- 2026 HSR IMSA Classic Features Rolex 24 At Daytona Cars from 1990 – 2010
- Saturday’s 30-Minute IMSA Classic Feature Race Sets the Stage for the 64th Running of the Rolex 24
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 22, 2026) – The 2nd Annual Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) IMSA Classic, which sets the stage for this weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona, ran its first practice session Thursday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) with a top field of memorable and race-winning Rolex 24 cars from the past.
Taking place just before Saturday’s start of the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona, January 23 – 24, the HSR IMSA Classic is a Rolex 24 At Daytona tribute race showcasing the legendary sports cars that have contested America’s premier 24-hour since the 1960s.
The 2026 HSR IMSA Classic featured era is authentic and period-correct sports cars between the years of 1990 and 2010 with a verifiable Rolex 24 At Daytona history. A quality mix of 21 prototype and GT cars from the era took to the track for an opening 30-minute practice session late Thursday afternoon.
Topping the time sheets was the memorable 1996 No. 4 Riley & Scott Mk III now owned and driven by Jim Matthews. One of the best known Riley & Scotts, the car won both the Rolex 24 and 12 Hours of Sebring in 1996 and came up just short of a triple-crown sweep when it was retired from that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans in the 14th hour with a transmission issue.
Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley, a frequent HSR competitor, made it an all Riley & Scott top-two sweep Thursday with the second fastest time in the later generation 2002 No. 4 Riley & Scott Mk III, which is also owned by Matthews.
Another notable driver and prototype combination is the ex-Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) 1990 No. 61 Jaguar XJR-16 piloted by Formula 1 World Championship-winning Team McLaren CEO Zak Brown.
The top GT car Thursday was the 2000 No. 92 Dodge Viper GTS-R driven by Florent Moulin who returned to Daytona fresh off of winning his Run Group this past November in the Viper in the HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hour presented by Mission Foods. Moulin, Iconic Racing and Art and Revs have brought the pristine Viper back to Daytona now more than 25 years after the car finished fifth in the inaugural Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2000.
A three-day event, Friday’s IMSA Classic schedule includes qualifying at 8:45 a.m. EST and a 30-mnute qualifying race that evening at 6:30 p.m. EST. Saturday’s feature race is schedule to go green at 8:50 a.m. EST for 30 minutes around the 3.56-mile DIS road course.
The complete IMSA Classic entry list is available by clicking here.
About HSR: An International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) property, Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) was formed in the mid-1970s with an event at Road Atlanta. There was one goal then and it remains true today: to celebrate the racing cars from the past. As a “time machine” of sights and sounds, HSR provides a venue for competitors and spectators alike to share in the wonderful history and excitement created by the cars that competed at race tracks around the world. HSR currently sanctions eight vintage and historic racing events at some of the world’s most renowned race tracks, including Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway, Daytona International Speedway and more. The complete schedule and full event information can be found on HSR’s website at www.HSRRace.com. Look for the HSR Channel on YouTube and follow HSR on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HSRrace/ and on Twitter X at @HSR_race and Instagram @HistoricSportscarRacing.
