Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and four-time Daytona 24 Hour winner, (three-time overall) Scott Dixon says that the 24 Hours of Daytona is a great way to kick off the season. The New Zealander will make his 21st start at the famous U.S endurance race this year driving the No.1 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac and speaking ahead of the event he said:
“I always look forward to Daytona; it’s a great way to kick off the season. I feel like we had a really good shot last year and the car speed was really good. The team has done a good job in the offseason to make things a little bit smoother and better. The key is always to stay out of trouble and make sure you finish the 24 hours first and then hopefully have a good shot at trying to get a win.”
Dixon is joined by his NTT INDYCAR SERIES teammate and defending series champion Alex Palou returns to Daytona to make his second Rolex 24-Hour star,t looking ahead to the race, the Spaniard who recently signed a new multi-year contract with CGR commented:
I’m very excited to return to Daytona after competing with the team in the DPi era in 2022. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the new Hybrid and it will be a great way to start the year early with such a great team and with such great teammates. I’ve had the privilege of racing with Scott, Sebastien and Renger and I’m sure with all the preparation and knowledge that the team has, we’ll be able to fight for a win and maybe bring home some new watches at the end of January.”
Former INDYCAR SERIES driver and four-time CART Series champion Sebastien Bourdais will make his 15th Daytona start is excited to get his season underway.
“I am really excited to get 2024 going. I think the traditional start of the season with Daytona is always a fun one. It gathers a ton of drivers that you might not see the rest of the season, so it is a bit of an international event and gathering with a great atmosphere. Everybody wants to leave with a watch on their wrist. We finished third last year, but we felt like we were in it to win it. I feel like Cadillac has given us a very good car and we have a good understanding of the system. We feel even more prepared and with the team that we can lean on, I think we have all the necessary ingredients to go for the win.”
Renger van der Zande will make his 11th career start at Daytona and speaking ahead of the race he said:
“We have been developing this car for a year now and lately we have found a lot of set-up options that work for us. Reliability is the most important thing and that is certainly what Chip Ganassi Racing and Cadillac Racing bring. Anything can happen at Daytona, but we feel prepared with a nice blend of drivers to win this race. It’s the biggest race of the season, the one you want to win and a big part of a championship. We’re there to win.”
The 2024 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona takes place from Saturday 27th to Sunday 28th January 2024. For more information click here.