FOX Sports has unveiled its broadcast lineup for the 53rd Rolex 24 At Daytona, which begins on FOX network television at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 24. The race opens the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup.
Bob Varsha and Brian Till will share hosting and play-by-play duties, with analysis from racers Justin Bell, Calvin Fish and Tommy Kendall. Chris Neville, Matt Yocum, Jamie Howe and Andrew Marriott will report from the pits.
For FOX Sports coordinating producer Greg Oldham, heading into his 26th year of covering the iconic endurance race, it’s all about telling the stories.
“This event certainly offers a terrific challenge,” Oldham said. “With four classes of cars racing simultaneously, there’s always outstanding racing and great stories to tell. And even over a 24-hour period, the action is constant. We feel we have a great announce team in the booth and in the pits that can tell the many stories that develop in the two days we are on the air. It is a demanding event, but with the team in front of, and behind the cameras, I can’t wait for the green flag to drop."
Fans will have access to live coverage of the entire Rolex 24 At Daytona through a combined effort between FOX Sports and IMSA.com. The complete broadcast schedule is as follows:
Saturday, Jan. 24 (All Times ET)
- 2-4 p.m. (FOX Network)
- 4-8 p.m. (FOX Sports 2)
- 8-10 p.m. (FOX Sports 1)
Overnight (Jan. 24-25)
- 10 p.m. - 7 a.m. (IMSA TV on IMSA.com - live video streaming and commentary)
Sunday, Jan. 25
- 7 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. (FOX Sports 1)
All FOX Sports broadcasts are streamed live on FOX Sports GO; in addition, five dedicated (Corvette, Audi, Mazda, Porsche and Ford) on-board cameras are available through FOX Sports GO. During the overnight hours, IMSA Radio announcers John Hindhaugh, Jeremy Shaw and Greg Creamer will call the action on IMSA.com.
Traditionally an all-star lineup, the 2015 Rolex 24 At Daytona cast of characters does not disappoint. Reigning TUDOR Championship and Rolex 24 champions Christian Fittipaldi and Joao Barbosa return to defend their title alongside IndyCar star Sebastien Bourdais.
They will take on the likes of Rubens Barrichello and Ryan Hunter-Reay, both driving for Peter Baron’s Starworks team; AJ Allmendinger with Michael Shank Racing; and Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray all driving for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates in the Prototype class.
The GT Le Mans (GTLM) class features world-class TUDOR Championship lineups from teams like Corvette Racing and defending race champions Porsche North America mixing it up with the likes of Graham Rahal driving for his father Bobby’s BMW Team RLL team and Niki Lauda’s son, Mathias, driving for Aston Martin Racing in GTLM. The Scuderia Corsa Ferrari team – led by TUDOR Championship regular and Indy 500 veteran Townsend Bell – returns to defend its GT Daytona class title against a talented field that includes actor Patrick Dempsey running a Porsche.
“With all the drivers from different racing disciplines across the world competing at the Rolex 24, Daytona is the center of the motorsports universe on this weekend,” Oldham added. “So, in addition to covering compelling action that would make any sports car fan salivate, we also have a great opportunity to introduce new viewers to a very cool form of motorsports.”
Decorated sports car driver Scott Pruett looks for his sixth Rolex 24 overall victory, which would break a tie with the legendary Hurley Haywood, making him the leading overall winner of the event. Pruett, who will drive in this year’s race with 2015 season co-driver Joey Hand, Charlie Kimball and Sage Karam, already leads with 10 class victories, dating back to 1985.
FOX Sports is the television home of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, with a full season schedule available HERE.
