Behind The Scenes Look At NASCAR’s Trackhouse In Rolex 24 At Daytona

When Justin Marks and partner Pitbull envisioned Trackhouse, he wanted to form a team in NASCAR that wasn’t afraid to push the envelope and try new things.

That philosophy is a major reason why Trackhouse announced on December 12 that it will compete in the famed Rolex 24 at Daytona – the first major international motorsports race of the 2025 season.

It will also reunite New Zealand racing greats Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske’s IndyCar operation and his longtime friend Shane van Gisbergen, who will step up to the NASCAR Cup Series as a full-time driver at Trackhouse in 2025.

“This is a dream come true to get to drive alongside Scotty, Connor and Ben,” van Gisbergen said. “I love the 24 Hours of Daytona and it’s awesome to do this with this team. Justin, Chevrolet and TF Sport have done a great job putting this all together.”

McLaughlin has become an IndyCar star with Team Penske and won the pole for the 108^th Indianapolis 500 in 2024. He finished third in the 2024 NTT IndyCar Series Championship behind champion Alex Palou and second-place Colton Herta.

“When the opportunity came up from General Motors to run with Ben, Connor and Shane, I jumped at it straight away,” McLaughlin said. “I’ve always wanted to run an endurance race in a Chevrolet Corvette, and I could not imagine a better group to join. I am confident we have a real chance of winning a Rolex with this team.

“Shane and I have so much history racing against each other, including some time as teammates. He is one of the best racers I’ve ever competed against, so it’ll be great to be on his side again for Daytona. Connor is a young star who’s going to be around for a long time, and Ben has won Le Mans and a World Championship in a Corvette. We’re going to have some fun.

The two drivers from New Zealand will join Connor Zilisch and Ben Keating in the No. 91 “Trackhouse by TF Sport” Corvette.

“I can’t wait for the 24 Hours this year,” Zilisch said. “This will be cool, and I really think we can win this race. I love my Rolex and if I can get another one, I might wear one on each wrist. It takes so much to win this race, and I think everyone in this group brings something to the table that will help get us to victory lane. I know our Corvette will be fast.”

Keating is the veteran road racer of the group.

“I’m excited for this,” Keating said. “I’ve won Le Mans in a Corvette and won a World Championship in a Corvette. I’m thrilled to be back with TF Sport, a team that I know very well and one where we won a lot of races and a championship together. I’m teaming with some phenomenal Chevrolet drivers in Shane, Scott and Connor, which should be a lot of fun. This will be a big challenge but one that I know we are all up looking forward to and are up for.”

The No. 91 Corvette race team competing in the 24-hour race at Daytona international Speedway is titled “Trackhouse by TF Sport” and is another example of Marks’ bold vision of being an innovator or a “disruptor” in today’s motorsports landscape.

“Participating in the Rolex 24 has been a dream since the inception of Trackhouse Racing,” said Trackhouse owner and founder Justin Marks, whose first professional race as a driver came in this race in 2001 and peaked when he went to victory lane in 2009. “We wanted to make sure we could enter with a top-notch partner in Chevrolet and TF Sport as well as a driver lineup that could compete for the victory. We feel like this group we have put together can compete for the trophy.”

Trackhouse’s Bold Vision Part Of Its Heritage

Trackhouse has fielded NASCAR Cup Series cars since 2021 visiting victory lane eight times with drivers Ross Chastain, Daniel Suárez and Van Gisbergen – all in Chevrolets. It joined the MotoGP grid in 2024, bringing an American team back to the pinnacle of motorcycle racing for the first time in over a decade.

“We set out to become an international company with a global brand and we took a big step in 2024 adding MotoGP,” Marks said. “Today marks another step as Trackhouse enters one of the most prestigious motorsports races in the world with two Americans (Zilisch and Keating) and two New Zealanders (Van Gisbergen and McLaughlin) behind the wheel.”

Marks said he was intentional about selecting his partners like TF Sport and Chevrolet as well as his drivers, for the 24-hour race.

“We wanted the best partners because we know how difficult this task will be,” said Marks. “We are racing against some of the best sports car teams and drivers in the world.”

His drivers are familiar to most motorsports fans.

