[Special Event] 2026 24 Hours of Daytona

[Skid_Marc_]

Date: January 16-18

Timeslots:

• Timeslot #1 - Friday 22:00 GMT \ Friday 17:00 EST
• Timeslot #2 - Saturday 07:00 GMT \ Saturday 02:00 EST
• Timeslot #3 - Saturday 12:00 GMT \ Saturday 07:00 EST
• Timeslot #4 - Saturday 16:00 GMT \ Saturday 11:00 EST

(Registration opens 1 hour prior to the event)

Session

• Warmup: 30 Minutes
• Qualifying: 8 Minutes / 2 Laps

Cars:

• GTP (Acura ARX-06, BMW M Hybrid V8, Cadillac V-Series.R, Ferrari 499P, Porsche 963)
• LMP2 (Dallara P217)
• GTD (Acura NSX EVO22, Aston Marten Vantage EVO, BMW M4 EVO, Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Ferrari 296, Ford Mustang, Lamborghini Huracán EVO, McLaren 720s EVO, Mercedes-AMG 2020, Porsche 911 GT3 R (992))

BOP

• TBD

**Please read!**

Information regarding drive Time and Team Registration

iRacing Forum Post

>> SCHEDULE <<

The above schedule has an "Availability" tab!

• Please color code the hours in which you are available to drive during the race!
• Please add the number of consecutive stints you are willing to drive (1, 2, or 3) in the bottom row of the chart!
• Names have been added based on reactions in this thread and in Discord. If your name isn't listed, please just use an empty column to add yourself to the list.

Please note that just adding your name in this thread does NOT guarantee a seat in the actual race. You MUST show up to group practice sessions before the event! The final teams will only be made up of drivers that practice and actively participate in this thread! The sooner we can confirm everyone who is racing, the sooner we can finish the schedule and finalize paints!

 

[Skid_Marc_]

I wouldn't mind another go at the GTP, personally. I've been pretty hung up on the "broken" state of the iRacing GTP Hybrid model, but, it's an important note that the hybrid system, in GTP, has zero impact on the speed of the car. It only controls how much fuel the ICE is using AT speed. So iRacing's modeling of the hybrid system, or lack there-of, should only impact it's fuel economy and the race strategy, not the actual drivability of the car. It is also important to note that the GTP cars will be getting a mid-season tyre update, on January 5th, to the new Hard tyre compound wrapped in "sticky goop" (technical terms only, please) to improve performance on cold tyres. I wonder if the "Esports Line" will remain the same this year.

If anyone hasn't driven Daytona since the last 24 hours... or longer (not naming anyone in particular... *cough* @Kenadian ), you may be in for a surprise at the bus stop... and not a good one... hooray, "safety" has struck again!

 

[Deb]

Which GTP?

 

[Skid_Marc_]

Currently, the BMW M Hybrid V8 is the only one I'm confident most people here have, and it's the only one Ken has painted so far.

Band of Others Endurance BMW M Hybrid V8 2025

 

[Deb]

Here are a few setups for the BMW. The shown lap time was 133.849 in the first set up with a temp of 79/26.11, partly cloudy, humidity 65%, 7 mph wind. I think this setup may be a little aggressive. The car spins a fair amount because the accelerator is so sensitive. And, of course, the first couple of laps are awful. After the first test drive, I wonder if the LMP2 is a safer choice, particularly if they are changing the tire model on this and even more so if it rains. The modified may be less aggressive, so I'll give that one a try tomorrow. If anyone has a set up they like, please post it.

 

[Skid_Marc_]

The tyre change should improve cold tyre grip.

What are the TC settings? You may find you need a much higher TC than you are used to.

 

[Deb]

The TC settings in both the regular and modified are at 5 for both TC settings. I tried the modified at 5:5 and it is a little easier. Then I did a FFS in the regular at 7:7. It is still tough particularly through turn 7 and getting on to the oval. I found taking a wider angle entering the oval seemed to assure I wouldn't spin, but I'll keep testing. I may turn it up a little more, but you can see the TC lights quite a bit already. Towards the end of the FFS you could feel the car getting pretty light and had to back off a touch. The tires came in fine 60% was the worst on the right rear. I was able to get down to 135.7s a couple of laps but, of course, I'm by myself so no traffic concerns.

 

[Noodleguitar]

The P217 was also notoriously frightening in turn 7 on outlap tires last year.

 

[Deb]

I have to ask, would you guys consider driving the P217? After 4 practice sessions in the BMW, I still can't get a clean FFS, i.e., an FFS without having some type of off road adventure. I turned the TC up to 8/8 but still that car is unstable (or I am, which may well be the case). I get in the P217 and turn laps without much problem. While I think the BMW may be more fun to drive, it is also more dangerous, which does not give me much confidence in an endurance race with a bunch of traffic.

