We have reached the first major motorsports event of the year and it is a doozy and the entry list is staggering. The season opener for the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship features 50 entries across three classes. Twenty prototypes are populated by the likes of ten past overall 24 Hours of Daytona winners, eight past top class American sports champions, three Indianapolis 500 winners, two 24 Hours of Le Mans overall winners and a past World Drivers' Champion. Not only does the Prototype class have at least a dozen potential winners but also any of the nine GT Le Mans winners could take the top honors in that class and GT Daytona is the largest class with 21 entries.
This preview will go entry-by-entry, give the driver line ups, the class result for that entry in the Roar Before the 24 test, why that entry could win and why that entry will not win.
Prototype
#2 Tequila Patron ESM Nissan Onroak DPi
Drivers: Scott Sharp, Ryan Dalziel, Olivier Pla
Roar Result: 15th
Why this car could win: Solid driver line up that features two past 24 Hours of Daytona winners.
Why this car will not win: The Nissans do not appear to have the pace to keep up with the Cadillacs.
#5 Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R.
Drivers: Filipe Albuquerque, João Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi
Roar Result: 3rd
Why this car could win: Barbosa and Fittipaldi won this race recently and Albuquerque has been a capable endurance race driver that has now stepped into the full-time role.
Why this car will not win: It isn't even the fastest Action Express Racing entry and it could be a tricky battle with the other Cadillacs.
#6 Acura Team Penske Acura ARX-05
Drivers: Dane Cameron, Juan Pablo Montoya, Simon Pagenaud
Roar Result: 5th
Why this car could win: A hell of a driver line up featuring two past prototype champions and one of the all-time greatest drivers and probably the greatest driver of this generation.
Why this car will not win: The Cadillacs and potentially the Acura having teething problems in its first race.
#7 Acura Team Penske Acura ARX-05
Drivers: Hélio Castroneves, Ricky Taylor, Graham Rahal
Roar Result: 6th
Why this car could win: One of the defending 24 Hours of Daytona winners and defending Prototype champions paired with two of the best IndyCar drivers from the last three years, one of which already has won the 24 Hours of Daytona overall.
Why this car will not win: See the reasons why the #6 Acura will not win.
#10 Konica Minolta Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R.
Drivers: Jordan Taylor, Renger van der Zande, Ryan Hunter-Reay
Roar Result: 4th
Why this car could win: The defending race winners and defending champions brought in one of the more underrated drivers in van der Zande and Hunter-Reay has been a solid endurance driver.
Why this car will not win: New driver line up and it was the slowest of the Cadillacs at the test. Plus, there has not been a repeat winner in ten years when Ganassi won its third consecutive 24 Hours of Daytona and before that the most recent repeat winner was Holbert Racing 31 years ago.
#20 BAR1 Motorsports Riley Mk. 30-Gibson
Drivers: Marc Drumwright, Eric Lux, Alex Popow, Tomy Drissi, Brendan Gaughan
Roar Result: 20th
Why this car could win: Because it is possible that 19th prototypes break down. It is possible but it is not likely.
Why this car will not win: There are 19 faster prototypes. This car would be fortunate to be one of the top three Global LMP2 cars. Also, the overall winner has not had five drivers since Dyson Racing's winner entry in 1997 had seven drivers.
#22 Tequila Patron ESM Nissan Onroak DPi
Drivers: Johannes van Overbeek, Pipo Derani, Nicolas Lapierre
Roar Result: 7th
Why this car could win: Derani won this race two years ago in what was the start of a coming out party and van Overbeek was one of his co-drivers that year. Lapierre has been on fire for the last two years.
Why this car will not win: The Cadillacs and only one of the last ten 24 Hours of Daytona winners have had three drivers.
#23 United Autosports Ligier JS P217-Gibson
Drivers: Phil Hanson, Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso
Roar Result: 14th
Why this car could win: United Autosport has been a solid LMP2 team. It has one of the best drivers in the world paired with one of the best young drivers in the world.
Why this car will not win: The global LMP2 cars have struggled to keep up with the DPi cars and this is an inexperienced endurance line up and the race could wear this team down.
#31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R.
