2019 Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona

For the race, see the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The 2019 Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona is the warm-up race used for the 2019 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship opening round, the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway's road course. The event is scheduled to take place January 4-6, 2019, although the tournament starts on December 31, 2018.

Pee Saderd is the defending champion.

Seeds
The seeds were announced by Dragalge (of Team Unseeded), after Abomasnow's 3-2 lead over Flygon, in a warm-up before the start of the 2018 SKUSA Supernationals. The following players earned main draw wildcards:
 * Seedings are the points standings demonstrated by Abomasnow at Dragalge's announcement.
 * Wildcard entrants
 * 🇺🇸 Bobby Bones
 * 🇺🇸 Dane Cameron
 * 🇹🇭 Arunpong Chaiwinit
 * 🇺🇸 Mark Dacascos
 * 🇺🇸 Adam Spencer Ross
 * 🇺🇸 Ricky Taylor

IndyCar representatives
Non-IndyCar representatives for both the Roar Before the 24 and the Rolex 24 include Metagross, Jirayu La-ongmanee, and Beartic. All three opted not to represent the series in both events to focus on Abomasnow's participation in The Masked Singer and the 2019 Math Open at Indian Wells.
 * Abomasnow

Monday
First round matches (🇷🇺 Pee Saderd's half): 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM EST

Tuesday
First round matches (🇺🇦 Scott Dixon's half): 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM EST

Wednesday
Second round matches: 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM EST The Masked Singer (Peacock, Hippo, Monster, Unicorn, Deer, Lion): 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM EST

Thursday
Third round matches: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM EST

Friday
7:00 AM to 7:15 AM EST

Quarterfinal motorsport matches

9:00 AM to 9:30 AM EST

Practice 1 Prototype Challenge

9:45 AM to 10:45 AM EST

Practice 1 Michelin Pilot Challenge

11:00 AM to 12:15 PM EST

Practice 1 (All Classes) WeatherTech Championship

1:15 PM to 2:00 PM EST

Practice 2 Prototype Challenge

2:15 PM to 3:15 PM EST

Practice 2 Michelin Pilot Challenge

3:30 PM to 5:00 PM EST

Practice 2 (All Classes) WeatherTech Championship

5:15 PM to 5:30 PM EST

Qualifying Prototype Challenge

Saturday
7:00 AM to 7:15 AM EST

Semifinal motorsport matches

8:45 AM to 9:45 AM EST

Practice 3 Michelin Pilot Challenge

10:00 AM to 11:00 AM EST

Practice 3 (All Classes) WeatherTech Championship

11:00 AM to 11:15 AM EST

Practice 3 (GTD S/B Only) WeatherTech Championship

12:15 PM to 3:15 PM EST

Race The Roar Before The Rolex 24 Prototype Challenge

3:35 PM to 4:20 PM EST

Practice 4 (All Classes) WeatherTech Championship

4:30 PM to 4:45 PM EST

Qualifying (GTD) WeatherTech Championship

5:00 PM to 5:45 PM EST

Practice 4 Michelin Pilot Challenge

6:45 PM to 8:00 PM EST

Practice 5 (All Classes) WeatherTech Championship

Sunday
7:00 AM to 7:15 AM EST

Final motorsport match 7:30 AM to 8:00 AM EST

IndyCar tournament award ceremony 9:00 AM to 10:15 AM EST

Practice 5 Michelin Pilot Challenge

10:30 AM to 11:35 AM EST

Practice 6 (DPi/LMP2/GTLM) WeatherTech Championship

11:50 AM to 12:05 PM EST

Qualifying (GTLM) WeatherTech Championship

12:15 PM to 12:30 PM EST

Qualifying (DPi/LMP2) WeatherTech Championship

1:30 PM to 2:30 PM EST

Practice 6 Michelin Pilot Challenge

2:45 PM to 3:45 PM EST

Practice 7 (DPi/LMP2/GTLM) WeatherTech Championship

Seeds
🇺🇦 Scott Dixon 🇷🇺 Pee Saderd 🇧🇪 Metagross 🇷🇸 Volcarona 🇰🇷 Jirayu La-ongmanee Josef Newgarden 🇧🇦 Beartic 🇦🇺 Will Power (Second round)

🇸🇰 Ryan Hunter-Reay (Second round) 🇫🇷 Simon Pagenaud Graham Rahal 🇯🇵 Apolo Anton Ohno 🇵🇱 Joey Fatone 🇨🇿 Ueli Kestenholz 🇪🇸 Mario Lopez 🇹🇷 Pidgeot (First round)

IndyCar Cup
There is an IndyCar Cup at the Roar Before the Rolex 24, announced by Abomasnow after they celebrated by qualifying 11th in the Daily of Thailand SuperStar IG on December 13, 2018; falling short of the top ten. It was held on the night of December 28, 2018; after the 2018 Swiss Open. The cup started at 7 PM to accommodate Abomasnow's entry to the Daytona International Speedway.