 

[Deb]

Here's some setups for the P217 if anyone wants to give it a try.

 

[Skid_Marc_]

I have to ask, would you guys consider driving the P217? After 4 practice sessions in the BMW, I still can't get a clean FFS, i.e., an FFS without having some type of off road adventure. I turned the TC up to 8/8 but still that car is unstable (or I am, which may well be the case). I get in the P217 and turn laps without much problem. While I think the BMW may be more fun to drive, it is also more dangerous, which does not give me much confidence in an endurance race with a bunch of traffic.

Yeah, Deb, we're not going to lock into a car not everyone is comfortable with. Still going to wait until after Monday, and see what the new tyres are like, but if the P217 is the better option, we'll probably go with that.

It's interesting how LMH and LMDH, European vs American, and LMU vs iRacing cars vary. And also impossible to tell (with my lack of ability in braking, cornering, or general driving) which thing is which, and when.

It seems that, based on how the above setup is, iRacing is still very dependent on trail-braking while, in LMU, the Hypercars are a lot more front-brake heavy. LMU (or Hypercars?) mentality is braking hard (brake bias 52.x%, brake migration +2.5%), and then steadying/steering the car through the whole corner with the throttle. The iRacing setup looks designed for more trail-braking (brake bias 47.5%, brake migration -5%), and holding the brakes to rotate the car into the corner, and then apply the throttle early of the apex to drive the car through the corner. The LMU LMDH cars (that I've tested, like the Porsche/Cadillac) did seem a little more compliant to trail-braking (especially since you're not having to over-come any front-wheel drive unit) but the brake migration was still forward, not rearward, as the brakes are harder to lock-up at top-speed in LMU.

For the iRacing BMW I moved the brake migration forward, because I'm not Noël, and I can barely handle the brake bias at 47%, not to mention migrating is rear-ward another 5%. That's just crazy talk. But I'm not sure I saw a benefit from +2%, either.

I thought Daytona would probably be the easiest place to drive the GTP, but it's very possible (due to the requirement of minimum wing) it ends up being the toughest. You really can't be confidently flat through any of the high-speed infield corners. You CAN do it, but you're just holding on for your life. And if you miss it by a little bit, there is no room to recover before you're in the grass. And any additional wing will probably crucify you on the straights, despite what it gains through the infield, or in traffic.

 

[Deb]

Okay, I am trying to get some practice in because I am out of town the 8th thru the 12th. Totally agree on the BMW at Daytona and I don't recall this much difficulty before. But it does seem that the car on this track is not very forgiving and since you know you will have to make unexpected movements in traffic, it is not confidence inspiring.

 

[Noodleguitar]

I am also going to try the BMW GTP on Monday or Tuesday to see how it drives on the new tires. But I am not fussed if we have to drive the LMP2.

 

[Deb]

So I drove the BMW after the update and it does seem better on the opening laps, but I am still struggling with spins getting onto the oval. Not sure what I am doing wrong, but every so often it gets out from under me getting on to the oval. I had to use the iRacing Daytona setup because my setups failed tech for some reason, but I am still not feeling great about this car.

 

[Noodleguitar]

I also tried out the BMW yesterday (on the fixed setup). I still had a lot of trouble on cold tires at first, but the last time I drove this thing at Daytona was with the super-grip tires.

I didn't have too many issues going onto the oval, but I was pretty careful and probably slow. It feels like the car now turns in quite nicely, although in the middle of the slow corners it seems undecided between understeering and oversteering, and that's without giving it excessive inputs.

 

[Nejtun]

I drove both the BMW and the P217 before the update so I could get a comparison, The BMW grip was horrible and took about 4 laps to be able to push , the TC lights were almost always on though,
The P217 also had nothing coming out of the pits and seemed to be very sideways A LOT but maybe i am just used to LMUs different tyre model.
I will drive both again when I get a chance later today.

 

[Deb]

I just finished a FFS in the P217 in a Global Tour PS at night. The car seemed quite manageable though out on the endurance set up I shared. The fastest GTPs were in the 1.33s, the fastest P217s were in the 1.38s and the fastest GTD was in the 1.44s. My fastest lap was 1.40.397. The worst tire wear was left front at 84%, so definitely seems like tires can be double stinted. I definitely feel more confident in the P217.

 

[Nejtun]

if the tyres are good enough when I am done with them I will keep them, I do not fancy warming up new ones for no reason, are we stillusing the setup you posted above @Deb ?

 

[Noodleguitar]

I will probably be driving tomorrow around 20:00 GMT, to do some practice in the P217.

 

[Deb]

I'm headed out of town tomorrow, will be back on the 12th or 13th to practice some more. So have we decided on the P217?