Drivers: Felipe Nasr, Eric Curran, Mike Conway, Stuart Middleton
Roar Result: 1st
Why this car could win: It was the fastest in testing, Curran is a past champion, Nasr had a great outing at Daytona six years ago, Conway is solid and Middleton is getting his first taste of big-time racing,
Why this car will not win: Fastest in testing doesn't mean it will be fastest in the race and it is a new line up.
#32 United Autosports Ligier JS P217-Gibson
Drivers: Will Owen, Hugo de Sadeleer, Paul di Resta, Bruno Senna
Roar Result: 17th
Why this car could win: Owen and de Sadeleer are coming off a great European Le Mans Series season in 2017 and Senna had a fantastic drive to win the 2017 World Endurance Trophy for LMP2 Drivers. Di Resta is kind of the unknown in this line up.
Why this car will not win: The Ligier's pace.
#37 Jackie Chan DCR Jota Oreca 07-Gibson
Drivers: Lance Stroll, Felix Rosenqvist, Robin Frijns, Daniel Juncadella
Roar Result: 16th
Why this car could win: Four quality drivers, two of which are under appreciated (Rosenqvist and Frijns).
Why this car will not win: Lawrence Stroll can't pay $80 million to gift his son a 24 Hours of Daytona overall victory.
#38 Performance Tech Motorsports Oreca 07-Gibson
Drivers: James French, Pato O'Ward, Kyle Masson, Joel Miller
Roar Result: 13th
Why this car could win: Three quarters of this team won at Daytona in Prototype Challenge last year and French and O'Ward cleaned house to take the final PC championship. Miller adds experience to this line up.
Why this car will not win: Prototypes is a big step up for this group.
#52 AFS/PR1 Mathiasen Ligier JS P217-Gibson
Drivers: Sebastián Saavedra, Gustavo Yacamán, Roberto González, Nicholas Boulle
Roar Result: 19th
Why this car could win: Saavedra and Yacamán were quick in Indy Lights and Yacamán had success in LMP2 cars. González has Champ Car experience and raced in the FIA World Endurance Championship last year.
Why this car will not win: The field is too deep.
#54 CORE Autosport Oreca 07-Gibson
Drivers: Jon Bennett, Colin Braun, Romain Dumas, Loïc Duval
Roar Result: 10th
Why this car could win: CORE Autosport was competitive in Prototype Challenge before stepping down to GT Daytona. Braun is somehow only 29 years old and the team has drafted into two quality Frenchmen in Dumas and Duval.
Why this car will not win: The team is transitioning to prototypes and might feel some growing pains.
#55 Mazda Team Joest Mazda RT24-P
Drivers: Jonathan Bomarito, Harry Tincknell, Spencer Pigot
Roar Result: 8th
Why this car could win: There is a lot of momentum behind this entry. Tincknell has won big endurance races before. Pigot has momentum, as he is now a full-time IndyCar driver. Bomarito is a stalwart with Mazda.
Why this car will not win: Mazda seems to have something bit it in the butt every damn year.
#77 Mazda Team Joest Mazda RT24-P
Drivers: Oliver Jarvis, Tristan Nunez, René Rast
Roar Result: 18th
Why this car could win: Jarvis and Rast were two top Audi drivers. Nunez has been a competent driver.
Why this car will not win: See why the #55 Mazda will not win.
#78 Jackie Chan DCR Jota Oreca 07-Gibson
Drivers: Ho-Pin Tung, Alex Brundle, Ferdinand Habsburg, António Félix da Cosa
Roar Result: 9th
Why this car could win: Jackie Chan DC Racing had a positive 2017 season. Tung and Brundle have had their good runs and da Costa is a driver talented enough for Formula One. Habsburg, yes of that Habsburg family, had a blunder in Macau but he has been improving each year.
Why this car will not win: This is a good line up but I am not sure a good line up is enough to win this race.
#85 JDC-Miller Motorsports Oreca 07-Gibson
Drivers: Simon Trummer, Robert Alon, Devlin DeFrancesco, Austin Cindric
Roar Result: 11th
Why this car could win: JDC-Miller Motorsport was the surprise of 2017. This car has four promising young drivers.
Why this car will not win: This line up is too inexperienced to win.
