The trio of Toyota Racing drivers will all be making their debut in the event, which precedes the historic 24-hour race at Daytona International Speedway.
Wallace has two victories in the NASCAR Cup Series, both while driving for 23XI Racing, which is co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin. He finished a career-best tenth in the standings last year. Nemechek is making his return to the Cup Series in 2024 with Legacy Motor Club, which is switching from Chevrolet to Toyota for the new season. He spent last year in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and won a series-leading seven races. Heim is a NASCAR Truck Series regular and made the Championship 4 last year.
SMOOGE Racing will be entering two cars in the four-hour race. Wallace, Nemechek, and Heim will share the No. 23 Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO with sponsorship from Mobil 1.
The team will enter a second car, piloted by John Geesbreght, Kevin Conway, and Corey Lewis.
“We are very excited to run two GR Supra GT4 EVOs at Daytona this year. Having Bubba, John Hunter and Corey in the 23 car is a major honor and testament to Smooge Racing,“ said Team Principal Kevin Conway, the 2010 Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Cup Series. “I’m also looking forward to racing with John Geesbreght and Corey Lewis in the PRAX Leadership GR Supra. John and I have had a lot of success together and we are looking forward to building on that at Daytona.”
In 2022, Ford enter four of its rising NASCAR stars into the IMSA Pilot Challenge season-opener, running Austin Cindric, Chase Briscoe, Harrison Burton, and Hailie Deegan.
Burton returned the following year with 2022 Truck Series champion Zane Smith as his co-driver, and the duo won the race overall in a PF Racing Ford Mustang GT4.