IMSA: Can the two lone Acuras beat the 5-car Cadillac onslaught in the Rolex 24?

Last year’s winners of the Rolex 24, Acura, has their hands full this year.  It’s 2 Acura DPIs against 5 Cadillac DPIs.

Hardly seems like a fair fight, and Cadillac is bringing all their big guns.

Five Cadillac Racing entries will seek to take the checkered flag this Sunday in the 60th anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Cadillac, the reigning IMSA Daytona Prototype international (DPi) Manufacturer Champion, has won the annual season-opening race in four of the five years of the category and is expected to be in the hunt for another victory.

“Cadillac looks strong,” said fourth-year JDC-Miller MotorSports driver Tristan Vautier, who will co-drive the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R that is starting on the front row. “There are many pieces that have to fit together, but we’re off to a good start.”

Cadillac DPi-V.R drivers and crews worked on their car setups during test sessions and gleaned data during the 100-minute qualifying race Sunday, Jan. 23. They have four brief sessions on the 3.56-mile, 12-turn Daytona International Speedway road course that incorporates sections of the high-banked oval for final preparations and developing strategy before taking the grid for the 1:40 p.m. ET green flag Saturday, Jan. 29.

While drivers have been physically gearing up for weeks for the start of the season, they have more recently been preparing mentally for the grueling race.

“It’s difficult having the first round of the championship being a 24-race. It’s so unique,” said Alex Lynn, co-driving the No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R campaigned by Chip Ganassi Racing. “In other championships, you build up to a 24-hour race. Not much time for the teams to prepare, but for us, mentally it’s difficult because it’s going straight from a break to a 24-hour race.”

Added Renger van der Zande, co-driver of the sister No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R and a two-time Rolex 24 overall winner with Cadillac Racing: “The mental aspect is to focus on your job and trust the others to do well. The only thing you can focus on is that little piece that you’re contributing to the whole team. You’re relying on your teammates, you’re relying on the strategy, you’re relying on the mechanical side of your car. To get everything right is not easy.

“I’m with an amazing group of drivers and amazing group of people I work with who are to be trusted.”

Cadillac drivers will contend with a 61-car field – up 20 entries from 2021 – on the unforgiving road course throughout the twice-around-the-clock race. They’ll also deal with an unfavorable weather forecast.

“Keeping the car in one piece is one of the most important things,” said Kamui Kobayashi, who will co-drive the No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R that starts third. At the end of the day, the team that has the best car has the best chance to win the 24-hour. But still, anything can happen in 24 hours.”

Said Lynn: “The key word is endurance, just getting through the night and seeing where you are. There are a lot of points at stake, and you want to build up a momentum for the championship, but it’s obviously a race that everyone wants to win.”

Cadillac Racing lineup, starting position and notes:

No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R (JDC-Miller MotorSports)

Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook, Loic Duval, Ben Keating

Starting: Second … Earned the pole for the 100-minute qualifying race and was quick in every Roar Before the Rolex 24 session. … Duval moves from full-time driver to endurance race driver. … Keating will also co-drive a car in another class. … Engineer Rick Cameron is the father of sports car driver Dane Cameron.

Car chief-Josh Kerrigan Lead engineer-Rick Cameron Race strategist-John Church

No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R (Action Express Racing)

Drivers: Jimmie Johnson, Mike Rockenfeller, Kamui Kobayashi, Jose Maria Lopez

Starting: Third … Runner-up in the 2021 race. … Lopez joins the team for the Rolex 24; others return from 2021. … NASCAR Cup Series championship crew chief Chad Knaus is the race strategist.

Car chief-Scott Darnell Technical director/lead engineer-Iain Watt

Race strategist-Chad Knaus

No. 01 V-Performance Academy Cadillac DPi-V.R (Chip Ganassi Racing)

Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais, Scott Dixon, Alex Palou

Starting: Fifth … Notes: The “Champions Cadillac” as each driver has won at least one series championship (Dixon has six INDYCAR titles and Bourdais has four). … Dixon will join four others for third place on the all-time Rolex 24 overall victory list with four with a win this weekend.

Car chief-Phil Binks Lead engineer-John Hennek Race strategist-Peter Baron

No. 02 Cadillac Accessories Cadillac DPi-V.R (Chip Ganassi Racing)

Drivers: Earl Bamber, Alex Lynn, Marcus Ericsson, Kevin Magnussen

Starting: Sixth … Notes: Second Cadillac Racing entry for the 2021 season with Chip Ganassi Racing. … Danielle Shepherd is in her first season as the race engineer for the No. 02 after being the simulation engineer Alex Palou’s 2021 INDYCAR championship-winning car.

Car chief-Jamie Coates Lead engineer-Danielle Shepherd

No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R (Action Express Racing)

Drivers: Pipo Derani, Tristan Nunez, Mike Conway

Starting: Seventh … 2021 IMSA DPi Driver (Pipo Derani and Felipe Nasr) and Team Champion. … Nunez is a seven-time IMSA race winner; in 2013 became the youngest winner in Rolex Sports Car Series history, driving in GX class.

Car chief-Bill Keuler Technical director/lead engineer-Iain Watt Race strategist-Tim Keene