The 2021 24 Hours of Daytona (formally the 2021 Rolex 24 at Daytona) was an endurance sports car race sanctioned by the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). The event was held at Daytona International Speedway combined road course in Daytona Beach, Florida, on January 30–31, 2021. This event was the 59th running of the 24 Hours of Daytona, and the first of 12 races across multiple classes in the 2021 IMSA SportsCar Championship, as well as the first of four rounds in the 2021 Michelin Endurance Cup. Acura scored its first overall 24 Hours of Daytona victory, while Wayne Taylor Racing became the second team to win the race three times in a row.

Background

NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., who built Daytona International Speedway in 1959, conceived of the 24 Hours of Daytona to attract European sports-car endurance racing to the United States and provide international exposure to the speedway. It is informally considered part of the Triple Crown of Endurance Racing, with the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

International Motor Sports Association's (IMSA) president John Doonan confirmed the race was part of the schedule for the 2021 IMSA SportsCar Championship (IMSA SCC) in September 2020. It was the eighth consecutive year it was part of the IMSA SCC, and 59th 24 Hours of Daytona. The 24 Hours of Daytona was the first of twelve sports car endurance races of 2021 by IMSA, and the first of four races of the Michelin Endurance Cup (MEC). It took place at the 12-turn, Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida from January 30 to 31.

Entries

With the addition of the Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) class, despite the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of entrants to the 24-hour race saw a marked improvement from the 2020 running of the event, with 50 entries registered. There were seven entries in the Daytona Prototype International (DPi) class, ten in LMP2, seven in LMP3, six in GT Le Mans (GTLM), and 20 in GT Daytona (GTD). Some notable entries include Chip Ganassi Racing, who are registered to participate in the Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class with the Cadillac DPi-V.R. This marked Chip Ganassi Racing's return to top-level sportscar competition in America after a one-year absence following the withdrawal of their Ford GTE program at the end of the 2019 season, and their first race in prototypes since the 2016 edition of the 24-hour race.

The Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class also saw a flourish of international interest, with ten entries registered, the highest entry count since LMP2 was made its own class. Several of the teams, such as DragonSpeed, Racing Team Nederland, and High Class Racing, are mainstays of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Many of the LMP2 driver rosters include world-class drivers, such as Nicolas Lapierre, Giedo van der Garde, and Ben Hanley, among others.

The entry count would drop to 49 for the race itself. Just prior to the testing weekend, the team owner of Porsche GT Daytona entrant Black Swan Racing, Tim Pappas, tested positive for COVID-19. He had contracted it after racing in the 2021 Dubai 24 Hour event two weeks prior. As a safety precaution, Pappas withdrew the entire team, which consisted of himself, Porsche factory driver Patrick Pilet, Patrick Lindsey, and Larry ten Voorde, who also tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after Pappas.

Pre-race Balance of Performance Prior to the 24-hour race, and indeed the mandatory testing session that came a week prior, IMSA released a technical bulletin regarding the Balance of Performance for the 24 Hours of Daytona. Every year a unique set of BoP constraints are determined exclusively for the 24-hour event, due to the unique challenges the length of the race brings relative to the other events in the IMSA calendar. There was a large focus on changes in the GT classes. After winning both the 2019 and 2020 editions of the Rolex, the BMW M8 GTE was put at a 10-kilogram weight disadvantage, along with restricted levels of turbo boost. Meanwhile, the Porsche 911 RSR and Chevrolet Corvette C8.R were both given increases in the sizes of their air restrictors, with the latter being made 10 kilograms lighter. In GTD, several cars had their constraints changed, most notably the Porsche 911 GT3 R and 2020-edition-winning Lamborghini Huracan GT3. The former was given a hefty 20-kilogram weight increase, and the latter would run at restricted power levels.

Roar Before the 24

Motul Pole Award 100 The Motul Pole Award 100 was held January 24. It was a qualifying race, awarding qualifying points and determining the starting lineup for the 24 Hours of Daytona.