#90 Spirit of Daytona Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R.
Drivers: Matthew McMurry, Tristan Vautier, Eddie Cheever III
Roar Result: 2nd
Why this car could win: Spirit of Daytona salvaged a good season last year after multiple chassis issues. Now it is with Cadillac and is a contender.
Why this car will not win: While McMurry and Vautier have been stout drivers I think the team won't win right off the bat.
#99 JDC-Miller Motorsports Oreca 07-Gibson
Drivers: Chris Miller, Stephen Simpson, Misha Goikhberg, Gustavo Menezes
Roar Result: 12th
Why this car could win: This was the JDC-Miller Motorsports team that kept getting good result after good result. It has brought in Menezes, who arguably is one of the top five American prototype drivers today.
Why this car will not win: I think it is hard to expect this team to repeat what it did in 2017.
GT Le Mans
#3 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R
Drivers: Jan Magnussen, Antonio García, Mike Rockenfeller
Roar Result: 5th
Why this car could win: I am not sure there is a more dangerous trio than this. These three have won before and no one would be surprised if they did it again.
Why this car will not win: It gets beat outright by the Fords.
#4 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R
Drivers: Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner, Marcel Fissure
Roar Result: 2nd
Why this car could win: This trio won at Daytona two years ago.
Why this car will not win: The Fords and I don't think the #3 Corvette is going to roll over for its teammate. Speaking of which, we know neither Corvette will lie down for the other. See the 2016 24 Hours of Daytona finish.
#24 BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GTE
Drivers: Jesse Krohn, John Edwards, Nicky Catsburg, Augusto Farfus
Roar Result: 9th
Why this car could win: New car, Edwards has been a good driver and Krohn is making a step up. Farfus has been a really good driver in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.
Why this car will not win: Its teammate is stronger and the new car could have teething problems.
#25 BMW Team RLL BMW M8 GTE
Drivers: Alexander Sims, Connor De Phillippi, Bill Auberlen, Philipp Eng
Roar Result: 8th
Why this car could win: Sims and Auberlen finished 2017 strong and De Phillippi also had a great 2017 season and is a big free agent acquisition.
Why this car will not win: It hasn't had the pace to keep up with the Fords and Corvettes.
#62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE
Drivers: Toni Vilander, Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Davide Rigon
Roar Result: 6th
Why this car could win: Three former GT World Champions and Vilander has had a lot of success in endurance races.
Why this car will not win: Risi Competizione doesn't seem to catch a break.
#66 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT
Drivers: Joey Hand, Dirk Müller, Sébastien Bourdais
Roar Result: 1st
Why this car could win: Fastest in testing and the defending GTLM winners at Daytona.
Why this car will not win: Repeating is hard and I kind of made a prediction that no GTLM teams would successful defend a race victory from 2017.
#67 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT
Drivers: Ryan Briscoe, Richard Westbrook, Scott Dixon
Roar Result: 3rd
Why this car could win: This car was consistent all of 2017 and Dixon is one of the best drivers in the world.
Why this car will not win: While being consistent the #67 Ford has had trouble finding the top step of the podium.
#911 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR
Drivers: Patrick Pilet, Nick Tandy, Frédéric Makowiecki
Roar Result: 7th
Why this car could win: Pilet and Tandy won the GTLM class at Daytona in 2014. Pilot and Makowiecki finished second in class last year.
Why this car will not win: Its teammate is stronger.
#912 Porsche GT Team Porsche 911 RSR
Drivers: Laurens Vanthoor, Earl Bamber, Gianmaria Bruni
Roar Result: 4th
Why this car could win: These three might make up the best driver line up on the grid let alone in GTLM.
Why this car will not win: The Fords and the Corvettes are strong.
GT Daytona
#11 GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3
Drivers: Rolf Ineichen, Mirko Bortolotti, Franck Perera, Rik Breukers
Roar Result: 1st
Why this car could win: Fastest off the bat, defending Blancpain GT Series champions, had a great outing at the Dubai 24 Hour, European one-offs have done well at Daytona previous.
Why this car will not win: GT Daytona is a mixed bag and Breukers is a young driver and this will be his first endurance race with much faster prototypes, which can catch a driver out.