The participating countries are the qualified countries for the seedings of the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona (including Patricio O'Ward). Before the draw came, Abomasnow shuffled Marko Manieri and Jinjett Wattanasin into different pots, with Jinjett Wattanasin moving to Marko Manieri's seeding, and Marko Manieri moved into Jinjett Wattanasin's seeding. Abomasnow did it to prevent the Wattanasin brothers from being in the same seeding pot.

The IndyCar Cup is used as a warmup prior to the start of the tournament (Monday), and the main draw Saturday afternoon. Also, this cup is used as a warmup for Abomasnow's appearance on The Masked Singer on the January 9th episode.

Prior to the start, IndyCar fans had considered Group H the group of death, as it contains all four (including the top seeded Korean Jirayu La-ongmanee) had at least 1 million Instagram followers prior to the start of the Cup. IndyCar fans also considered Group C as all three others made the semifinal round at their tournaments, expect Graham Rahal in which the Uruguayan failed to make a semifinal. They had also considered Group E a group of death, as all four are in IndyCar full-time for the 2019 season.

Many shock results happened during the group stage of the cup, with Honchkrow and Vaporeon spoiling the IndyCar party to advance to the knockout stages.

Jirayu La-ongmanee was the defending Cup champion from the 2018 Mississauga Thailand Grand Festival, but was dumped by Pee Saderd in the final. Saderd would win the title, defeating La-ongmanee in three laps. It marked the Russian veteran's first win over Jirayu La-ongmanee since the final of the 2018 Robert Wickens Paralyzed Cup, with the name of the tournament changed by their Team Seeded captain Abomasnow. Bold determines the name made the round of 16.

Seed results
🇺🇦 Scott Dixon (Semifinals) 🇷🇺 Pee Saderd (Champion) 🇧🇪 Metagross (Round of 16) 🇷🇸 Volcarona (Round of 16) 🇰🇷 Jirayu La-ongmanee (Final) Josef Newgarden (Quarterfinals) 🇧🇦 Beartic (Semifinals) 🇦🇺 Will Power (First round) 🇸🇰 Ryan Hunter-Reay (First round) 🇫🇷 Simon Pagenaud (Quarterfinals) 🇵🇱 Joey Fatone (Round of 16) 🇯🇵 Apolo Anton Ohno (Round of 16) 🇪🇸 Mario Lopez (Quarterfinals) 🇹🇷 Pidgeot (First round) Graham Rahal (Round of 16) 🇨🇿 Ueli Kestenholz (Round of 16)

Chespin (First round) 🇸🇪 Heracross (First round) 🇦🇱 Jinjett Wattanasin (First round) 🇨🇦 James Hinchcliffe (First round) 🇦🇿 Decidueye (Round of 16) 🇲🇽 Patricio O'Ward (First round) Honchkrow (Quarterfinals) 🇧🇷 Larvesta (First round) Tanont Chumroen (First round) 🇮🇹 Marko Manieri (First round) Jakkapat Wattanasin (First round) 🇮🇷 Allen Ford (First round) 🇨🇾 Milo Manheim (First round) 🇷🇴 Vaporeon (Round of 16) Nidoking (First round) Haxorus (First round)


 * Before the cup, Abomasnow shuffled the Wattanasin brothers into different pots so that they wouldn't be seeded in the same pot together.

Group C
IndyCar fans considered Group C the group of death, as the three (Will Power, Decidueye and Tanont Chumroen) made at least the semifinal in one of the major tournaments; while Graham Rahal failed to.

Group E
IndyCar fans considered Group E the group of death, along with Group H and Group C, as all four are full-time 2019 IndyCar Series drivers.

Group F
This is almost the same group as the Group E from UEFA Euro 2016, with Czech Republic replacing the Republic of Ireland.

Group G
Group G is an all-Pokémon group; and the only one at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona's IndyCar Cup.

Group H
Group H is a group of death; as it contains Jirayu La-ongmanee, Mario Lopez, and both Jinjett and Jakkapat Wattanasin. It is known by that because all four had at least 1 million Instagram followers.

Group H is considered the toughest group to advance from.