Results ClassTeam / EntrantDriversChassisTime/RetiredEngine1DPi31Whelen Engineering Racing Pipo Derani Felipe NasrCadillac DPi-V.R511:41:06.688Cadillac 5.5 L V82DPi55Mazda Motorsports Oliver Jarvis Harry TincknellMazda RT24-P51 +3.664Mazda MZ-2.0T 2.0 L Turbo I43DPi5Mustang Sampling / JDC-Miller Motorsports Loïc Duval Tristan VautierCadillac DPi-V.R51 +4.627Cadillac 5.5 L V84DPi60Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian Dane Cameron Olivier Pla Juan Pablo MontoyaAcura ARX-0551 +6.995Acura AR35TT 3.5 L Turbo V65DPi10Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 Filipe Albuquerque Ricky TaylorAcura ARX-0551 +8.997Acura AR35TT 3.5 L Turbo V66DPi48Ally Cadillac Racing Jimmie Johnson Kamui KobayashiCadillac DPi-V.R51 +19.985Cadillac 5.5 L V87DPi01Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing Kevin Magnussen Renger van der ZandeCadillac DPi-V.R51 +1:14.834Cadillac 5.5 L V88LMP252PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports Mikkel Jensen Ben KeatingOreca 0751+1:33.798Gibson Technology GK428 4.2 L V89LMP220High Class Racing Dennis Andersen Ferdinand Habsburg-LothringenOreca 0750 +1 LapGibson Technology GK428 4.2 L V810LMP28Tower Motorsport Gabriel Aubry John FaranoOreca 0750+1 LapGibson Technology GK428 4.2 L V811LMP229Racing Team Nederland Frits van Eerd Giedo van der GardeOreca 0750+1 LapGibson Technology GK428 4.2 L V812LMP281DragonSpeed USA LLC Garett Grist Rob HodesOreca 0750+1 LapGibson Technology GK428 4.2 L V813LMP247Cetilar Racing Antonio Fuoco Roberto LacorteDallara P21750+1 LapGibson Technology GK428 4.2 L V814LMP218Era Motorsport Paul-Loup Chatin Dwight MerrimanOreca 0749+2 LapsGibson Technology GK428 4.2 L V815LMP251RWR-Eurasia Cody Ware Salih YoluçLigier JS P21749+2 LapsGibson Technology GK428 4.2 L V816GTLM4Corvette Racing Alexander Sims Nick TandyChevrolet Corvette C8.R49+2 LapsChevrolet 5.5 L V817GTLM3Corvette Racing Nicky Catsburg Jordan TaylorChevrolet Corvette C8.R49+2 LapsChevrolet 5.5 L V818GTLM79WeatherTech Racing Kévin Estre Cooper MacNeilPorsche 911 RSR-1949+2 LapsPorsche 4.2 L Flat-619LMP282DragonSpeed USA LLC Devlin DeFrancesco Eric LuxOreca 0748+3 LapsGibson Technology GK428 4.2 L V820LMP211WIN Autosport Tristan Nunez Steven ThomasOreca 0748+3 LapsGibson Technology GK428 4.2 L V821GTLM62Risi Competizione James Calado Alessandro Pier GuidiFerrari 488 GTE48+3 LapsFerrari F154CB 3.9 L Turbo V822GTD96Turner Motorsport Bill Auberlen Robby FoleyBMW M6 GT348+3 LapsBMW 4.4 L Turbo V823GTD9Pfaff Motorsports Zacharie Robichon Laurens VanthoorPorsche 911 GT3 R48+3 LapsPorsche 4.0 L Flat-624GTD111GRT Grasser Racing Team Mirko Bortolotti Rolf IneichenLamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO48+3 LapsLamborghini 5.2 L V1025GTLM25BMW Team RLL Philipp Eng Timo GlockBMW M8 GTE48+3 LapsBMW S63 4.0 L Turbo V826GTD14Vasser Sullivan Oliver Gavin Aaron TelitzLexus RC F GT348+3 LapsLexus 5.4 L V827LMP36Mühlner Motorsports America Laurents Hörr Moritz KranzDuqueine D-0848+3 LapsNissan VK56DE 5.6L V828GTD57Winward Racing Philip Ellis Russell WardMercedes-AMG GT348+3 LapsMercedes-AMG M159 6.2 L V829GTD23Heart of Racing Team Roman De Angelis Ian JamesAston Martin Vantage GT347+4 LapsAston Martin 4.0 L Turbo V830LMP37Forty7 Motorsports Mark Kvamme Ryan NormanDuqueine D-0847+4 LapsNissan VK56DE 5.6L V831GTLM24BMW Team RLL Augusto Farfus Marco WittmannBMW M8 GTE47+4 LapsBMW S63 4.0 L Turbo V832LMP354CORE Autosport Jon Bennett George KurtzLigier JS P32047+4 LapsNissan VK56DE 5.6L V833GTD63Scuderia Corsa Bret Curtis Ed JonesFerrari 488 GT347+4 LapsFerrari F154CB 3.9 L Turbo V834GTD16Wright Motorsports Ryan Hardwick Patrick LongPorsche 911 GT3 R47+4 LapsPorsche 4.0 L Flat-635GTD12Vasser Sullivan Robert Megennis Zach VeachLexus RC F GT346+5 LapsLexus 5.4 L V836GTD75SunEnergy1 Kenny Habul Raffaele MarcielloMercedes-AMG GT346+5 LapsMercedes-AMG M159 6.2 L V837GTD44Magnus with Archangel Andy Lally John PotterAcura NSX GT345+6 LapsAcura 3.5 L Turbo V638GTD97TF Sport Charlie Eastwood Max RootAston Martin Vantage GT345+6 LapsAston Martin 4.0 L Turbo V839GTD88Team Hardpoint EBM Earl Bamber Christina NielsenPorsche 911 GT3 R45 +6 LapsPorsche 4.0 L Flat-640GTD28Alegra Motorsports Daniel Morad Michael de QuesadaMercedes-AMG GT345 +6 LapsMercedes-AMG M159 6.2 L V841GTD21AF Corse Simon Mann Nicklas NielsenFerrari 488 GT344 +7 LapsFerrari F154CB 3.9 L Turbo V842 DNFLMP333Sean Creech Motorsport João Barbosa Lance WillseyLigier JS P32030Not RunningNissan VK56DE 5.6L V843 DNFGTD42NTE Sport Andrew Davis Alan MetniAudi R8 LMS GT318Not RunningAudi BXA 5.2 L V1044 DNFLMP338Performance Tech Motorsports Cameron Cassels Rasmus LindhLigier JS P32013Not RunningNissan VK56DE 5.6L V845 DNFLMP391Riley Motorsports Jim Cox Dylan MurryLigier JS P3208Not RunningNissan VK56DE 5.6L V846 DNFGTD1Paul Miller Racing Madison Snow Bryan SellersLamborghini Huracán GT32Not RunningLamborghini 5.2 L V1047GTD19GRT Grasser Racing Team Misha Goikhberg Franck PereraLamborghini Huracán GT348 +3 LapsLamborghini 5.2 L V10DNSLMP374Riley Motorsports Spencer Pigot Gar RobinsonLigier JS P3200Not StartedNissan VK56DE 5.6L V8DNSGTD64Team TGM Ted Giovanis Owen TrinklerPorsche 911 GT3 R0Not StartedPorsche 4.0 L Flat-6Source: Class winners in bold.

