The two biggest endurance sports car races in the world – the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans – are now even more closely aligned with the news that chicanes at the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road course and the 8.49-mile Circuit des 24 Heures in Le Mans, France. will be named after each other.
At Daytona, what has become known over the years as the “Bus Stop” chicane on the Daytona backstretch now will be known as “The LE MANS Chicane.” At Le Mans, the first chicane on the high-speed Mulsanne Straight will be named “The DAYTONA Chicane.” The curbs in these sections at each track are painted in an alternating blue and yellow scheme as a symbol of unity between the venues, events and sanctioning bodies.
The idea for the reciprocal names resulted from discussions between NASCAR and IMSA Chairman Jim France and ACO President Pierre Fillon during the 2021 24 Hours of Le Mans last August. The LE MANS Chicane at Daytona already has been painted blue and yellow and will be on full display throughout this weekend’s 60th anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the season opener for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
“The spirit of partnership between the IMSA and Daytona International Speedway team in Daytona Beach and the ACO in Le Mans has never been stronger,” said John Doonan, IMSA President. “Between the historic convergence for the top category of prototype racing, the recent 10-year extension of the IMSA-ACO partnership and today’s introduction of the LE MANS and DAYTONA chicanes, together we are embarking on an amazing new era of sports car endurance racing unlike anything we’ve ever seen.”
This weekend’s twice-around-the-clock battle will feature a field of 61 cars spread amongst five classes. It begins Saturday at 1:40 p.m. ET. Great tickets are still available for the week’s activities and can be purchased at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.
“Daytona International Speedway and Le Mans are two of the most iconic, historical venues in all of motorsports and have been hosts to the greatest sports car racing in the world, 24-hour style,” said Speedway President Frank Kelleher. “On behalf of the France family, we are proud to introduce this incredible unification where IMSA, Daytona International Speedway, the ACO and Le Mans will showcase the most competitive endurance racing into the future.”
“In the two years since our agreement to create a common class on both sides of the Atlantic, we have made many historic announcements, such as the convergence between LMH and LMDh and the renewal of our strategic alliance for the next decade,” said Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO). “This symbolic act illustrates the friendship between ACO and IMSA that is key to the future of endurance.”
About Daytona International SpeedwayDaytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training.
The iconic venue will be the site of a host of motorsports events early in 2022, beginning with AHRMA Classic Motofest and the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA in January, and the 64th DAYTONA 500, which will debut the first points race for NASCAR’s ‘Next Gen’ car as part of Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth in February. The tradition-rich 81st Annual Bike Week At DAYTONA returns in March, featuring DAYTONA Supercross and the DAYTONA 200, and in May with the Heroes Honor Festival. Later in the summer during Independence Day weekend, the track, in association with Torneos, will host Soccer Fest before the NASCAR Cup Series returns for the final race of the regular season with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Aug. 27.
The Automobile Club de l’OuestFounded in 1906, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) organized the first ever Grand Prix in 1906 and introduced the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1923. A staunch defender of endurance racing, the ACO contributes to the organization and promotion of the FIA World Endurance Championship and instigated the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the USA, the European Le Mans Series and Asian Le Mans Series. Aside from the world-famous Le Mans 24 Hours, ACO circuits host the 24-hour motorcycle race (24H Motos), the French motorcycle Grand Prix, the 24-hour go-karting event and the 24-hour truck race (24 Heures Camions).
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a test bed for innovations in automotive technology, the ACO’s main focus in terms of development. The ACO’s commitment to sustainable mobility currently takes the shape of the MissionH24 project to introduce a hydrogen class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The ACO defends the interests of everyday motorists and takes pleasure in offering excellent hospitality to members at motor sports events organized by the club.
Driving skills being an important part of the safety and the pleasure of motoring, the club has a driving school, Le Mans Driver, as well as a go-kart complex with simulators and an international standard track. The club’s trackside facilities are a sought-after event venue, often coupled with multilingual tours of the circuit. Merchandise and tickets are on sale in outlets in Le Mans, Tours, Rouen, Paris.
About the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA):International Motor Sports Association, LLC (IMSA) was originally founded in 1969 and owns a long and rich history in sports car racing. Today, IMSA is the sanctioning body of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the premier sports car racing series in North America. IMSA also sanctions the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and the IMSA Prototype Challenge, as well as four one-make series: Ferrari Challenge North America, Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires, Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America and Porsche Carrera Cup North America. IMSA – a company within the NASCAR family – is the exclusive strategic partner in North America with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) which operates the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The partnership enables selected IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competitors to earn automatic entries into the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. For more information please visit www.IMSA.com, www.twitter.com/IMSA, www.facebook.com/IMSA or www.instagram.com/imsa_racing.
IMSA Wire
