IMSA Scraps Rolex 24 Qualifying Race

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

IMSA has reverted to its traditional qualifying format for the Rolex 24 at Daytona, confirming Thursday of the discontinuation of the qualifying race after two years.

Having debuted in 2021, the 100-minute contest held on the Sunday of the Roar Before the Rolex 24 had set the grid for the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season opener, along with awarding qualifying points.

Action Express Racing’s Pipo Derani and Felipe Nasr won the inaugural Motul Pole Award 100 in 2021, followed by Ricky Taylor and Filipe Albuquerque of Wayne Taylor Racing this year in what had been an unsponsored qualifying race.

The sanctioning body has not provided a reason for the discontinuation of the qualifying race.

A regular round of qualifying, with the same points payout as in previous years, will instead be in its place for next month’s event.

Qualifying is set to begin at 1:25 p.m. ET Sun, Jan. 22, wrapping up on-track activities for the weekend, with the fastest qualifiers in each of the five classes receiving Motul Pole Awards. The 61st running of the Rolex 24 takes place on Jan. 28-29.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John