24h Le Mans
The kickoff for the 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship will take place in Daytona on January 24th, but starting tomorrow, the competitors will take part in the three-day Roar Before the Rolex 24, the name of the official tests for the 24-hour race.
Photo : Michael L. LEVITT - IMSA
This year, the tests were pushed back a week so all of the participants in the American championship could spend the end-of-year holidays with their loved ones. Over three days, rookies will have time to get to know the 5.73 km (3.56 miles) track as they will be able to roll for 12 hours during the day as well as at night. Unlike NASCAR, the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship cars will take over the infield in addition to the oval.
Allotted roll times are divided into eight sessions of varying length. The drivers (entry list) will be at the end of pit lane tomorrow, Friday, as of 10:20 a.m. for the first session in a day that holds two. Saturday, the cars will work hard as four test sessions, including 90 minutes in the dark, are on the program, and Sunday will hold only two sessions with a total duration under three hours.
Program (local times)
Friday, January 9
Session 1: 10:20 a.m. - 12:05 p.m.
Session 2: 2:55 p.m. - 5:25 p.m.
Saturday, January 10
Session 3: 9:00 a.m. - 10:45 p.m.
Session 4: 1:05 p.m. - 2:35 p.m.
Session 5: 4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Session 6: 6:45 p.m. - 8:15 p.m.
Sunday, January 11
Session 7: 10:20 a.m. - 12:05 p.m.
Session 8: 2:40 p.m. - 3:40 p.m.
Cécile Bonardel / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO
PHOTO: DAYTONA BEACH (FLORIDA, U.S.), DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY, ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA, SATURDAY JANUARY 4 2014, ROAR BEFORE THE ROLEX 24. A night session is on the official test program of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
