One of motorsport's most iconic races takes place this weekend and in the #73 car at the 24 Hours of Daytona will be Kildare native James Roe.
Daytona is one of those names that conjures up dreamlike imagery in the minds of any petrolhead, akin to Monaco, Monza, Le Mans, or Indianapolis.
Proudly donning a rich green shamrock on his helmet, 26-year-old Roe will race the iconic endurance race for the first time for Pratt Miller Motorsports, in another exciting progression in his racing career Stateside.
We caught up with Roe over Zoom from the track in southern Florida this week, as he prepares for one of the biggest moments of his career thus far.
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Irishman James Roe raring to go for 24 Hours of Daytona
#73: James Roe Jr
Despite coming from an established motorsport family and growing up next to Mondello Park, James Roe's entry into the sport was not the most orthodox.
"I started motorsport quite late at 15 years of age," Roe tells us, "I didn't do the conventional go-karting route, I went straight into cars."
Perhaps context is needed for non-petrolheads on how unusual this is. Lewis Hamilton had already been snapped up by McLaren's driver academy by the age of 13. At 15, Max Verstappen was just a year away from stepping into an F1 car for the first time.
Roe's progression since his late start has been hugely impressive, especially as he made the equally bold move to move Stateside to pursue his racing dreams. Arriving alone in the US at the age of just 18, Roe was in no doubt that this was the place for him.
"I packed up my two bags right after I finished my Leaving Cert," Roe explains. "I had never set foot in the country prior, not even on holidays. The first place I arrived in was Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The very first night I spent in America, I was literally freezing cold in about 6ft of snow.
"I remember arriving thinking, 'this is not what I thought America was!' Nonetheless, we got stuck in. The first year was in Wisconsin in F2000. Had a decent year there with a lap record and a few podiums and wins - the rest is kind of history, just climbing the ladder system here."
Climbing the ladder has brought Roe as far as IndyNXT, the rung below America's prime single-seater series of IndyCar. Roe has delivered impressive results in what he describes as America's equivalent to Formula 2, climbing from 12th in the standings in his first year in 2022 to 6th last season.
#73: James Roe Jr in action in practice for the 24 Hours of Daytona
This weekend brings an entirely different challenge, as he steps into a sportscar for the 24 Hours of Daytona with Pratt Miller Motorsport.
America's answer to the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans, the race at Daytona is one of the country's most famous, and one of the most storied in the world of motorsport.
Daytona marks the start of the American endurance racing season (IMSA). Roe compares it to starting the inter-county season with the All-Ireland final, and tells us of his whirlwind preparation for the race.
There's a lot to learn right out the gate. I missed the four days of pre-season testing we had with this team because last June I broke my hand in the middle of the IndyNXT season and had to get post-season surgery. I was in a cast for most of the winter and then came to the three-day test before the 24 Hours.
It was like drinking out of a fire hose initially with a new car, new tyre, new team, traffic, multi-class racing, fuel saving, tyre saving, all that goes with it. But we got through it.
In American terms, it's like the Super Bowl over here starting the season at the 24 Hours. In Irish teams, it's like starting your season with the All-Ireland finals. It's the biggest race of the year.
The multi-class racing Roe refers to is the various different classes of vehicles that will take to the track in Daytona. Racing on the same tarmac will be GTP cars (the pinnacle of racing sportscars), followed by LMP2, GTD Pro, and GTD cars.
Each of the cars has four drivers who will drive in stints across the 24 hour race from Saturday into Sunday. Roe's teammates are Canadian Chris Cumming, Brazilian Pietro Fittipaldi, and Englishman Callum Ilott. Ilott and Fittipaldi are IndyCar regulars, with Fittipaldi coming from a famed motorsport family. The Brazilian raced in two F1 Grands Prix in 2020, lending yet more experience to Roe's team.
The LMP2 class is a spec series, meaning every team runs the same car. In Thursday's qualifying, Roe's car placed an impressive fourth in their class, ensuring a strong grid position for this weekend's race.
#73: James Roe Jr in action in practice for the 24 Hours of Daytona
It's hard not to get carried away in such an environment, with Daytona among the most iconic venues in the sport, and with so many famous names in the field.
Among the other drivers in the field are 2008 F1 runner-up Felipe Massa, F1 podium sitters Romain Grosjean, Kevin Magnussen (and more), and IndyCar legend Scott Dixon, to name but a few. It was a pinch yourself moment for Roe when he found himself sharing a track with such giants of motorsport.
"This practice just gone by, I was on my inlap and Formula E champion Antonio Felix da Costa was behind me," Roe excitedly recalls, "I was in night practice chasing down a car and they said, 'That's Massa two cars ahead of you, that's the target.'
"I'm sitting there making sure I'm hearing the right thing over the radio! I grew up watching Felipe Massa on Sundays at home in Ireland. It's very cool and, as I said, that's the calibre I hope to get to. Putting myself up against those guys is in at the deep end. That's what it's all about."
There will also be further Irish involvement in this weekend's race, with Belfast's Charlie Eastwood racing in the #36 car in the GTD class.
Single-seater racing has been James Roe's main focus since arriving in America, and he will continue with Andretti Motorsport in IndyNXT this season, with his sights set on a future drive in IndyCar.
The Andretti name is famous, and Roe shares a brilliant story of an old run-in between his family and the legendary 1978 F1 champion Mario Andretti more than 40 years ago.
What's funny is that back in the day, my uncle raced here in North America. He and Michael Andretti [Mario's son] used to race together and lived together for a certain period of time.
My uncle and Michael Andretti bumped wheels a few times. Back in the late 70s, early 80s, Mario Andretti came up to my uncle after one of the biggest races in Formula Ford where Michael Roe had banged wheels with Michael Andretti and it got pretty dirty.
Mario came over to my uncle and said, 'Hey, I'm gonna make sure you never do that again, mark my word!'
It's remarkable that the familial connection be rekindled in far more endearing fashion in the modern day, and Roe reveals that Mario Andretti recalled the incident vividly when he approached him on it at a recent IndyCar race.
The goal for James Roe this weekend is clear, with the Kildare man determined to deliver at least a podium if not a win in the LMP2 class for his team. The goal in the IndyNXT season is similar - upgrade those podiums of recent seasons to wins.
#73: James Roe Jr
Through it all, the shamrock will be shining on his helmet, something that he says still brings him immense pride Stateside.
It's a big part of my DNA over here. The shamrock on the forefront of the helmet, green helmet, everywhere I go I'm Irish and I'm proud of that.
There's 5 or 6 million Irish people at home and there's 43 million Irish Americans over here in North America. It's a big, big population and something that I've gotten a lot of support from. The Irish community has been great in supporting me over here through different groups.
We're so small as well. Ireland motorsport...we've one race track in the whole country versus the UK or Spain or America. For guys even to make it out of Ireland and get on the international stage is just a huge achievement.
Flying the flag is something I'm extremely proud of and want to do for many years to come.
The 24 Hours of Daytona gets underway on Saturday evening at 6:40pm Irish time, with James Roe flying the flag in the #73 car. You can watch the race on IMSA TV here or on YouTube here.
Photos courtesy of James Roe
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