Testing at Daytona

It's January 4th and race cars are finally back on the race track. Testing for the 24 Hours of Daytona begins today and a slew of IndyCar drivers head to Florida ready to compete in what will be to most their first race of 2013.

Chip Ganassi Racing is rolling out the big guns as he always does. Teaming with the powerhouse duo of Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas is Juan Pablo Montoya and Charlie Kimball. Since 2006, Pruett has won the 24 Hours of Daytona three times, while Montoya and Rojas has won it twice. The other Ganassi entry finds Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon paired with BMW factory driver Joey Hand and NASCAR's Jamie McMurray. Franchitti won the 2008 race with Pruett, Rojas and Montoya while Dixon won all the way back in 2006 with Dan Wheldon and Casey Mears. Hand won two years ago with Pruett, Rojas and Graham Rahal as teammates.

Last year's surprise team in the Rolex SportsCar Series, Starworks Racing, is back with two cars entered. Three drivers from last year's runner up finish at Daytona return and will be teamed with a four-time IndyCar champion. Ryan Dalziel, Allan McNish and Alex Popow will team with Sébastien Bourdais in what looks to be a serious contender on paper. The second Starworks entry has not been announced but it is known that Alex Tagliani will join the team for Daytona.

Wayne Taylor Racing will feature Jordan Taylor, Max Angelelli and the defending IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay. Wayne Taylor Racing last won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2005.

Simon Pagenaud will be driving for Team Sahlen, a traditional GT entry who is transitioning to Daytona Prototypes. This will be Pagenaud's debut in the 24 Hours of Daytona.

Other Daytona Prototype teams will see Paul Tracy will race for Doran Racing and team with Jim Lowe, Colin Braun and Jon Bennett. Spirit of Daytona is a reunion of Corvette factory drivers with Oliver Gavin, Richard Westbrook and Antonio García being joined by Ricky Taylor. Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing is back with Jon Fogerty and Alex Gurney being joined by Memo Gidley and 2009 winner Darren Law. Another superpower team on paper is the new 8Star Motorsports which features former Peugeot factory drivers Pedro Lamy, Nicolas Minassian, Stéphane Sarrazin, Anthony Davidson and Enzo Potolicchio

Defending 24 Hour of Daytona winners Michael Shank Racing has yet to announce their driver line-ups but it is believed Justin Wilson will return for the 2013 edition.

In the GT field, Tony Kanaan and Rubens Barrichello lead an all-Brazilian line up with fellow Stock Car Brasil drivers Ricardo Maurício and Nonô Figueiredo. Max Papis will drive for AIM Autosport with Jeff Segal, Giancarlo Fisichella and Toni Vilander as teammates.

AF Corse and Michael Waltrip Racing are partnering up again for 2013 and Michael Waltrip, Robert Kauffman, Clint Bowyer and Rui Águas.

The defending GT winners of Magnus Racing are back with Andy Lally, John Potter and Richard Lietz being joined by Nicolas Armindo. René Rast leaves Magnus Racing for the Audi R8 of APR Motorsport and teams with Ian Baas and fellow Germans Marc Basseng and Frank Stippler.

Raphael Matos will join Scuderia Corsa and another all-Brazilain line up with Chico Longo, Xandinho Negrão and Daniel Serra.

Finally in the new GX class which features alternative technologies and alternative fuels see the Mazda G6 GX of Speedsource as the favorite with drivers Sylvain Tremblay, Jonathan Bomartio, Marino Franchitti and James Hinchcliffe. Tristan Vautier and Spencer Pigot will compete for Yellow Dragon Motorsports in the GX class.

While there are less than three weeks until the 24 Hours of Daytona, other driver announcements are expected to be made.