DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — If you’re a NASCAR fan staring at the calendar wondering when stock cars are coming back, the Rolex 24 at Daytona is the cure for the offseason blues. Same track. Same banking. Same thunderous sound of cars ripping through Turn 1. Different discipline — but the vibe will feel very familiar.
The 24-hour IMSA endurance classic runs Jan. 24–25, and for NASCAR fans missing engines, pit strategy and late-night racing marathons, this is as close to home as it gets without a points-paying Cup race.
Daytona International Speedway isn’t just any road course — it’s your track. The cars blast off the NASCAR oval, dive into the infield, then rejoin the high banks where decades of Daytona 500 history live. You’ll recognize the sightlines, the lighting, the energy. When prototypes and GT cars scream off the banking at night, it scratches the same itch as a 2 a.m. West Coast Cup finish or a rain-delayed Coke 600.
And yes, there are NASCAR names to follow.
Teenage phenom Connor Zilisch, one of the sport’s most hyped young drivers and a rising star in NASCAR development circles, is in the field — another chance to see why teams are so high on his future. AJ Allmendinger, a Cup Series road-course ace and Daytona veteran, is also entered, bringing a familiar face and proven pedigree to the endurance world. If you’ve watched either of them wheel it at COTA, Watkins Glen or the Charlotte Roval, you’ll feel right at home pulling for them here.
From a viewing standpoint, IMSA makes it easy for NASCAR fans to plug in.
YouTube onboard cameras offer a throwback feel similar to what HBO Max provided during select NASCAR races — raw, uninterrupted cockpit views without constant commercials or heavy production layers. Pick a car, leave it on, and let the race breathe. For fans who loved riding onboard with drivers during long green-flag runs, this is a dream setup.
Audio-wise, IMSA Radio hits the same nerve as NASCAR scanner listeners. Strategy chatter, calm voices in chaos, spotters calling traffic, engineers adjusting fuel numbers on the fly — it’s the endurance-racing version of listening to a Cup driver’s channel during a long run. Put it on in the background and suddenly the race feels personal again.
The rhythm, too, will feel familiar. Long green-flag stretches. Pit cycles that reshuffle the order. Night racing where patience matters more than aggression. And, just like NASCAR at Daytona, survival is half the battle. Being fast is important — being smart for 24 hours is everything.
The race goes green Saturday afternoon and ends Sunday afternoon, meaning you get sunset, full darkness, sunrise and the final sprint all in one event. It’s the motorsports equivalent of a doubleheader weekend that never stops.
For NASCAR fans itching to hear engines, watch pit crews work under pressure and feel that Daytona energy again, the Rolex 24 isn’t a substitute — it’s a reminder. Racing never really stops at Daytona. It just changes uniforms for a weekend.
Fire it up, pick a car, turn on the onboards — and enjoy having cars back on track.
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