2016 Rolex 24 Date Confirmed

The 54th Rolex 24 at Daytona has been announced for January 30-31, 2016, to kick off both the third season of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup.

The race runs a week later than it did this year, when it was Jan. 24-25, but is still the last week in January.

It will mark the TUDOR Championship debut of full FIA GT3 specification cars within the GT Daytona class, to go along with the existing Prototype, Prototype Challenge and GT Le Mans classes.

Additionally, the race will be the first for the new Daytona Rising grandstands, as track officials work to complete that process this year.

“The debut of new cars in the GTLM and GTD classes, along with the first event in Daytona International Speedway’s motorsports stadium, will add even more anticipation for one of the most prestigious events on the international motorsports calendar,” said IMSA President Scott Atherton.

“The Rolex 24 At Daytona is more than a race, it’s an event where fans can enjoy world-class sports car competition and witness the latest and greatest from some of the most prestigious high performance car manufacturers in the world. New GT cars and the addition of a completed Daytona Rising project will make next year’s Rolex 24 a must-see spectacle.”

Meanwhile the Roar Before the Rolex 24 date and Hankook 24 Hours of Dubai will not conflict this year as they did in 2015.

The Roar date has been announced as Jan. 8-10, with Dubai’s race running from Jan. 14-16. A handful of drivers missed this year’s Roar due to their participation at Dubai.

The Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge BMW Performance 200 is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 29.