Tire limits force rethinks on Rolex 24 strategy

Tire strategy will play a huge part in the 62nd Rolex 24 At Daytona as always, and that’s become even more true as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship has made efforts to minimize tire usage.

GTP cars have 21 sets for qualifying and race. With 24 hours of racing and approximately 50-minute stints, that’s roughly eight more stints than they have sets of tires, so some double stinting will be required. That discounts cautions or significant periods of rain, since rain tires don’t count against the allocation. LMP2 cars have 23 sets. GTD PRO and GTD have 25 sets for the entire event, and not a specific amount for the race. That could play into the hands of teams that chose to forego the final practice, such as AWA and Heart of Racing (or Pfaff and Vasser Sullivan, which sat out the night practice), or did very limited running.

GTD PRO and GTD teams have an extra consideration: Michelin has recommended to the GT teams that they not double stint right-side tires, due to the nature of Daytona International Speedway, the load placed on the tires on the banking and the fact that the GT3 cars have stints closer to an hour under green. That will create some interesting situations for teams and drivers when they either double stint lefts and go out with fresh rights, or perhaps even putting used rights on the left side in order to have enough tires for the race.