If you asked most people to try and name a famous endurance race, the chances are that most people would come up with Le Mans.

You might get the odd person who would reply with the Nurburgring 24 or maybe someone has first hand experience of heading to Silverstone for the Britcar 24.

However, it’s unlikely that many would think of Daytona – a circuit better known in Europe for the fact that it hosts by far the biggest event on the NASCAR calendar.

The Daytona 24 Hours – more commonly known now as the Rolex 24 – is a true hidden gem as far as British race fans are concerned but that doesn’t need to be the case any longer with the race having extensive live coverage on Motors TV this coming weekend.

If you’ve got the chance to see the action, then make sure you take it…

Back in 2009, I was lucky enough to head over to Florida for the race and it is an experience I’ll never forget. Qualifying saw the top two on the grid split by just 0.001secs and after a titanic battle through the final hour, David Donohue brought the winning car to the finish less than two-tenths of a second ahead of second placed Juan Pablo Montoya.

Qualifying for the race this season has already taken place as I write this, with the seven cars in the premier Daytona Prototype class covered by less than a second. In total, nearly 60 cars are due to take the start, and this on a circuit measuring just 3.56 miles – meaning action is guaranteed.

You only have to look at the list of drivers on the entry list for this year’s race to see how the professionals view Daytona. Allan McNish, Dario Franchitti, Montoya, Justin Wilson, Paul Tracy, Giancarlo Fisichella and Scott Dixon are amongst the big names who have headed to the Speedway for the race, with many of them in the DP class.

Grand Am’s quickest cars do split opinion. Some don’t like the way they look but the latest generation machines – which debut this weekend – are mightily impressive machines and are much more cost-effective than if a team was to head to the ALMS or the new WEC with a prototype machine, which may be competitive for a season before needing to be replaced.

Having been part of the NASCAR family for a number of years now, Grand Am continues to go from strength to strength and the 50th running of the Rolex 24 this weekend should be no exception.

The series will benefit from extensive coverage on Motors TV throughout the year, and there is no better way to get a taste than with this weekend’s season opener.

You won’t be disappointed…