Anticipation is building for Daytona’s internationally-renown 24 Hour race, returning to Milton Keynes for its fourteenth year this weekend. The fiercely contested race commences at 1pm on Saturday 25^th and concludes exactly 24 hours later.  With 47 teams in contention across both kart classes, SODI and DMAX, the event once again promises to be the ultimate test of endurance racing.

The concept of the race is simple – the teams that cover the greatest distance in 24 hours are the champions. Over the years we’ve seen outsiders crowned victorious, firm favourites falling short and fatigue-induced penalties dramatically overhauling standings.

Preparing for the race requires meticulous planning, as there are countless variables that come into play. Teams need to consider their refueling strategy. They have to factor in their mandatory maintenance stops. Some teams have as few as four drivers and some as many as eight – they must consider the length of each stint versus each driver’s optimal concentration span. They will also need to consider which of their drivers are better drivers at night–time – what happens if the heavens open?

Communication between teams throughout the race, especially once the fatigue kicks in, is paramount for success. A strong team captain or manager is going to be key to a successful race.

DMAX

In the DMAX class we have 27 teams in contention for the podium, and on paper the competition looks inseparable. The winners of the last two outings, Cobra Racing, have rebranded as Apollo Racing and are returning for 2024 as strong favourites for the title again this year, having recruited Jack Goldsmith to their ranks. Last year’s runners up, Young Guns Racing, have rebranded as Team Sixty Eight and recruited lightning fast drivers in Philip Baboolal, Billy Sira, and Qatari YouTuber Omar Aswat (@KTips).

King Brothers Racing 4 are giant contenders for the title, made up of Daytona endurance and SuperChamps veterans James King, Lee Schnitzler, Peter Stockwin, Paul Studd, Ashley Mayston-King and Sebastian Musicka – with over a hundred Daytona podiums between them. Most recently, they won the May six hour enduro, and had another team finish in third place.

Last year’s SODI champions, CI Group, have submitted two rapid teams to compete in DMAX – with SuperChamps champion Josh Davis, Race of Champions winner Kuba Wozniak, 9x endurance race winner Barry Morris, 8x racing champion Dan Munro, endurance veteran Daniel Crawley and master tactician Craig McAllister, making up CI Group One.  The bad news for the other competitors is that their second team is just experienced on this circuit and nobody would be surprised to see CI Group Two on the final podium.

Open Throttle are in contention for the podium, after some savvy recruitment from team captain Karlis Elmanis, including British GT racer and multi DMAX championship-winner Bobby Trundley, and professional racing driver and YouTuber Cameron Das.

Amanda Tricker's TRX Racing have submitted two talented teams littered with experienced endurance racers, both of which are podium hopefuls for this year.  Maple Motorsport, instantly recognisable by their iconic red and white race suits, are always in contention for a podium at a Daytona endurance race.

JZ Racing finished in fifth place last year and will be hoping to improve on that by 2024.

EKS All-stars are racing with two teams consisting of experienced competitors, including former SuperChamps winner Jamie Tiley-Gooden and runner up Dom Balasaitis.

SODI

There will be 20 4-stroke teams racing alongside the DMAX, competing in their own race. CSM Racing, captained by last year’s fastest lap holder Andrew Strike, consists of three members of the CS7 Racing team that finished third last time round.

Chris Thompson’s DNH Racing regularly race at Daytona Motorsport and have submitted four teams in contention for a podium spot - DNH Gurney’s Gang, DNH Ickx’s Icons, DNH Miles-Shelby Squad and the DNH Kristensen Klub - in a nod to famous Le Mans winners.

TRX Motorsport have entered three teams including TRX Motorsport SODI, who will be hoping to do better than the seventh place they managed last year. They’ve also entered a women’s team, consisting of Jamie Chadwick Series drivers Keira Boylan, Lucie Shuckford and Emily Lloyd, as well as Kamile Macijauskaite and Holly Dibdin.

Some Random Bloke have raced in the last eight Daytona 24 Hours and have amassed three podium finishes, including 2^nd in 2021. With vast experience in the event, they’ll be hoping that 2024 is their year, where they experiment with a team of six for the first time.

We’re expecting there to be a few surprise packages in the SODI race, with many teams entering for the first time. The first and second place teams from 2023 are absent for this year, leaving the door wide open for new teams to come and make history.

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