DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Meyer Shank Racing kicked off the 2022 motorsport season by clinching a victory at the iconic Rolex 24 at Daytona, ultimately securing the IMSA Series championship by season’s end. However, the following year saw the team achieve back-to-back Rolex wins but conclude 2023 with a split from Acura, rendering MSR out of the sports car scene for 2024. This development left team co-owner Michael Shank feeling disheartened. Yet, in a notable comeback, he re-entered the IMSA spotlight this year with an expanded two-car program, once again teaming up with Acura in the premier prototype category.

“I was in timeout for a year,” Shank humorously remarked, highlighting his ability to keep all but one of his original employees. With the dual-car setup, he has now increased his workforce to a total of 108 people dedicated to the Acuras.

The team’s driver lineup has also undergone changes. Tom Blomqvist made his return from a short stint in IndyCar and is paired with Colin Braun in one vehicle. Meanwhile, the new addition of Renger van der Zande, who moved from Chip Ganassi Racing as Ganassi is not competing in sports cars this year, finds him joining Nick Yelloly in the other car. Shank’s IndyCar program has formed a technical alliance with Ganassi, which further benefited MSR; Ganassi provided top-level drivers for the Rolex event.

Six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon and MSR IndyCar driver Felix Rosenqvist will serve as endurance drivers in car No. 60, while three-time champion Alex Palou competes in car No. 93 along with Honda protégé Kaku Ohta. Although the collaboration with Ganassi does not extend into IMSA, Shank noted that Ganassi willingly offered his IndyCar drivers without any prompting.

The refreshed Meyer Shank team is only one part of the transformation taking place as IMSA approaches one of its premier endurance races—the Rolex 24 at Daytona, set to kick off Saturday and continue through Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. A total of 61 cars are set to compete, filling IMSA’s capacity and featuring 235 drivers from 31 nations, including Daytona 500 champion Austin Cindric and Australian V8 Supercar titans Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen, representing NASCAR team Trackhouse Racing, alongside Formula 1 veterans and IndyCar champions.

Among the diverse field, only one team has four drivers from the same country. Italian racers Roberto Lacorte, Nicola Lacorte, Lorenzo Patrese, and Antonio Fuoco will team up in the No. 47 Cetilar Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 within the Grand Touring Daytona class. Meanwhile, two-time Rolex champion Kamui Kobayashi returns after a two-year hiatus due to commitments with his Toyota World Endurance Championship duties. Missing Daytona drove him to request permission from Toyota, and he will race with Wayne Taylor Racing, which has transitioned from Acura to Cadillac, previously led by Ganassi.

At Porsche Penske Motorsport, which saw Felipe Nasr and Dane Cameron dominate the Rolex and IMSA championship last year, Cameron’s departure after a stellar season has resulted in lineup changes. While Cameron will compete in the LMP2 class for the remainder of the season, Nasr expressed his regret over losing his teammate. “I have huge respect for Dane as a driver and as a person. His skills and feedback are among the best I’ve seen in my career,” Nasr acknowledged, highlighting the bond they established that will take time to rebuild.

This year’s Rolex features 18 different manufacturers, with 11 present in the main event. BMW has reorganized its driver rosters for the Daytona event, notably including F1 veteran Kevin Magnussen. All teams in the top prototype class have also made adjustments regarding either drivers or manufacturers. A considerable shift for Action Express involves the exit of long-time driver Pipo Derani; after expressing a desire for career growth, he planned to transition to the World Endurance Championship, despite having initially sought a move denied by Action Express and General Motors.

Derani is slated to relocate to Monaco to support the Genesis program, intending to introduce Hyundai to the WEC in the coming seasons while also making an appearance in IMSA by 2027. After this weekend’s race in the GT Daytona class for DXDT Racing, he will be bound by Hyundai’s regulations, preventing participation with other manufacturers.

“I genuinely enjoyed my time with Cadillac and didn’t want it to end,” Derani reflected. “But I also felt the need for a new challenge, and this was the right moment in my career to make that leap.”