IMSA to allow 5,000 fans to attend July 4th race

5,000 fans in the grandstands is about what the regular Rolex 24 gets at Daytona

Officials at Daytona International Speedway announced Tuesday a plan to introduce a return of fans to the iconic venue for the sports car classic IMSA WeatherTech 240 At DAYTONA on Saturday, July 4.

Working closely with public health officials and local, state and federal authorities on amended safety protocols and procedures, the Speedway will offer a limited number of fans – 5,000 – to attend the IMSA WeatherTech 240 At DAYTONA with available seating in the frontstretch grandstands, as well as a limited number of infield camping guests. All must be Florida residents, and will adhere to social distancing guidelines.

This IMSA WeatherTech 240 At DAYTONA, part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, will be showcased on the 3.56-mile high-banked tri-oval/infield road course. The highly anticipated event will take the green flag at 6:05 pm ET on Independence Day and end under the lights. The limited camping spots will be located in NASCAR’s Turns 1 & 2 areas of the infield (GEICO Grounds Yellow RV and Yellow Premium RV), near the Carousel Turn. Those fans will be required to watch the race from their RV site.

The IMSA WeatherTech 240 At DAYTONA is the first event in IMSA’s return to racing in 2020. For ticketing information on the IMSA WeatherTech 240 At DAYTONA, fans are urged to visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PIT-SHOP.

"We’ve waited a long time to welcome our loyal race fans back to Daytona International Speedway and the Daytona Beach area," said Chip Wile, DIS President. "There has been a lot of work and extensive planning by our track staff, IMSA, government and health officials, as well as NASCAR to methodically bring fans back to our historic facility. Rest assured we will make sure that every fan in attendance is safe and can enjoy the excitement of the IMSA WeatherTech 240 At DAYTONA. Having the IMSA sports cars back for this summer tradition just got more exciting with fans here to see it."

All guests who attend the IMSA WeatherTech 240 At DAYTONA will be screened before entering the facility, required to wear face coverings and maintain six-feet of social distancing throughout the venue. Full protocols can be found here.

The IMSA WeatherTech 240 At DAYTONA brings a midsummer IMSA race back to Daytona International Speedway after a 10-year hiatus. The 2 hour, 40-minute IMSA WeatherTech 240 At DAYTONA will consist of three WeatherTech Championship classes – Daytona Prototype (DPi), GT Le Mans (GTLM) and GT Daytona (GTD). Daytona previously held summer sports car events from 1967-1985, 2000, and 2002-2010.

The last IMSA summer race at Daytona was in 2010 when co-drivers Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas were victorious in a BMW Riley. This year’s event will be televised live on NBCSN.

The IMSA WeatherTech 240 At DAYTONA kicks off the updated season schedule for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, which can be found at www.imsa.com/weathertech.