IMSA Sets BoP for Roar, Rolex 24

Photo: Brandon Badraoui/IMSA

IMSA has established the Balance of Performance for the GTP and GTD Pro/GTD classes ahead of the start of on-track action at Daytona International Speedway.

Issued in a technical bulletin on Thursday by the sanctioning body, the first BoP of the 2026 season is effective for next weekend’s Roar Before the Rolex 24 and “applicable until further notice” signaling that it could also be carried over into the Rolex 24 at Daytona race event itself.

Unlike previous years, IMSA’s competition department labeled the BoP chart for the “Daytona Roar and Rolex 24 events.”

With all LMDh cars having undertaken Evo jokers for the year, and the LMH-based Aston Martin Valkyrie set for its Rolex 24 debut, as well as all cars re-visiting the Windshear wind tunnel for re-certification, the values listed on the chart cannot be directly compared to last year’s figures.

Impressively, all five prototypes are separated by just 11 kg in minimum weight.

As was typically the case at races last year, the Valkyrie will head into Daytona as the lightest car, at the baseline of 1030 kg, with the Cadillac V-Series.R receiving a considerable weight decrease compared to 2025, as the second-lightest GTP machine at 1033 kg.

The Porsche 963, which like the Cadillac has undergone significant aero updates, will weigh in at 1035 kg, followed by the new-look BMW M Hybrid V8 at 1038 kg and the Acura ARX-06, as the heaviest at 1041 kg.

The same could be said for maximum power levels, in the continued use of a two-stage system, which sees only a 2.9 percent range between the most powerful (Aston Martin at 520 kW) and the least performing (Cadillac at 505 kW) in second-stage power at speeds over 240 km/h.

First stage power has an even closer gap, with the Acura and Cadillac at the maximum threshold of 520 kW, compared to the Aston Martin at 514 kW, marking only a 6 kW (8 hp) power swing.

IMSA has also established the BoP for the GT3-based categories, which includes the new-for-2026 Evo models from Ferrari, Ford and Porsche.

The Mustang GT3 EVO weighs in as the heaviest at 1374 kg, followed by the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 at 1370 kg and the Lexus RC F GT3, Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo and Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo all at 1356 kgs.

Ferrari’s 296 GT3 Evo, meanwhile, is the lightest production-based car at 1323 kg, followed by the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, which makes its series return after a year away, at 1330 kg.

Source: Sports Car 365