2021 24 Hours of Daytona

This event was the 59th running of the 24 Hours of Daytona, and the first of 12 races across multiple classes in the 2021 IMSA SportsCar Championship, as well as the first of four rounds in the 2021 Michelin Endurance Cup.

[6] With the addition of the Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) class, despite the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of entrants to the 24-hour race saw a marked improvement from the 2020 running of the event, with 50 entries registered.

Some notable entries include Chip Ganassi Racing, who are registered to participate in the Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class with the Cadillac DPi-V.R.

After winning both the 2019 and 2020 editions of the Rolex, the BMW M8 GTE was put at a 10-kilogram weight disadvantage, along with restricted levels of turbo boost.

Meanwhile, the Porsche 911 RSR and Chevrolet Corvette C8.R were both given increases in the sizes of their air restrictors, with the latter being made 10 kilograms lighter.

Since it was the season's first race, Albuquerque, Castroneves, Ricky Taylor, and Rossi Pagenaud led the DPi Drivers' Championship with 376 points each.

Nicky Catsburg, Jordan Taylor, and Antonio García led the GTLM Drivers' Championship with 382 points each.

Dontje, Ward, Ellis, and Engel led the GTD Drivers' Championship, followed by the second-placed Grenier, Habul, Marciello, and Stolz.

Acura, Chevrolet, and Mercedes-AMG assumed the lead of their respective Manufacturers' Championships with eleven races left in the season.