Van Gisbergen’s resume includes Supercars Championships in 2016, 2021 and 2022, plus 80 wins and 47 pole positions. He also won the Bathurst 1000 in 2020, 2022 and 2023. Van Gisbergen won his debut NASCAR Cup Series race on the streets of Chicago in 2023 and captured three Xfinity Series victories in 2024.

The NASCAR world took notice at Chicago in 2023 when he led nine laps and won the event by 1.259 seconds in overtime, becoming one of six foreign-born drivers to win a Cup Series race and the first driver since Johnny Rutherford in 1963 to win his first Cup Series start.

The 18-year-old Zilisch won the LMP2 class at the Rolex 24 as part of a remarkable 2024 season that includes victories at the 12 Hours of Sebring, his debut Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International and several ARCA and CARS Tour events.

McLaughlin won three Supercars titles in 2018-2020, including a Bathurst 1000 triumph in 2019, and owns seven victories in the IndyCar Series where he has competed full time since 2021. 2024 was a standout IndyCar season for McLaughlin who finished third in the overall Championship standings. In addition to three wins, he secured five poles, becoming the 2024 Indianapolis 500 pole sitter with the fastest four-lap qualifying speed in the history of the event.

Keating is the owner of 30 car dealerships across Texas and won the Rolex 24 in the GTD class in 2015 as well as the IMSA Championship in LMP2 in 2021 and 2023. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2022 with TF Sport and again in 2023 with Corvette. Keating is also the 2022 and 2023 WEC World Champion.

The quartet will lean on the ability of the TF Sport team founded by Tom Ferrier and headquartered in Slinfold, West Sussex, England, United Kingdom.

Founded in 2014, the team has enjoyed a winning pedigree since the outset, claiming multiple championship titles in the British GT Championship, the GTWC endurance championship and the Michelin Le Mans Cup.

TF Sport’s Impressive History

TF Sport’s formidable results have placed them among the most successful British teams in the current era of GT endurance racing. TF Sport claimed victory at the Spa 24 Hours (2019) and two wins at Le Mans 24 Hours (2020) and (2022). The team were also crowned World Endurance champions in 2022.

In 2021, TF Sport made its entry into the world of prototype racing in the ELMS claiming the Pro/am title in 2022 and the LMP2 pro title in 2024.

From 2024, TF Sport joined forces with Corvette Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship for a new and rewarding story. The team ended the season with a double podium in the season finale in Bahrain.

“This is a fantastic way to kick off our 2025 racing program with Corvette Racing,” said TF Sport owner Tom Ferrier. “This team is a combination of sports car, IndyCar and NASCAR all joining together for a common goal which is to win the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, it is such a great event, and we cannot wait to get started with this talented team.”

The Iconic Corvette Continues Its History History Of Racing

The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R will start its second season of competition at the Rolex 24 following an impressive debut season in 2024. The Corvette GT3 is based on the production Corvette Z06 supercar with the same aluminum frame and a 5.5-liter, flat-plane crankshaft V8 engine that is 80 percent production. Both the Z06 and Z06 GT3.R chassis and engines are built at GM’s Bowling Green Assembly plant, and the Z06 GT3.R is constructed at Pratt Miller Engineering in New Hudson, Michigan.

“As much as the cars and equipment, motorsport is about relationships. We are happy to deepen ours with Trackhouse Racing, TF Sport and Ben Keating as they combine for this special entry into the Rolex 24 At Daytona,” said Eric Warren, GM executive director – global motorsports competition.

“This effort brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and professionalism into the race, especially TF Sport with its FIA WEC experience with the Corvette Z06 GT3.R. Adding a fifth Corvette to the opening race for 2025 is something that will excite our Corvette owners and Corvette Racing fans.”

In 2024, the Corvette Z06 GT3.R won 11 races, claimed 12 pole positions and captured the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD PRO Manufacturers Championship for Chevrolet.

A total of five Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs will take part in this year’s Rolex 24.

The Trackhouse Racing Powered by TF Sport team makes its on-track debut during a three-day test called the Roar Before the Rolex 24 on Jan. 16-19, and returns for practice, qualifying for the 24-hour race on Jan. 23-26.