OTHER NOTABLES:

Dener Motorsport (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup): Open-wheel stars Rubens Barrichello and Tony Kanaan lead the lineup in this all-Brazilian team, which fields two Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. Not expected to play a factor for the podium, this will still be one team in the headlines for its star power.

Thirty-six GT cars are set to take the green flag Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET, Live! on SPEED. (Photo: John Dagys)

Marsh Racing (Corvette): Making the long-awaited debut with its Corvette at Daytona, the Rolex Series stalwarts are not expected to be contenders, although boast a strong lineup of Eric Curran, Lawson Aschenbach, Brandon Davis and Boris Said, who is set to pull double duty between this Prep 1 Corvette and Turner Motorsport’s BMW M3.

AF Waltrip (Ferrari 458 Italia Grand Am): NASCAR star Clint Bowyer makes his sports car debut in the AF Corse-run effort, joining MWR co-owners Michael Waltrip and Rob Kauffman and endurance ace Rui Aguas in the No. 56 Ferrari. This entry could surprise, especially with the impressive early pace by Bowyer, but is not expected to feature in the top-five.

Snow Racing/Wright Motorsports (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup): History will be made with this joint effort, as Melanie and Madison Snow will become the first-ever mother-and-son to drive in the Rolex 24. They’re joined by former Porsche factory driver Sascha Maassen, Porsche Junior Marco Seefried and Klaus Bachler, making for a steady lineup capable of a top-10.

TruSpeed Motorsports (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup): World Challenge regulars step up to the Rolex Series for 2013 with the lineup of Kelly Collins, Phil Fogg, Tom Haacker and Jim Walsh, which will not set the world on fire, but could be a top-15 contender if the car stays out of trouble.

Muehlner Motorsports America (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup): Entering a pair of Porsches, the German squad are no strangers to success in enduros. However, with a predominantly gentlemen driver lineup, the pair of Porsches are here almost just to make up the numbers.

Racers Edge Motorsports (Mazda RX-8): While having ended its factory run in the GT ranks, the screaming roar of the Mazda RX-8 will still be heard this weekend in this all-Mexican driving squad. However, don’t expect any fireworks from this effort.

Vehicle Technologies (Dodge Viper Competition Coupe): After a troubled debut season, the Dodge Viper returns for another go. And while boasting a decent lineup in Trans-Am veteran Tony Ave, Jan Heylen and Doug Petersen, getting to the finish would likely be considered an accomplishment, given the series of mechanical issues for the V10-powered beast in the past.