Looking for a Watch: NASCAR Drivers in the Rolex 24

Photo: Zach Williams/Runnin' On Scuffs

Looking for a Watch
Justin Seger

2025 is in full swing.  The holidays have come and gone and with it so has the racing offseason.  In less than two weeks, we will see the return of the NASCAR Cup Series to Bowman Gray with the Busch Light Clash.  But that has not stopped some of the familiar faces of the sport from getting on the track in 2025.  Last weekend, Kyle Larson got his third "Golden Driller" trophy in the 2025 Chili Bowl Nationals.  That event saw fellow NASCAR drivers Christopher Bell, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Kyle Busch, and Josh Bilicki compete in Tulsa.

This weekend, we have some more on-track action with the annual Rolex 24 at Daytona.  The Rolex 24 is the annual 24-hour endurance race for the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Divisions.  The Rolex 24 has a history of inviting talent from around the globe to compete for the prestigious Rolex watch.  NASCAR drivers have a history of competing in the event including Hall of Famers and champions Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt, and more.  NASCAR drivers have also won the Rolex 24 in the past, including Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, AJ Allmendinger, Jamie McMurray, Kyle Larson, John Andretti, and Casey Mears.  This year, NASCAR has a few more familiar faces that will be hitting the track at Daytona to compete in the 2025 Rolex 24.

Shane Van Gisbergen & Connor Zilisch

SVG and Connor Zilisch will have more in common than just piloting the #88 in their respective NASCAR series in 2025.  They also find themselves as teammates for the #91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R entry in the GTD Pro class for the Rolex 24.  Zilisch, being only 18 years old, has already seen success in the Rolex 24; winning last years event in the LMP2 class.  Shane Van Gisbergen also has some experience competing in the Rolex 24.  He secured a 2nd place finish in the GTD class in 2015.  Both drivers will be looking to help get Trackhouse a win in their first official attempt at the iconic race.

Austin Cindric

Austin Cindric will also be looking for a watch in the 2025 Rolex 24 in the GTD Pro class.  He will help pilot the #64 Ford Mustang GT3 for Ford Multimatic Motorsports.  Cindric will actually serve as a fill in for Ben Barker who was originally scheduled to pilot the car.  Barker was injured in a skiing incident over the holidays, which took him out of the ride for the Rolex 24.  This kind of hurried approach to the Rolex 24 is one that Cindric is quite used to.  2025 will be Cindric's sixth attempt at the race.  The 2022 Daytona 500 champion has finished inside the Top-5 in class multiple times in his previous attempts at the Rolex 24.

Other Familiar Faces

The three previous mentioned drivers are the only "full-time" NASCAR competitors in this year's Rolex 24.  However, there are a few other drivers in the field that NASCAR fans might be familiar with.  Here's a look at the other familiar drivers competing in the 2025 Rolex 24:

- Jordan Taylor: #40 Cadillac V-Series.R/Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing (GTP)

- Mike Rockenfeller: #64 Ford Mustang GT3/Ford Multimatic Motorsports (GTD Pro)

- Andy Lally: #44 Aston Martin Vantage GT3/Magnus Racing (GTD)

- Joey Hand: #66 Ford Mustang GT3/Gradient Racing (GTD)

The 2025 Rolex 24 coverage begins Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET.  The first 60 minutes and the final two hours will be broadcast on NBC.  USA Network, IMSA.tv, and YouTube will share the middle portions of the race.  24-hour coverage of the race will be aired on Peacock.