Photos via IMSA

LAKEVILLE, CT (25 Jan. 2023) – Fans of Lime Rock Park are eagerly awaiting this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, the first major sports car race of the 2023 season. Here are five things for Lime Rock fans to watch at the 24-hour IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship event to help get ready for the Northeast Grand Prix on July 21-22:

1. The New GT3 Sports Cars: New GT3 sports cars from Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini will be making their international competition debut at the Rolex 24 in the GTD Pro category. Many of these same racing machines will be coming to Lime Rock Park to headline the Northeast Grand Prix.

2. The GTD Class: The GTD class features a 25-car entry, with a whopping nine manufacturers battling it out in by far the largest class in the 61st running of the Daytona classic. At least 17 of these cars are slated to be racing at Lime Rock Park in the Northeast Grand Prix.

3. New Prototypes: LRP fans will be following the progress of the new LMDh prototypes, making their debut at Daytona. The next generation of sports cars compete in the revitalized IMSA GTP class, featuring hybrid-powered machinery from Acura, BMW, Cadillac and Porsche.

4. Championship Chase: The Rolex 24 allows fans the first opportunity to see new drivers and team lineups making the first step in the battle for the respective championships. Andretti Autosport makes its debut in IMSA’s top class, partnering with Wayne Taylor Racing, while Team Penske, Chip Ganassi Racing and Team RLL all have star-studded rosters. They will all be looking to unseat defending winner Meyer Shank Racing, whose lineup includes four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves.

5. TCR Race on Friday:Watch the TCR class of Friday’s four-hour BMW M Performance Challenge that opens the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season. Taylor Hagler and Michael Lewis open the bid for a third-consecutive TCR crown for Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian. Hagler scored her first professional victory at Lime Rock in 2021 – a major step on the road to becoming the series’ first female champion. Also returning is Robert Wickens, who made his return to racing in last year’s Daytona event with a podium finish in his first race since being paralyzed in a 2018 IndyCar crash at Pocono.

The Northeast Grand Prix will feature an even larger race lineup than ever before, with four races slated for the event. Advanced tickets for the Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park are on sale now. For more information, visit: Lime Rock Park