#14 3GT Racing Lexus RC F GT3
Drivers: Dominik Baumann, Kyle Marcelli, Philipp Frommenwiler, Bruno Junqueira
Roar Result: 8th
Why this car could win: Junqueira is a good driver, as is Marcelli and the Lexus was slowly improving in 2017.
Why this car will not win: The Lexus might not have improved enough to challenge for the class victory.
#15 3GT Racing Lexus RC F GT3
Drivers: Jack Hawkworth, David Heinemeier Hansson, Scott Pruett, Dominik Farnbacher
Roar Result: 11th
Why this car could win: This could be a competitive line up in Prototypes and GTLM let along GTD. This will be Pruett's final race and even anyone goes out on top it will be him.
Why this car will not win: It simply can be beat on the racetrack.
#19 GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3
Drivers: Max van Splunteren, Ezequiel Pérez Companc, Christian Engelhart, Christopher Lenz, Louis Machiels
Roar Result: 3rd
Why this car could win: Grasser is a top team and even pulled together a crew of relatively unknown drivers and got it to be third fastest in the test.
Why this car will not win: It is a relatively unknown set of drivers and Daytona could catch them out.
#29 Montaplast by Land Motorpsort Audi R8 LMS
Drivers: Sheldon van der Linde, Kelvin van der Linde, Jeffrey Schmidt, Christopher Mies
Roar Result: 4th
Why this car could win: This car finished second at Daytona last year, fourth at Sebring and won Petit Le Mans, not to forget mentioning winning the 24 Hours Nürburgring.
Why this car will not win: Something goes wrong or the Audi is beat straight up on the track. No one should be surprised if this car wins.
#33 Mercedes-AMG Team Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3
Drivers: Ben Keating, Jeroen Bleekemolen, Adam Christodoulou, Luca Stolz
Roar Result: 13th
Why this car could win: Bleekemolen should have gotten a factory GTE deal years ago. Keating has had tremendous success in endurance races. Christodoulou and Stolz are competent drivers.
Why this car will not win: The Mercedes-AMGs might not have it this year.
#44 Magnus Racing Audi R8 LMS
Drivers: John Potter, Andy Lally, Andrew Davis, Markus Winkelhock
Roar Result: 6th
Why this car could win: Magnus Racing returns to IMSA competition and this team has a history of winning at Daytona.
Why this car will not win: It gets beat by a strong team and most likely a strong Audi like Land Motorsport.
#48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3
Drivers: Bryan Sellers, Madison Snow, Andrea Caldarelli, Bryce Miller
Roar Result: 10th
Why this car could win: The Lamborghinis are looking good and this is a respectable GT Daytona team.
Why this car will not win: There are a few stronger entries in the class.
#51 Spirit of Racing Ferrari 488 GT3
Drivers: Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy, Mathias Lauda, Daniel Serra
Roar Result: 16th
Why this car could win: Defending Endurance Trophy for GTE-Am Drivers' champions with the addition of factory driver Serra.
Why this car will not win: Dalla Lana's, Lamy's and Lauda's success has all come in an Aston Martin.
#58 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R
Drivers: Patrick Long, Christian Nielsen, Robert Renauer, Mathieu Jaminet
Roar Result: 7th
Why this car could win: Reigning Pirelli World Challenge GT champion meets defending two-time GT Daytona champion and throw in a sports car ace in Renauer and a Porsche junior driver in Jaminet. Yeah, this is a team to keep an eye on.
Why this car will not win: Strong Audis and while Nielsen has had full season success she hasn't manage to pull it off at Daytona.
#59 Manthey Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R
Drivers: Steve Smith, Randy Walls, Harald Proczyk, Sven Müller, Matteo Cairoli
Roar Result: 2nd
Why this car could win: Two Porsche junior drivers in Müller and Cairoli lead one of the great GT teams and the car is already showing the pace.
Why this car will not win: It is a long race and being fastest in a test is different than being fast over 24 hours.
#63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3
Drivers: Cooper MacNeil, Alessandro Balzan, Gunnar Jeannette, Jeff Segal
Roar Result: 15th
Why this car could win: Scuderia Corsa has won the last two GT Daytona championships.
