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2021 Roar Moved to Week Before Rolex 24 at Daytona

Official pre-season test now set for Jan. 22-24, 2021, one week before Rolex 24 at Daytona…

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

Next year’s Roar Before The Rolex 24 will take place the week prior to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opener, officials from Daytona International Speedway have announced.

The mandatory pre-season test, which typically takes place on the first weekend of January, has been moved to Jan. 22-24 in an effort to provide teams with a longer off-season following the extended 2020 season that’s due to now end in mid-November.

The revised date provides a ten-week gap between the postponed Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Nov. 12-14 and the new Roar date.

The 59th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, meanwhile, has been confirmed for Jan. 30-31, 2021, allowing teams to remain at the track from the Roar weekend through the race event.

New “fan-focused” events are planned, celebrating the start of the IMSA season.

“While we continue to work together to complete the 2020 Championship seasons, we have also been building our 2021 calendar,” said IMSA President John Doonan in a letter to stakeholders.

“As we have gone through our traditional process, seeking to keep date and venue equity as much as possible, we have also been focused on making sure we find new ways to both increase value for all of you, our collective partners, and our audiences while creating cost efficiency opportunities for all involved.

“With that in mind, we have worked very closely with our promoter partners here in Daytona to place the Raoar Before the 24 and the Rolex 24 on consecutive weekends to start the new season.

“Through this opportunity, we are creating a new and exciting atmosphere around race week, we are starting the season several weeks later than we traditionally have in order to give everyone extra time to prepare, and we are giving our fans very unique opportunities to engage with the cars, the stars, and the brands that make IMSA so special.”

Tickets for the 2021 Rolex 24 weekend will go on sale on Sept. 8. 

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

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