Earl Bamber and Scott Dixon are the two Kiwis so far confirmed on an impressive 50-car entry list for this year’s Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.
This year’s race will be Bamber’s first Daytona since 2014 where he has not raced as a factory Porsche driver.
He will be making his maiden appearance in the new Hardpoint EBM team, which will field a Porsche 911 GT3 R.
Team owner Rob Ferriol is one of the two other drivers confirmed, with a third to be announced over the coming days.
Bamber has finished on the podium in his class in the last two Daytona 24 Hours. However, both were in the GT Le Mans class, whereas this year has him compete in a 20-strong GT Daytona category.
Dixon returns to Chip Ganassi Racing after previously spending time at Wayne Taylor Racing.
The six-time and defending IndyCar Series champion joins full-season drivers Kevin Magnussen and Renger van der Zande in a Cadillac DPi.V.R.
The Kiwi claimed overall honours in last year’s rendition, also in Cadillac DPi. It was his third overall victory, and another win this year will place him as one of only six drivers in history to have won the race four times or more.
Chip Ganassi Racing also peeled the covers off its livery for the 2021 season, which features a mostly white colour scheme with red and silver accents.
Dixon will likely be retained for the rest of the Michelin Endurance Cup, including the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and Motul Petit Le Mans.
Ex-Formula 1 driver-turned IndyCar racer Marcus Ericsson could also be added to the line-up, bolstering the crew to four drivers.
A healthy crop of Australian drivers have already been confirmed for the race. They include Scott Andrews, Matt Campbell, Ryan Briscoe, Kenny Habul and Aidan Read.
This year’s Daytona 24 Hour also acts as the opening round to the 2021 IMSA WeatherTech Championship and will take place over January 30-31.