway, one of the most famous racetracks in the world, which features two steeply banked corners and a tight infield. The great sporting value of the race is also due to the fact that pilots come from many different race series around the world to fight for victory.
The
With eleven factory drivers and one
The
The 911 RSR is a completely new development: the suspension, body structure, aerodynamic concept, engine and transmission have all been designed in Weissach from scratch. Depending on the size of the restrictor, the motor, which is now positioned in front of the rear axle, puts out around 375 kW (510 hp). Thanks to the particularly large rear diffuser combined with a top-mounted rear wing, the level of downforce and the aerodynamic efficiency were significantly improved. The new factory design of the 911 RSR with the basic colours white, red and black has further developed the clear and dynamic design language of
The first of 22 outright
The schedule
The 24-hour race at Daytona starts on Saturday, 28 January, at 14.30 hours local time (20.30 hrs CET). Outside the USA, the race can be seen live on www.imsa.com.
Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Head of
Marco Ujhasi, Overall Project Leader GT Works Motorsport: “Daytona is the first big race of the year and that alone poses a special challenge. Adding to the suspense this year is that it’s the first race outing of our new 911 RSR. We conducted intensive tests over the last few months and gained vital insights. The new driver combinations have already meshed well together. So, in this respect, we’re heading to Daytona feeling very confident.”
Patrick Pilet (911 RSR #911): “It’s always exciting to contest this race, especially now, of course, with our new car which we’ve worked hard on developing over the last year. The last time we came to Daytona with a new 911 RSR was in 2014, and we won. Hopefully, that’s a good omen.”
Dirk Werner (911 RSR #911): “I couldn’t have wished for a better race for my first outing as a
Frédéric Makowiecki (911 RSR #911): “A 24-hour race is something very special for every race driver, but at the same time it’s an incredibly exciting task. I’m looking forward to racing in the USA again – and in Daytona, no less, at one of the most important and challenging long distance races in the world.”
Kévin Estre (911 RSR #912): “It’s always thrilling to start a season with a new car. Daytona is an important venue to establish where we stand, but it also has its quirks. You have to attack right from the start, but you can’t afford to take too many risks so that you have a healthy car at the end to fight for victory. I hope we find the best compromise and finish amongst the leaders with our new 911 RSR.”
Laurens Vanthoor (911 RSR #912): “To contest my first race as a
Richard Lietz (911 RSR # 912): “The successes that
Wolf Henzler (911 GT3 R #991): “The 911 GT3 R is a great racing car for customers. I had a lot of fun driving it at Daytona last year. I’m looking forward to contesting the entire season in the USA for my new TRG team and I hope that we achieve a great start into the new season.”
Patrick Long (911 RSR #54): “Daytona is a great start to the season. I’ve contested this race many times, yet I really look forward to it every time. The 911 GT3 R has great aerodynamics and is the ideal car for Daytona. It’s good on the straights and under braking. That’s critical on this racetrack.”
Jörg Bergmeister (911 GT3 R #73): “I’ve won Daytona three times, yet every year I can’t wait to race there again. Heading into the new season with such a classic against strong opposition from many different racing series is simply fun.”
Sven Müller (911 GT3 R #59): “Ever since our tests in early January on this great racetrack, my anticipation has been growing. I can hardly wait for the race to start. I learned a great deal at my first Daytona race last year. I hope I can share these experiences with my teammates and we achieve a good result.”
Matteo Cairoli (911 GT3 R #59): “It's fantastic that
Michael Christensen (911 GT3 R #28): “Daytona is a great race and a real highlight to kick off the season. You never really have much time to prepare because the previous season usually finishes late in the year. In this respect, Daytona is always a difficult race. It’s a real classic that every race driver definitely wants to win.”
This is the IMSA SportsCar Championship
The IMSA SportsCar Championship is a sports car race series contested in the USA and Canada, which was run in 2014 for the first time. The series was formed from the merger of the American Le Mans Series and the Grand-Am Series. Sports prototypes and sports cars start in four different classes: GTLM (GT Le Mans), GTD (GT Daytona), P (Prototype) and PC (Prototype Challenge). The
28/29.01 Daytona International Speedway, Daytona/Florida *
18.03 Sebring International Raceway, Sebring/Florida *
08.04 Long Beach Street Circuit, Long Beach/California
07.05 Circuit of the Americas, Austin/Texas
03.06 Detroit Belle Isle, Detroit/Michigan (only GTD/P)
02.07 Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen/New York *
09.07 Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville/Ontario
22.07 Lime Rock Park, Lime Rock/Connecticut
06.08 Road America, Elkhart Lake/Wisconsin
27.08 Virginia International Raceway, Danville/Virginia
24.09 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey/California
07.10 Petit Le Mans, Road Atlanta, Braselton/Georgia *
* These races count towards the North American Endurance Cup.
911 GT3 RS: Fuel consumption combined 12.7 l/100 km; urban 19.2 l/100 km; extra urban 8.9 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 296 g/km; efficiency class (Germany): G
All reports on the previous season can be found in our archive.