🏁 The 2025 Rolex 24 is Here! | Everything you NEED to Know


Hi IMSA fans!

The Rolex 24 is finally here and after an offseason filled with news it’s time to settle in for another season! With it being the season opening race there is a lot to catch up on. Here are the biggest things you need to know heading into the race!


Rolex 24 Preview!

The 2025 Rolex 24 at Daytona always brings excitement, and this year's running certainly won't disappoint.

The grid is packed with 61 entries, including record numbers in GTP and GTD PRO. With such competitive fields, you could make a realistic argument for any car winning in its class—definitely an area I'll be focusing on during race day!

One of the biggest stories this year is the Lamborghini SC63 making its Rolex 24 debut. The SC63 missed last year's Rolex and instead debuted at Sebring (much like Aston Martin is doing this year). The SC63 has shown impressive pace at the track, setting the fastest time at the Roar Before the 24 last weekend and demonstrating the reliability needed for a 24-hour race. While they're still waiting for their first big breakthrough with the car, if they can put everything together this weekend, we might see them fighting for the win in the closing hours.

Rolex 24 Preview!

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What Did We Learn from Qualifying?

While qualifying for a 24-hour race isn’t crucial, there are still some notable takeaways.

BMW’s pace in GTP was remarkable. After struggling in its first two seasons of IMSA competition, the program aims to turn things around in 2025. Securing pole position in the season’s biggest race is a promising start, and now they’re looking to convert that into a race win.

GTD PRO qualifying also impressed as Ford dominated with a 1-2 front row lockout. Ford, like BMW, hopes to establish itself as a consistent threat in 2025, and they couldn’t have asked for a better beginning! If they can maintain their qualifying pace during the race, they’ll be the team to beat!

Here are the pole times for all 4 classes!

GTP: The #4 BMW M Team RLL claimed overall pole position with a 1:33.895 lap time.

LMP2: The #22 United Autsports ORECA secured class pole with a time of 1:38.676.

GTD Pro: The #64 Multimatic Ford Mustang took pole with a 1:45.523.

GTD: The #120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R topped the class with a 1:46.634.

Rolex 24 Qualifying Report

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Season Long Predictions

If you've followed the channel for a while, you know I like to make race win predictions. Like a broken clock, I'm right occasionally but often miss the mark. This year, I wanted to try making some season-long predictions. Check out the video and comment with your predictions or send me a reply here. I'm planning to make a follow-up video at the end of the season looking back at these predictions, so I'd love to hear who you think will win!

Predicting the 2025 IMSA Champions!

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IMSA Explained!

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IMSA continues to attract new fans every year! I've included these resources to help friends and family members who are new to the sport get up to speed.

IMSA Explained in 5 Minutes

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Final Lap

We're in for a fantastic race this year, and I can't wait for things to get underway! If you spot me at the track, please don't hesitate to stop and say hello!

On another note, I've received many messages over the past couple of weeks and have fallen behind in responding. I sincerely apologize for the delay and will be following up with everyone this week!

I want to hear about what you want in this newsletter! Are there any big pieces of news you'd like to hear more about? Or maybe you have questions about something that happened in a recent race!

Hit reply and let me know!

Thanks,

Stu


Stu
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The Esses

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