Why this car will not win: Balzan lost his co-driver and MacNeil has not been the most fortunate driver the last few seasons.
#64 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3
Drivers: Bill Sweedler, Townsend Bell, Frank Montecalvo, Sam Bird
Roar Result: 20th
Why this car could win: Sweedler and Bell have had a very good four or five years in endurance races and Montecalvo has shown promise. Add to that a factory driver in Bird and this team has it all on paper.
Why this car will not win: It was second slowest in the test and this is a deep field.
#69 HART Acura NSX GT3
Drivers: Chad Gilsinger, Ryan Eversley, Sean Rayhall, John Falb
Roar Result: 14th
Why this car could win: Because nice and Eversley had a good season in Pirelli World Challenge with the Acura. Rayhall and Falb won the European Le Mans Series LMP3 title last year.
Why this car will not win: This is the slowest of the three Acuras and this team is basically a pro-am made of Honda employees doing this as a hobby.
#71 P1 Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3
Drivers: Kenton Koch, Robby Foley, Loris Spinelli, JC Perez
Roar Result: 21st
Why this car could win: If it takes the green flag then it has a shot.
Why this car will not win: It was the slowest and it was parked for sandbagging. Plus, on paper, the driver line up doesn't hold a candle to most teams on the grid.
#73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R
Drivers: Patrick Lindsey, Jörg Bergmeister, Norbert Siedler, Tim Pappas
Roar Result: 9th
Why this car could win: Bergmeister and Siedler aren't heading into their first rodeo and Lindsey and Pappas are competitive amateur drivers.
Why this car will not win: There a many strong cars and this might not even be the best Porsche in class after 24 hours.
#75 SunEngery1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
Drivers: Kenny Habul, Thomas Jäger, Maro Engel, Mikaël Grenier
Roar Result: 19th
Why this car could win: Engel doesn't seem to put a wheel wrong in a GT car and Jäger has won his share of endurance races.
Why this car will not win: Habul and Grenier aren't the best amateur drivers.
#82 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GT3
Drivers: Miguel Molina, Ricardo Pérez de Lara, Martin Fuentes, Santiago Creel, Matt Griffin
Roar Result: 18th
Why this car could win: It is run by a great American team, has a factory driver and two other winning GT drivers.
Why this car will not win: It is a one-off from Risi Competizione and the team might not have had enough time together to gel into a competitive team for the class victory.
#86 Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura NSX GT3
Drivers: Katherine Legge, Álvaro Parente, Trent Hindman, A.J. Allmendinger
Roar Result: 12th
Why this car could win: Legge won in the Acura last year, Parente has been a force in both of his seasons in Pirelli World Challenge, Hindman has climbed his way into IMSA's top series and he is a name that isn't going anywhere anytime soon and Allmendinger has been here and done that.
Why this car will not win: This car doesn't win if it doesn't have the pace to compete with the Porsches, Audis and Lamborghinis.
#93 Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura NSX GT3
Drivers: Justin Marks, Lawson Aschenbach, Mario Farnbacher, Côme Ledogar
Roar Result: 5th
Why this car could win: It is another car filled with GT champions and race winners, plus it showed competitive pace in the test.
Why this car will not win: It is a new collaboration of drivers of which none have prior experience with the Acura.
#96 Turner Motorsport BMW M6 GT3
Drivers: Jens Klingmann, Martin Tomczyk, Mark Kvamme, Don Yount, Cameron Lawrence
Roar Result: 17th
Why this car could win: Turner is a tried and true American GT team and it has brought in two of BMW's top German drivers.
Why this car will not win: This car and driver line up doesn't have enough to fight with the big boys in GTD.
The 24 Hours of Daytona weekend opens on Thursday January 25th with practice at 9:20 a.m. ET and 1:40 p.m. ET. Qualifying will take place at 3:55 p.m. ET with the GTD class leading off the session followed by GTLM at 4:20 p.m. ET and Prototypes ending the session at 4:45 p.m. ET. Thursday will close with a night practice at 6:30 p.m. ET. The final session prior to the start of the race will take place at 9:40 a.m. ET on Friday January 26th.
The 56th 24 Hours of Daytona will start at 2:40 p.m. ET on Saturday January 27th.
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