†: Post-event penalty. Moved to back of class.

Race

Start and early hours

Night

Morning

Finish

Post-race Since it was the season's first race, Albuquerque, Castroneves, Ricky Taylor, and Rossi Pagenaud led the DPi Drivers' Championship with 376 points each. Johnson, Kobayashi, Pagenaud, and Rockenfeller were second with 345 points. Bomarito, Jarvis, and Tincknell were third with 332 points. Nicky Catsburg, Jordan Taylor, and Antonio García led the GTLM Drivers' Championship with 382 points each. Milner, Sims, and Tandy were second with 355 points. Edwards, Farfus, Krohn, and Wittmann were third with 325 points. Dontje, Ward, Ellis, and Engel led the GTD Drivers' Championship, followed by the second-placed Grenier, Habul, Marciello, and Stolz. Caldarelli, Lewis, Snow, and Sellers were third. LMP2 drivers and teams as well as LMP3 drivers and teams didn't score full season points due to the event only counting towards the Michelin Endurance Cup. WTR-Konica Minolta Acura, Corvette Racing, and Winward Racing became the leaders of their respective class Teams' Championships. Acura, Chevrolet, and Mercedes-AMG assumed the lead of their respective Manufacturers' Championships with eleven races left in the season.

Results Class winners denoted in bold and with