I was able to go to Daytona Beach for the Grand-Am weekend at Daytona International Speedway a couple of weeks ago. Although I was there primarily for the KONI Challenge race on Friday, I stayed for the Rolex 24-Hour starting Saturday afternoon.
When I went, I was ready for some changes. I had seen coverage of the 24-Hour the last few years, and I knew that a Ferris wheel was part of the layout for the weekend. As much as I thought I was prepared for the difference between this year’s event and the last 24-Hour weekend that I attended (some 15 years ago), a few things took me by surprise – most of them pleasant:
- The crowd – much larger than I had experienced in previous runnings of the 24-Hour; so much so that there was no infield parking by mid-morning on Saturday
- The entertainment – carnival rides in addition to the Ferris wheel, bands on a stage in the paddock, and fan decks above the team garages
- The food – rows of tents with food native to a number of countries
The weekend had a festival atmosphere, with bands playing so loud that I couldn’t hear the cars screaming across the start/finish line. I suppose it would be possible to visit the Speedway during the weekend, have a great time, and never see a car run competitively on the track.
Still, endurance racing remains at the heart of the weekend, with all that it entails. Its qualities pervaded the three-hour KONI Challenge race on Friday as well as the Rolex 24-Hour during the weekend: Perseverance. Patience. Teamwork. Preparedness. Luck. Experience. Exuberance. Every car had a story – approximately 160 of them between the two races! Mix in the sun, rain, heat, and cold and you can begin to sense this event’s allure.
For me, nighttime racing is the best, with its high speeds in the dark. Some cars still throw flames from their exhausts, adding to the racing’s natural drama.
Approximately two-thirds of the 66 starters finished the 24-Hour this year. Perhaps you’ve heard that to finish an endurance event is to be a winner. After standing witness to such races for as many hours as I can stay awake, I believe that to be true.
